The Shifting of Fate

Beep... Reincarnator detected. Please kill the reincarnator, Master.

Hearing the voice ring out in his mind, Mo Li's gaze turned cold. He was certain that he had not possessed this thing before transmigrating into this world. In his original world, he had merely occupied the position of a Land God; he had nothing else.

Was this change brought about by the person I killed in my original world?

With that doubt in mind, Mo Li increased the force in his hands, gradually suppressing Overweight Lake Light.

"Roar!" Having lost his reason, Kariya Matou withdrew his greatsword and slashed at Mo Li from another angle. Yet a section of the ground beneath his feet suddenly gave way, and he stumbled toward the ground, completely losing his balance.

Mo Li thrust forward with his Heavenly Halberd, piercing Kariya Matou's heart. That suit of armor was utterly incapable of blocking the sharpness of his Heavenly Halberd.

Mo Li said coldly, "So you only inherited Berserker Lancelot's abilities, not his combat experience. Simply manipulating the ground to throw you off balance was enough to leave you like this. How pathetic. And you wanted to kill Matou Zouken?"

Crack, bang~

Kariya Matou's visor shattered. His bloodshot eyes stared at Mo Li. "Damn it, I was so close. Who are you? Whoever you are, please, don't let anyone join the Matou Family... Please destroy that place that breeds evil..."

"Kariya, what happened to the Matou Family..." Tohsaka Aoi staggered to her feet, looking at him with both fear and concern. She could not make sense of the situation at all.

Kariya Matou became agitated again. "Insect Magic... You were all deceived by Matou Zouken. He took Sakura in not to teach her the Matou Family's Water Magic, but to transform Sakura with his own Insect Magic! You must not let Sakura go to the Matou Family..."

Kariya Matou's voice grew weaker and weaker. The light faded from his eyes, and he went completely still. His body also began to disperse into motes of light, like a Heroic Spirit.

Watching this unfold, Mo Li willed it and immediately used his ability to seize the other man's power. His own strength grew even greater.

This was an innate ability he had possessed since his previous world, and it was also the foundation upon which he had survived.

Congratulations, Master, for killing the reincarnator. Draw attempts +1. If activated in this world, you may obtain prizes related to the target. After leaving this world, you will randomly obtain a prize. Fate Points increased.

Listening to the notification, Mo Li became certain that it was something akin to a system.

Tohsaka Aoi said sorrowfully, "What happened? Kariya... How could he disappear? Is he dead?"

"He became a Heroic Spirit. This is what happens when they die." The Heavenly Halberd in Mo Li's hand vanished as he turned to face the mother and her two daughters. "You should have heard what he said before he died. The Matou Family is not a good place. I do not wish to interfere in your affairs, but there must be a reason for him to be so persistent."

Tohsaka Aoi said sadly, "But I cannot change Tokiomi's decision, and there is no evidence to prove it..."

"That is your own problem." Mo Li turned and left. Since he was here, he might as well settle in. First, he needed to find somewhere to stay.

Watching Mo Li walk away, the two little girls felt conflicted. This man had appeared out of nowhere, then suddenly saved them from Uncle Kariya.

Uncle Kariya, who should have been kind to them, had suddenly turned bad, while this stranger had saved them...

Tohsaka Rin wiped away her tears and called out toward Mo Li's retreating back, "Thank you, Brother Mo Li, for saving us!"

Tohsaka Sakura also stepped forward and sincerely thanked him. "Thank you, Brother Mo Li, for saving us!"

Tohsaka Aoi felt a complicated ache in her heart. She rubbed her daughters' hair, then bowed to Mo Li as well. "Thank you for saving us!"

Mo Li paused, glanced sideways at the three of them, then changed direction and walked away. Without looking back, he said, "You got lucky."

Late at night, inside the Matou Family residence.

Matou Zouken listened to Matou Tsuruno's report.

After a long while, Matou Zouken finally said, "Kariya Matou suddenly returned to the country. After getting off the plane, he disappeared without a trace, and you have been unable to find him since?"

Matou Tsuruno wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Yes, Father. I truly do not know how Kariya managed it."

Matou Zouken said darkly, "It seems Kariya has grown capable... But no matter how capable he has become, he cannot change the fact that his aptitude is poor. The Tohsaka Family's second daughter must be adopted into my Matou Family to inherit my legacy. The Holy Grail War cannot be allowed to go wrong."

Inside the Tohsaka Estate.

After comforting the two children and having them wash up and return to bed, Tohsaka Aoi told Tokiomi Tohsaka everything that had happened in the park.

As for Matou Zouken's Insect Magic, Tokiomi Tohsaka had his doubts. He did not immediately dismiss his wife's claims, but neither did he fully believe them. After all, the Matou Family had presented Water Magic to the outside world for centuries. To directly suspect the Tohsaka Family's ancient ally of hundreds of years would undoubtedly damage this rare relationship.

The Holy Grail War would begin in a year. Everyone in the Matou Family's current generation was worthless, while Tohsaka Sakura's exceptional aptitude would allow her to inherit everything in the Matou Family. At that point, though she would bear the Matou name, she could also be considered a branch of the Tohsaka Family.

This was also what Matou Zouken had promised him. He had no reason to doubt such a generous ally.

Besides, there was another matter that concerned him deeply.

Recalling the information Aoi had told him, Tokiomi Tohsaka said carefully, "Aoi, you said that Kariya Matou suddenly possessed the power of Berserker Lancelot, while the young man who saved you was wielding a Heavenly Halberd. After merely blocking the greatsword, he killed Heroic Spirit-like Kariya Matou with a single strike. That was how their fight went, correct?"

As one of the Three Great Families, the matter of Heroic Spirits was far more important to him. The Holy Grail War had not even begun yet, so how could a Heroic Spirit possibly have appeared? Did that worthless Kariya Matou, who had run away from his family responsibilities, have the ability to illegally summon a Heroic Spirit?

What a joke!

Aoi nodded. "Yes, that is exactly what happened. Even the fact that Kariya Matou had become like a Heroic Spirit was told to us by that young man named Mo Li."

Tokiomi Tohsaka narrowed his eyes. "You said that when Kariya Matou's magical energy erupted, the entire park was destroyed. Based on the images returned by my familiars, that does seem to be the case. If that destruction was truly caused by Kariya Matou, then the credibility of him possessing Berserker Lancelot's power rises greatly."

"In that case, for the man calling himself Mo Li to kill a Kariya Matou with such power in a single strike, he definitely was not human... At the very least, not an ordinary human. He might also be a Heroic Spirit. He called himself Mo Li, but I believe Lu Bu may be a more suitable name for him. Did his Heavenly Halberd have one crescent blade, or crescent blades on both sides?"

Tohsaka Aoi recalled, "His Heavenly Halberd had crescent blades on both sides."

"What was his height?"

"About one meter eighty-five."

"One meter eighty-five? That does not quite match Lu Bu's recorded height, but for now, let us treat him as Lu Bu. Strange things have already happened before the Holy Grail War has even begun..."

Tokiomi Tohsaka pondered for a while, then said, "I will speak with Matou Zouken first. As for Sakura being adopted into the Matou Family to inherit Matou Zouken's legacy, I will discuss it properly with him. Aoi, go get some rest first."

"Mm, all right." Tohsaka Aoi rose to leave, but still feeling uneasy, she said to Tokiomi Tohsaka, "Tokiomi, if everything Kariya Matou said was true..."

Tokiomi Tohsaka's gaze darkened. "...I'll keep that in mind. Go back and rest."

After Tohsaka Aoi left, Tokiomi Tohsaka contacted Matou Zouken through magecraft.

Matou Zouken's steady voice came through. "What is it, Tokiomi?"

Tokiomi Tohsaka smiled. "Ah, Zouken. As allies, with the Holy Grail War about to begin, I need to confirm this once more beforehand. If I adopt Sakura into your family, you will pass down everything of the Matou Family to Sakura, and teach her the Matou Family's Water Magic without holding anything back. Is that correct?"

Matou Zouken did not understand why Tokiomi Tohsaka had contacted him, but his reply was flawless. "That is correct. Once she becomes Matou Sakura, everything in the Matou Family will be hers to inherit. This old man will teach that girl Sakura everything I have without reservation. The Matou Family's Water Magic will not be withheld from her in the slightest; all of it will be taught to her."

"My old friend, before Sakura is adopted into the Matou Family, could we meet first? Show me the Matou Family's Water Magic, so I can prepare the magecraft materials Sakura will need after joining your family. After all, once that happens, I, her biological father, will no longer be able to interfere in making preparations for her."

Matou Zouken narrowed his eyes. "Certainly. Let us meet tomorrow."

Matou Zouken named a location.

"Very well. I will arrive on time tomorrow." After Tokiomi Tohsaka replied, the communication ended.

Matou Zouken pondered, "Did that fellow Tokiomi notice something? Asking me to demonstrate the Matou Family's Water Magic so suddenly... But perhaps I am overthinking it. Kariya despises Tokiomi, and he does not know the Matou Family's true secret. Even if he wanted to reveal anything, he could not. Forget it. I will watch Tokiomi's behavior tomorrow."

Having lived for several centuries, Matou Zouken did not believe Tokiomi Tohsaka could see through the secret he had buried so deeply. He had plenty of ways to fool him, though he still needed to prepare carefully just in case.

Tohsaka Sakura's talent was better than any he had ever seen, and it perfectly suited his needs. Her Imaginary Numbers affinity—one could also call it a type of spatial affinity—could not have been more fitting for his goal.

It was at that moment—

From a corner of the shadows, unnoticed by anyone, Mo Li watched Matou Zouken make his preparations. "Looks like Tokiomi Tohsaka is destined to be fooled by this old fox. Tohsaka Sakura will still join the Matou Family. Fine. If I'm saving someone, I might as well see it through. When the crucial moment comes, I'll save Matou Sakura."

The outcome afterward was just as Mo Li expected.

The next day, the two met. Although Tokiomi Tohsaka did his utmost to probe Matou Zouken discreetly, how could an old fox who had lived for centuries possibly be tested by a youngster barely a few decades old?

Though Matou Zouken did not realize Tokiomi Tohsaka was probing him, he had been on guard, and his answers were equally watertight. His rare mastery of Water Magic was displayed with astonishing skill.

This performance put Tokiomi Tohsaka at ease. He immediately smiled and said, "Then in two days, I will entrust my daughter to your care."

Matou Zouken smiled broadly. "Please rest assured. We are allies, after all. This old man will certainly take good care of Sakura."