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[MF] Ch 3: The Fun Begins
🕑 Added 2025-09-30 00:25:00 +0000 UTC— — — — — —
"Whoa~ now that's one hell of an entrance. Not many people could stomach a 'welcome' like that."
"…Hmm. So Aoi's the one behind the wheel today? Fair enough. Can't really blame you—I did show up out of nowhere."
The voice was sharp, full of smug confidence, the kind of theatrical tone you'd expect from a voice actor fresh off the Gintama set.
This was Iron Man Tokiomi—or rather, Kaito after playing the character card and becoming "Iron Man Tokiomi." Dusting off nonexistent dirt with perfect composure, he strode casually toward the car.
Inside, Aoi sat frozen behind the wheel, her mind a total mess. She'd heard every word the stranger said, and that only made things more confusing.
Tokiomi wasn't faring much better. At thirty, the man was in the prime of his life, but staring at this older version of himself—same face, just more weathered—his thoughts were in complete disarray.
It wasn't until Kaito reached the car that Aoi found her voice. She turned to her husband, her words stumbling out:"Dear, this… could this be Father? But wait, didn't you say Father passed away years ago?"
Tokiomi drew a long breath, forcing himself to steady his voice. "Yes. My father died ten years ago. I carry the family crest now. I even handled all the funeral arrangements myself. Unless…"
He trailed off, and Aoi understood what he was implying.
In the world of magi, death wasn't always final. Faked deaths, hidden experiments, secret rebirths—such tricks weren't unheard of. Perhaps the late head of the Tohsaka family had staged his own death and slipped away.
Naturally, both assumed the stranger—this "Iron Man Tokiomi"—was the previous family head, back from the grave.
But Tokiomi quickly dismissed that theory. His father, though similar in looks, only resembled him at most 70%. And after the Third Holy Grail War, the old man had been left frail and broken, nothing like this imposing figure.
So then… who was he?
Tokiomi's mind raced, muscles tense, when suddenly the stranger opened the door and slid into the back seat.
Beside him, little Sakura peeked up curiously. She'd been too young to follow the adults' strange conversation, left bewildered by the chaos. Now, with this mysterious "grandfather" sitting right next to her, she couldn't help but stare.
Her eyes widened. The resemblance was undeniable—he looked so much like her father, only older. Naturally, she assumed this was her grandfather, and her innocent gaze brightened with hope, clinging to the idea like a lifeline.
To a child who felt abandoned, finding another "parent" felt like rescue.
Meanwhile, in the front, Aoi sat frozen, Tokiomi's eyes narrowed in suspicion. The stranger leaned back comfortably in the seat, testing the feel, then scoffed:
"This car's awful. I know it's the nineties, but you do realize there are plenty of comfortable cars you could've bought, right?"
Then he glanced at Sakura. "Oh? Well, look at you… sweet little Sakura. Just as adorable as I remember."
His smile was genuine as he reached out to ruffle her hair. The warmth in his voice carried a strange undertone, as if he were savoring a moment he believed would never come again.
The sheer familiarity of his words left the Tohsakas bewildered.
Tokiomi finally broke the silence, his voice low and edged with steel. "Who are you really? Why are you wearing my face?"
His fists clenched, magic stirring within him, ready to fight if needed. But his heart sank. He had no confidence. That bizarre entrance alone had been enough to shake him. If this man wanted to annihilate the Tohsaka family, Tokiomi doubted he could stop it.
The world of magi was full of ruthless killers—men who wiped out entire bloodlines and even impersonated the dead to claim their lives. For all he knew, he was staring at one now.
Aoi and Sakura, hearing his words, stiffened in fear. So this wasn't their father or grandfather after all.
Kaito arched a brow, shooting Tokiomi an exasperated look. "Seriously? You haven't figured it out yet? Parallel worlds, ring any bells? Not exactly a fringe theory these days."
He leaned forward, eyeing Tokiomi like a lazy teacher disappointed in a failing student. "Wait, don't tell me… you're just some old-fashioned magus who never cracked a book on it?"
Tokiomi blinked, his face betraying pure confusion at the term "parallel worlds."
Kaito groaned. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me I got stuck with the dumb version of me."
But instead of bristling at the insult, Tokiomi's eyes lit up with sudden realization. He whipped his head around, staring at his double with wild intensity.
"Wait! Parallel worlds… does that mean… you've achieved the Second Magic? You're me—me from another world, who mastered it?!"
The Second Magic. One of the five true magics still known to exist, also called Kaleidoscope. It allowed observation and travel between parallel worlds. It was wielded by the legendary Wizard Marshal, Zelretch himself.
And since the Tohsaka family descended from one of Zelretch's disciples, they inherited fragments of that legacy. Though no Tohsaka had ever truly mastered it, the theory remained part of their history.
So hearing this stranger casually mention parallel worlds, Tokiomi immediately jumped to the only conclusion that made sense: this was him, a version of himself who had mastered the Second Magic. His excitement soared.
From Kaito's perspective, though, things were even better. Ever since he'd arrived, the Tohsaka family had been showering him with "fun points." But Tokiomi's sudden burst of fanatic belief sent the numbers skyrocketing.
[+10, +10, +10…]
In just a moment, Tokiomi alone had racked up over two hundred points. The cost of using the character card was already paid back with plenty left over.
And if even a "side character" like Tokiomi could yield this much, Kaito could hardly imagine the payoff from the big names to come. His excitement was barely contained.
But for now, the show had to go on. More points were waiting.
Channeling flawless performance—so flawless even Tokiomi himself would rank second-best at impersonating "Tokiomi"—Kaito gave his counterpart a look of deep disappointment.
"All you can talk about is magic this, magic that? Oh, Lord. I hate to admit it, but apparently you're my parallel-world counterpart. Honestly, your IQ deficit makes me want to take off this shoe and kick your ass right here."
Tokiomi's face darkened, but before he could respond, the armored man turned casually to Aoi.
"Aoi, drive us home. Yes, the Tohsaka estate. We'll sort everything else out later."
Aoi answered automatically, reaching for the wheel, but then glanced at her real husband for reassurance.
Tokiomi's jaw tightened, his face twitching with frustration. He wanted to protest, but in the end, he nodded. "Aoi, do as he says. We'll return home first. As for sending Sakura to the Matou family… that can wait."
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