The Only Two Matou

The blue-haired child walked through the corridors until he came across someone near his own age.

'She looks just like before...' Shinji thought as Sakura was playing with her hair, which had now reverted to its originally black colour. Her Tohsaka lineage was no longer concealed as it did before.

"...So you saw it too?" She asked, and the young boy nodded his head, thinking about that 'vision'.

What he saw after gaining a Magic Circuit from his uncle was three alternate futures. Each one making worse choices despite his talents in deduction and searching, he was like if Sherlock Holmes was raised to be the most pathetic person imaginable.

The current young Shinji despised those 'future selves' for thinking they could be anything with that kind of parasitic way of thinking. He hated to think that he would've turned out that way if Zouken was still controlling their Matou Family.

"...Do you hate me?" He couldn't help but ask as all of his 'future selves' had treated her the same until a certain point. He felt disgusted once he clearly remembered twisted face those visions of the future showed him in third person perspective.

He forced himself on her, abused her, and never showed her warmth after Byakuya started to ignore him, the only person who could possibly succeed the Matou bloodline. His sins included but were not limited to: Abuse, Murder, Kidnapping and Blackmail. He started to feel like the only reason he was born was to be a sinner, and he realised the truth of his own nature when his Origin awakened.

His Origin was 'Sin'. The greedy true nature of this override to his soul made it hard for him to resist taking things that belonged to others, and currently, he was trying to control himself by focusing on stealing the 'bad fates' of his sister.

He wasn't able to do 'good things' anymore, all he did had to be balanced with sin. At least, he wasn't able stop himself when indulging in the ugliest parts of humanity. It was actually pretty hard for him to control his urges after his 'awakening'.

"I wonder..." Sakura looked at the jittery young boy and felt he had suffered enough for the 'things he had yet to do'. She could tell from now on, he most likely wouldn't be able to act like he did before.

"It wouldn't be surprising if you still do."

"I've never hated you." She shook her head, as she was talking about both her past and her present.

"Because I was too pathetic to be worth it, right?"

"...You're different. What's the real reason you killed your father? Rather, I don't see why it was needed."

"He was a hindrance." Shinji's eyes turned cold as he thought back to the events that had unfolded.

"To what?"

"Someone like Father would only become a nuisance later on." Even though no one else had saw it, he clearly remembered his father awakening the 'Demon' Origin. The reason he killed his own father was more out of mercy than it was hatred.

After all, he barely remembered his mom anymore.

"After what I saw, I was close to thinking of you too as a 'hindrance'. You see, the future wasn't pretty."

"I'm sorry..." He truly wasn't able to say anything about those truly pathetic 'future selves' he saw.

"You don't have to be. I know that you and I aren't the same as those we saw in the visions. They were more of 'possibilities' than anything." She didn't blame him and instead consoled the boy.

"You're right. Isn't uncle alive and well?" He laughed self-decreasingly as he spoke this.

"You don't have to hold yourself responsible..."

"Even if I killed my own father? Sorry, but I don't understand your pity. Why give it to me?"

"It's not at all 'pity'."

"Then what is it?" His answer came after she hugged the teary-eyed child who was about to cry:

"It's 'love'~" These words spread a warmth in his heart he was unable to reject just like her mercy...

The nature of Sakura's own Origin was 'Love'. It was the emotion that had defined even the 'future selves' she had saw in her visions. Her love for Shirou Emiya, her love for sister, Rin Tohsaka, her love for her Uncle Kariya, and now there was also her love for her older brother who unable to escape from the sins he had yet to commit in the present.

"You're too merciful to me..."

"You're just not kind enough to yourself."

"Kindness should be reserved for good people."

"And you're not one?" Shinji was stunned for a moment as he regained his composure and replied:

"...You're a real poor judge of character." His adoptive sister merely smiled back at his words.

Then they started talking more after getting ready to go to the Tohsaka Household. Whether it was about Rin, Aoi, or his thoughts about Shirou, she was able to pry everything but the deal he had made about turning himself into a guinea pig.

The only person he was even slightly interested in was the redhead who still befriended their temperamental genius his 'future selves' looked to be. Rin Tohsaka was indeed beautiful, but he had no intention of mingling with her after seeing the disgustingly possessive attitude the future versions of himself had shown towards his sister's sister.

He figured she had just about enough of him since he owed her for saving him despite all he had done in the timeline he had been manipulated by Gilgamesh and almost killed by the Holy Grail.

Even though he was an irredeemable scum in that timeline too and he had practically molested her despite knowing she liked that straight-lace in a romantic way, she still went out of her way to save his life even when killing him would be easier.

It wasn't for his sake, but Shinji knew that it took a lot of her mercy for him to survive that timeline...

That timeline was also the only one where he reverted back to original and less emotionally unstable personality, which he used to get along with Sakura, rather than being killed by Illya von Einzburn, or even his innocent 'victims' herself...

"Are you both ready?" Kariya asked as it seemed like the relationship between the two siblings were good despite what happened earlier. He wasn't sure if he should interfere with them but chose to leave it so long as his nephew didn't try anything.

Since he had enough strength to do so and didn't want show neglect to Shinji when his adoptive niece was watching, he chose to pull them both into his arms as he took them to the Tohsaka Mansion. There, he saw a nearly empty household being taken care of by none other than the only family member who was capable of choices.

Kirei seemed nowhere in sight as it didn't seem he bothered doing his job as a her legal guardian. He was likely only around to check if they were still alive every so often and poorly managing their finances as he did whatever he so desired.

"Sakura! Uncle Kariya...!" Rin was surprised as she saw the familiar figures she never thought she'd see again. The girl was unable to control her emotions as she cried, remembering how Priest Kotomine had been slyly insinuating Kariya was dead not too long ago in the morning before he left to return back to the church he practically lived at.

"Don't cry, don't cry..." He put Shinji down and got close to her with Sakura to give a big hug. She was surprised to see that her little sister's hair was back to normal and Kariya was looking healthy.

'I should have known he was messing with me.' Rin thought in relief as Kariya's eyes looked behind her.

There, sitting on her wheelchair, was a woman who looked similar to Rin but had more in common with Sakura when it came to their patient nature, and someone who had broke Kariya's heart into pieces.

The events after that proceeded as planned. He used the trust Rin had for him to tell her that he could cure Aoi with a new Magecraft he learnt from a distant Magus family connected to them. The naive little girl believed him as he shared another Magic Circuit to someone else. He was reluctant to share one with Rin because the young ones seemed to hide things after acquiring them, but he was persuaded by the little girl with starry eyes.

The twin-tailed little girl changed and Aoi had successfully 'recovered' without an issue, hugging her daughter as she so desperately wanted to do all this time after regaining her sanity. Rin once again cried in her arms, but Kariya didn't judge her.

Anyone would do the same in her position...

He left Sakura with her family for a bit as he had to go out and set a boundary around the mansion.

Although Kirei was her legal guardian on paper, he would have to go through this purple-haired Magus if he wanted to return here ever again. He brought out many insect familiars he had prepared before coming here and set up an intricate Bounded Field that could keep out even a Servant so long as they weren't invited in by a member of the family.

After returning back after finishing, he was surprised by how easily Rin agreed to keeping the priest out and how close the two sisters had gotten despite being separated due to family traditions.

He truly felt constricted when he found that he could not bring himself to attack Kirei first because of his 'Guardian' Origin... The only thing he could about was saving the orphans at the church.

Kariya and Shinji excused themselves as the only two surviving members of the Matou Family returned to their estate first before sunset. There were things they needed to prepare if they wanted to save those children who had been captured.

"How strong are you currently?" Kariya asked the blue-haired child, who responded with actions.

Shinji activated his own Magic Circuits and showed that he was at least as strong as your average Magus in theory despite not having any formal training yet. Then surprised his uncle once he activated the two Magic Circuits given to him.

The one he had originally been given manifested itself outside the body not purely using Spiritual Power, but a more familiar method. In his hand appeared what he called a 'Quincy Phantasm' in the shape of a bow, looking metallic and futuristic.

In his other hand appeared a mask with demonic qualities that seemed to encapsulate everything that had to do with the 'Demon' Affinity. It's white texture seemed less pure than what it let on....

"I don't know how to use them though..." Shinji confessed as this was his first time actually manifesting these two 'Phantasms'. This didn't seem to bother Kariya since he had a plan.

The purple-haired Magus lead his nephew to the basement, where a new Worm Pit had been prepared. He had improved upon Zouken's methods of teaching the body before the mind using Spiritual Magecraft that affected the soul.

The Crest Worms looked a little different in size and shape, but Shinji speculated that a clear improvement in the technique to pass on Magecraft also meant that the pain associated with it would become many times more painful...

"Are you sure you're ready?" He asked his young nephew, who nodded his head in response.

Kariya watched as his nephew started to learn the only inherited skill he currently had: 'Eternal Mastery of Demonic Arms', along with other techniques that made use of Hollow Energy.

He watched as Shinji gritted his teeth for four to five hours while taking in the information through this torture. Not knowing what was giving the kid so much determination to keep going even when every cell in his body was screaming in pain.

The 'Anti-Madness' Skill he was imparting would probably manifest differently compared to the Connection and Absorption Spell. Though he wasn't sure if Shinji would be useful on his own.

That's why he chose to bring out the familiars Zouken was able to used and improved on them.

Lust Worms were disgusting, but he was able to alter them so they gave and connected energy rather than taking it from others. Their parasitic nature of still able to being able to manipulate dead host was left intact, but he spliced Healing Worms into them so they wouldn't become tools meant for controlling people but more to keep them alive.

He called the newest creation 'Lust Gu' instead...

As for Blood Worms, he connected it to his demonic energy and sword to creating 'Draining Worms' that only had the express purpose of taking life rather than giving it like Healing Worms.

They became subordinates to a mutated Blade Wing Crest Worm that hovered above his sword.

Only when they were ready did the rescue start...