Lisephyr couldn't stop shaking.
Her body trembled uncontrollably, her heart gripped by a profound fear.
She didn't even register where the terrifying aura had come from—
Perhaps she'd simply been frightened out of her mind by the savage magical beasts.
Finally, they made it back to Magisphia.
Both children stood at the entrance, gasping for breath.
Lisephyr stared at the path behind them, her eyes wide with lingering dread.
The curiosity and excitement from earlier were gone—
Replaced only by fear.
Her gaze shifted to Emiya Shirou.
The silver sword he wielded had vanished, but his clothes and skin were splattered with crimson blood—
Not his, but the beasts'.
Even his young, innocent face was flecked with gore.
Yet his expression remained calm—
As though none of what had happened had left any ripple in his heart.
---
She recalled his strength in the Vein Corridor of Odvena.
It had been… overwhelming.
If not for Shirou, she would've been torn apart by those beasts.
The thought made Lisephyr's cheeks flush pink.
She looked at him again, but this time her heart beat faster—
Not from fear, but something else.
Everyone admired heroes.
Everyone revered strength.
She'd read countless stories where the hero saved the damsel in distress.
But living it firsthand—that was a different feeling entirely.
Though she was around ten years old, a few years older than Shirou,
she was already mature for her age—
More so than most children.
---
> "Lisephyr, I need you to keep my abilities a secret."
Shirou said quietly, his voice serious.
If his power was exposed, it could attract unwanted attention from certain magi—
And cause far more trouble than it was worth.
> "Hmph! You think I'd betray a friend?"
Lisephyr crossed her arms, pouting proudly.
Her cute little face turned away in defiance.
> "Of course not.
Lady Lisephyr is far too noble for that."
Shirou replied with a wink.
Her eyes sparkled. She loved compliments—especially his.
Then, her expression softened. She looked away and muttered:
> "T-Then… this'll be our little secret, okay?"
> "Yeah."
Shirou nodded.
> "A little secret, huh...? I just had a bold idea…"
He thought to himself—
But quickly tossed the thought into the trash bin of his mind.
Still…
He was quite pleased with how things had turned out.
This vengeful little tsundere?
Not bad.
Sometimes… she could be pretty cute.
---
Meanwhile…
> "Lisephyr Animusphere and Shirou Nazele Yorifis are missing?!"
Their teacher paled during roll call.
> "Does anyone know where they went?!"
The students looked around, confused.
No one had seen them leave, and no one knew where they'd gone.
Panic set in.
Although Magisphia, the first layer of Albion, was relatively safe,
what if those two had snuck into the second layer—Odvena?
That place was infested with deadly creatures.
Even elite mages might not return from it.
Two children would stand no chance.
Worse yet—both of them were from Twelve Lord Families.
If something happened to either of them, it wouldn't just be tragic—
it would be political suicide.
The teacher would never survive the scandal.
---
Just as panic began to bloom,
Shirou and Lisephyr returned, covered in blood.
> "Where were you two?!"
The teacher gasped.
They looked like they'd been through hell—
yet miraculously, both were unharmed.
---
They were rushed to the medical ward.
> "I told you, I'm not hurt."
Shirou said wearily, trying to shrug off the fuss.
Still, the medical staff insisted on checking him.
Once his condition was confirmed as stable, the teacher arrived.
Their official story?
They had wandered into the Second Layer, Odvena—
where they were attacked by magical beasts.
Thankfully, Lisephyr's powerful magic crest allowed them to escape unharmed.
The blood on Shirou? It came from the monsters.
This was the story they'd agreed on.
---
Lisephyr wasn't entirely happy about the lie.
She was prideful—and didn't like taking credit for Shirou's actions.
After all, he was the one who had saved her.
He was the one who was strong.
But Shirou insisted.
If word of his power got out, it could bring disaster.
And so—
Because it was their little secret,
Lisephyr agreed to keep the truth hidden.
---
❖ Fuyuki City
A Yorifis family magus had just landed at the local airport.
He stepped into a luxury Mercedes, engine roaring as it sped toward the Tohsaka estate.
The Tohsaka manor was vast and elegant—befitting a noble magus family.
Inside the spacious living room, Tokiomi Tohsaka sat with his wife Aoi.
Their daughters, Rin and Sakura, played cheerfully on the polished floor nearby.
Tokiomi and Aoi watched them with soft eyes—
eyes filled with both love… and quiet pain.
---
In mage families, only one child could inherit the magic crest.
Only one could carry the bloodline's legacy.
The other would need to be sent away—
adopted by another mage family and trained there.
Tokiomi had already made his decision.
Not long ago, Zouken Matou had come to him.
The old man had requested to adopt Sakura—
Promising to raise her as the heir of the Matou family and grant her its full inheritance.
Tokiomi had been thrilled.
Participating in the Holy Grail War was part of his plan to reach the Root—
To sever the endless cycle of fate, so future generations wouldn't be bound to it.
He had no intention of surviving.
If the Matou family could raise Sakura properly, perhaps she'd inherit their unique magecraft—
A system involving beautiful butterfly familiars.
He hadn't seen the Matou family in decades,
and naively assumed they were still the same dignified lineage they once were.
---
Suddenly, a butler entered the room.
> "Master Tohsaka. A magus from the Yorifis family has arrived from the Clock Tower."
> "Yorifis…?"
Tokiomi's brows furrowed slightly.
One of the Twelve Lord Families, like his own Animusphere allies…
Ancient. Powerful.
Unpredictable.
Soon, the guest was ushered into the room.
Wearing a luxurious black suit, the man radiated aristocratic confidence—
A noble through and through.
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