A Certain Magical Index Mage from the Start, But Type-Moon

Mephistopheles did not hesitate either. He immediately followed Medusa out of the room and headed outside with her.

They moved at incredible speed and soon arrived at the school, where Mephistopheles saw a girl standing beneath the moonlight.

Sakura Matou!

"Finally, I get to see you, Brother Mephistopheles!" Sakura Matou called happily.

Mephistopheles froze. Her attitude once again proved that she knew him, but he truly had no memory of this. Pondering the secret hidden within, he said honestly, "Although we often meet at the Emiya Household, Miss Matou, we should not be that familiar."

"I can tell. It seems you really do not remember me." Sakura Matou spoke, then shook her head. "I do not know why this happened. After all, you have appeared here as a Servant. But as far as I am concerned, I met you ten years ago."

"Ten years ago?!" Mephistopheles was startled and hurriedly asked, "Tell me the details. Maybe I can figure out what happened!"

Sakura Matou did not refuse Mephistopheles's request, nor did she conceal anything. She told him about what she had experienced ten years ago.

After hearing Sakura Matou's story, Mephistopheles's expression changed slightly as he fell into thought.

"I appeared ten years ago and even helped Sakura Matou?! Deception and foolery? That ability seems connected to Hermes. The God of Eloquence's eloquence also carries the meaning of fooling others, and deception is naturally related as well... not to mention that Hermes is the God of Thieves.

"But there is still no way to explain how I appeared ten years ago. The miracle I displayed? A miracle..."

Thinking of this, Mephistopheles asked, "What was the miracle I displayed?"

A faint glow of fire flickered in Sakura Matou's eyes. "The scene of the world's beginning. It was neither the birth of a planet nor the Big Bang of the universe, but something even older—the power born from the first nothingness, descending continuously until this world was finally created!"

"Creation Lightning?!"

"That's right, Creation Lightning! You really are Brother Mephistopheles. You know about it!" Sakura Matou cried happily again, leaving Mephistopheles stunned.

He had appeared ten years ago and even shown her Creation Lightning?!

Good grief, that definitely could not have been the current him. At the very least, it had to be his past self. Though his current self could forcibly use some similar powers, he absolutely could not control them to that extent...

And why would his future self appear here?

As Mephistopheles pondered this, he suddenly realized that Sakura Matou also felt somewhat familiar. He walked directly toward her, but the blindfolded Servant stepped in front of him, faithfully protecting her Master.

"It's fine, Medusa. Brother Mephistopheles will not hurt me." Sakura Matou smiled, her face full of confidence and trust.

Only then did Medusa step aside. Mephistopheles was able to approach Sakura Matou, then stretched out his hand and pressed it against the center of the girl's chest.

He was not touching her body, but the ornament hidden beneath her clothes.

"As expected... it's this... the Eye of Horus..."

Mephistopheles felt that familiar power. It was something he had once given Atalanta.

That item should have remained with Atalanta all along. Even if it had become a Holy Relic after her death, it should not have appeared in this world.

It should have appeared in the Pan-Human History of FGO—unless this necklace had crossed worlds as well!

"Uncle Kariya gave it to me. He said it would bring me good luck... and then, on that night, I met you."

"Really... should I call it a joke of fate?" Mephistopheles could not help shaking his head. Of the two artifacts he had made, one had been given by Tokiomi Tohsaka to Rin Tohsaka, while the other had been given by Kariya Matou to Sakura Matou.

One had most likely summoned another version of himself from another timeline—or perhaps his future self—and given her his blessing, allowing her to avoid the tragedy that followed.

As for the other, it had become a beacon for him to cross time and space like a Holy Relic, allowing him to arrive in this era through the turbulent currents of time.

Some unseen force seemed to be driving this development forward.

Mephistopheles thought for a moment. He did not believe this was Gaia's doing, but he suspected Alaya.

Perhaps this was Human Order's choice?

With that thought, Mephistopheles smiled faintly. "The flames in your eyes just now—you looked directly upon the birth of the world. Did you comprehend any magic?"

Sakura Matou nodded, then shook her head again. "I suppose I did comprehend something, but I am not proficient with it. I can only roughly draw upon some power and manifest it in the real world."

As she spoke, she raised her hand. Mephistopheles saw magical energy gather directly at her movement, then transform into elements.

Earth, wind, water, fire, and Ether—the five attributes gathered together. They could even combine with one another, forming different substances.

"..." Mephistopheles fell silent. After a long while, he softly said, "Creation Lightning..."

Even if it was a miniature version, it was still Creation Lightning. Moreover, it truly achieved creation from nothingness, creating matter rather than simply using energy to smash people like Mephistopheles did.

Its scale was inferior to his, but in terms of control and realm, Sakura Matou's Creation Lightning utterly surpassed his.

"As expected of someone who gained enlightenment by looking directly upon Creation Lightning..." Mephistopheles muttered in admiration before asking, "Then what about your followers? Is this the magic they study as well?"

"They cannot learn it. They cannot understand it or comprehend how it appears, so the only thing I can teach is elemental magic."

"It is single-attribute elemental magic based on earth, wind, water, fire, and Ether. Even then, they can only condense it through their own magical energy."

Sakura Matou spoke with an embarrassed expression. "Although I know a little more, and I am also a mage of the Matou family, many things cannot be compared with each other. I have no basic knowledge of magic, so it is difficult for me to continue improving...

"Although I considered destroying the Holy Grail earlier, the church's strength was insufficient under those circumstances, so I never dared act directly. I could only wait until this Holy Grail War began before finding an opportunity."

Seeing Sakura Matou blaming herself so much, Mephistopheles shook his head. He reached out and gently pinched the girl's cheek. "No, you are already amazing. But you even founded a church—a secret church, a leader of a mystery cult. You are already a qualified leader of a magical association."

"Really?! A magical association, yes, that is what we should call it!" Sakura Matou became even happier after receiving his praise. Then Mephistopheles asked, "By the way, since you are a church, do you have a god you worship?"

"We do. The God of Magic, Mephistopheles!"

Mephistopheles froze. His mouth fell open, and it took him a long time to react. "Wait! I understand the God of Magic part, but why Mephistopheles? Do you mean me?!"

"Yes. I heard you say that you walked the path of magic and had not yet become a god, but that your goal was to reach the summit of the Tree of Life.

"So I thought that if I created a church for you, Brother Mephistopheles, in a way similar to how Heroic Spirits are born, and gave you something like a divine office, then you could surely reach that place earlier!"

Sakura Matou's answer left Mephistopheles stunned again. He had never expected this girl to do such a thing for him.

Still, there were things he needed to tell her.

"Although divinity brings many benefits, and divine offices grant understanding of certain natural concepts, they are not necessary. In fact, the faith born from this can affect the god in turn."

As Mephistopheles spoke, he suddenly felt a power. It had not existed before, yet it abruptly appeared at that moment.

He felt divinity. It was a power he knew very well. Back in Greece, he had spent every day around gods, so he naturally understood it clearly.

The power of divinity was being born within his body, becoming increasingly obvious and abundant!

Because he had just learned of what she had done, had the two finally become one at this moment? Had his current self also gained the position of God of Magic?

But this was far too strange. Though he had gained divinity, this power could not truly be called godhood and was still restricted. This divinity was more like a mark, similar to Heracles's status as a demigod.

Seeing Sakura Matou's expression as though she had done something wrong, Mephistopheles could not bring himself to blame her. It had been a kindness, and it was beneficial to anyone, but for Mephistopheles, it was not necessarily a good thing.

"Actually, I once rejected Zeus's suggestion that I become a god..." Mephistopheles sighed, then smiled. "But it does not matter. This way, I can indeed try a path I had never considered before."

"C-Can it be remedied?!" Sakura Matou hurriedly asked.

"I can guess that my future self appeared before you. Then my future self must have known what you did. Reasoning backward, that means your actions did not produce any major effects—or rather, the other path I imagined is viable."

As a god of heresy, he would seek the path of a Demon God without becoming a Demon God, simply absorbing knowledge before relying on the power of a demigod to see whether he could cross the Abyss.

Perhaps it really was a viable plan. However, the knowledge it required would likely be immense. It might even require the knowledge contained within the Abyss itself.

"Perhaps after obtaining the Holy Grail, I can try asking the Root..." Mephistopheles muttered softly.

Sakura Matou raised her head at that. She blinked. "Then should I tell them not to blow it up for now?"

"There is no need to blow it up. In fact, most of the Servants and Masters are with us now, so there is no fight left to fight." Mephistopheles nodded. "And I need to study the composition of the Holy Grail now. Your body... is that fragment of the Holy Grail inside your body?"

"Yes, it is. There is no way to hide it. A fragment of the Holy Grail truly exists inside my body, and it has given me immense magical energy, though it is not something I necessarily need."

"Then perfect. You should come to the Emiya Household and study magic with us as well. I am teaching them magic, and although you have no foundation, you possess an ability similar to a grimoire." Mephistopheles smiled. "Let me see how to summon a complete Holy Grail while preserving both Servants and Masters!"

Medusa thought of the people in Shirou Emiya's house. Three Masters, three Servants—if she were added too, what would this even be? A Holy Grail War?

What kind of Holy Grail War was this?!

And judging by how persuasive Mephistopheles was, surely he would not drag the remaining Servants and Masters over as well, would he?

Reunion

"These days have been far too quiet. No battles between Servants have taken place at all. That is truly abnormal."

Inside a luxurious building, Medea looked at a map and spoke softly.

Sasaki Kojirou leaned casually against the wall beside her, looking at the scenery outside the window. "Did you not set up surveillance across many parts of Fuyuki City with your magecraft? Have you found no unusual activity?"

"I possess the power of perfect memory, not clairvoyance. Besides, the familiars I sent out consume magical energy as well.

"That man has continued supplying me with magical energy and serves as a vessel stabilizing my existence, but if I try to supply too many familiars, he would probably die within a day."

Medea spoke with some displeasure.

"His talent is clearly so poor, his magical theory is lacking, and he has not properly studied magecraft or continued improving himself, yet he still thinks he is so impressive. Are humans of this age really so arrogant?"

"I think most people are fine. He is rather special. After all, he has money and gained abilities ordinary people do not have. It is only natural that he would become arrogant." Sasaki Kojirou continued looking out the window.

At that moment, Medea's expression suddenly changed.

It was the first time Sasaki Kojirou had seen Medea display such a drastic expression. Even though her hood concealed her eyes, he could tell from her mouth how excited she was.

Then she abruptly stood and said to Sasaki Kojirou, "Stay here and guard the place. I am going out!"

Sasaki Kojirou had no idea what was going on. He watched Medea suddenly vanish from the room, clearly having directly activated her magic and left.

"How strange. Did she find an old lover from her past?" Sasaki Kojirou quietly joked, then shook his head. "How could that be? Her era was far older than even my original body's, older by many years."

Medea was excited, incredibly excited. She left the room at top speed. If she had not retained a measure of reason, she might even have directly used the power of a Command Spell to cross that great distance in an instant and appear where she wanted to go.

Just moments ago, through the familiar spies she had stationed throughout the city, she saw a figure she had longed for and could hardly believe was real!

Far away, several thousand meters from the building where the familiar was located, outside a bustling supermarket, the man called Mephistopheles was standing at the entrance. She had no idea what he was doing there.

"Why is he here? Why? Still, his clothes are the same old style. They do not really look out of place or different in this world..." Medea thought as she quickened her pace.

After arriving in this era, she had specifically learned how to use computers and searched through much information. There, she discovered that the clothes Mephistopheles had worn in the past resembled the styles of a place called Britain from several decades ago.

Moreover, there was no problem wearing them even now. Combined with some of Mephistopheles's usual remarks, Medea formed a guess: perhaps Mephistopheles came from this era, or from several decades ago.

He had only arrived in her Ancient Greece due to some special reason!

However, the chance of finding him had been far too slim, so she had always hoped to obtain the Holy Grail and use its power to trace his whereabouts.

But now, it seemed she no longer needed the Holy Grail. Or rather, the Holy Grail could be used to grant another wish.

Servants were far stronger than humans. Relying on her physical strength alone, Medea could run at around forty or fifty kilometers per hour. With reinforcement magecraft cast upon herself, her speed rose again, reaching more than seventy kilometers per hour.

Thus, after only a few minutes, Medea arrived at her destination outside the supermarket. She saw Mephistopheles still standing there, and as she watched him from afar, she could not help stopping.

She vigorously rubbed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at him again. After confirming that he truly was standing there, Medea could no longer suppress the excitement in her heart and was about to walk over.

At that moment, she saw a woman—a young and beautiful girl who looked around fifteen or sixteen—walk out of the supermarket carrying a shopping bag visibly filled with ingredients.

The girl walked up to Mephistopheles and even handed the things in her hands to him. Mephistopheles naturally accepted the bag, and the two began chatting there.

Watching how there was no distance between them, how they chatted and laughed together, Medea could not help feeling displeased.

I searched for you so desperately, and you are here flirting with another girl?!

As soon as that thought surfaced, anger rose within Medea. But then she reconsidered. Perhaps the Mephistopheles of this world did not know her yet? Perhaps he had not yet gone to the Ancient Greece where she lived?

Thinking that, Medea silently suppressed her anger and carefully walked forward.

Mephistopheles looked at the ingredients Rin Tohsaka had bought. There were truly many varieties—five or six kinds of vegetables alone.

If seasonings such as scallions and garlic were included, there were easily more than ten kinds of vegetables.

There were also pork, beef, and lamb among the meat, with lean meat, pork belly, ribs, and more.

It was an incredibly lavish spread.

Seeing that she had bought so many vegetables, Mephistopheles asked in surprise, "Are you planning to make hot pot?"

Since they were all living in Shirou Emiya's house now, several of them had divided up the responsibility for ingredients. Today was Rin Tohsaka's turn to pay for groceries.

"Hot pot would be nice too. Wouldn't it be lively if everyone ate together?" Rin Tohsaka spoke with an uncontrollable upward curve on her lips, like a child who had thought of some wonderful trick and was exceptionally excited.

Mephistopheles looked at her and smiled. "You are putting on a tough front. This is mainly for Sakura, right? You think you can talk with her more easily in this kind of setting."

"Mind your own business!" Rin Tohsaka grumbled in dissatisfaction. "You sound like such an old man when you talk like that!"

"Can you stop copying Illya and calling me an old man? I am very young, okay?!"

"Oh? Someone who came from Ancient Greece is telling me he is young?!" Rin Tohsaka laughed again.

Mephistopheles was about to say something when he suddenly sensed a familiar aura. He hurriedly turned and saw that familiar face, though it currently wore an expression that was smiling without smiling.

"So, you are here teasing little girls, Mephistopheles!"

It was Medea, whom he had not seen in a long time—and the grown-up version of Medea!

It Was Not Actually Anger

Rin Tohsaka looked at the beautiful woman who had suddenly appeared before them. She was mature and alluring, and she clearly knew Mephistopheles.