Multiversal Friendship System-Chapter 139 - : Parental Love and Filial Piety

When Souta and the others arrived at the Tohsaka residence, they were greeted by the sight of a thoroughly bound and beaten Tokiomi Tohsaka.

His face was bruised and swollen, a patchwork of blue and purple. He lay unconscious, his Command Seals already stripped away—no longer a Master.

Souta stared at the pitiful sight of Tokiomi, feeling a deep sense of confusion.

Father-in-law... was this really necessary?

The man's face was a mess—bruises, black eyes, the works. There was no doubt he had been given a proper thrashing.

Souta pulled Rin aside by the window and whispered,

"Rin, what the hell happened here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your dad! Why does he look like this?"

"Oh, that." Rin shrugged. "He pissed me off, so I had Lancelot beat him up."

"Are you insane?"

Souta looked at her like she had grown a second head. He simply couldn't understand what could have possibly led to such an outcome.

"What do you mean he pissed you off?" he asked directly.

"I told him we should bring Sakura back home. He scolded me for interfering with her 'bright future' and even had the nerve to ask why I killed Zouken Matou. Said I was just causing trouble. Then he got so angry he tried to attack me!"

Rin huffed, her chest rising and falling in frustration.

"Tell me that isn't asking for a beating!"

"Uh... yeah, that does sound like he had it coming," Souta admitted, nodding. "But... he probably didn't know what Sakura went through. If he had any idea what kind of monster Zouken was, he'd have saved her himself."

"I get that, but—ugh! It's just so infuriating!" Rin fumed, her temper flaring. "Sakura went through so much, and he—!"

"Alright, alright. Don't get worked up."

Souta ruffled her hair, calming her down a little before asking,

"Did you explain everything to him afterward?"

"Yeah, after the beating. But I didn't reveal who I was—I spoke as an outsider."

Rin's expression softened, becoming a little complicated.

"He didn't recognize me."

"That's normal, isn't it?" Souta pointed out. "Who would expect a seven-year-old girl to grow into a seventeen-year-old young woman?"

"...Why does that sound so weird?" Rin muttered, narrowing her eyes. "What, was I supposed to grow into a boy instead?"

"As expected of you, Rin. Always ready with a comeback," Souta chuckled.

Just then, Artoria called out.

"Souta, come here for a moment."

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He and Rin walked over to where everyone had gathered. As soon as he arrived, Artoria got straight to the point.

"Aside from Heracles, who does not belong to this war, we have three Servants remaining on our side. The Holy Grail requires five Servant souls to manifest. What should we do now?"

She had wanted to ask this question for a while, but since Souta had kept saying he had a plan, she had held back her doubts until now.

Souta glanced at Lancelot, standing behind Rin, then sighed.

"So, the time has finally come." He turned to Artoria. "From here on out, you'll have to take care of things."

"Me? What do you mean?"

"I can't explain it myself—it's better if you hear it from the one involved."

With that, Souta placed his hand over Lancelot's shoulder and began suppressing the Berserker's madness.

A golden light flickered briefly in Souta's palm before vanishing, as if something had been consumed.

At the same time, the ominous aura surrounding Lancelot began to dissipate.

Everyone could feel it—the wild, raging madness that had clung to the knight was fading, his presence growing calm and composed.

"It's done," Souta said suddenly. "Lancelot is back to normal. The rest is up to you."

"...What did you just say?"

The name alone sent a visible shock through Artoria, her body trembling slightly.

Berserker... was Lancelot?

How could such a coincidence be possible?

"At last, I can see you again, my king."

As Artoria stood frozen in disbelief, an unfamiliar voice filled the room.

Berserker—no, Lancelot—who had now shed his madness, slowly knelt on one knee before her.

Removing his helmet, he revealed a handsome yet deeply guilt-ridden face.

"It's really... you..." Artoria murmured, stunned. "Lancelot..."

"It is I, my king."

Lancelot lowered his head in shame, as if unable to meet her gaze.

Souta walked over and clapped him on the shoulder.

"There. You've got your chance now. Whether or not you can fulfill your wish is up to you."

"...Thank you, my Master's friend."

Lancelot's voice carried genuine gratitude.

Had he remained in his Berserker state, he would have missed this one-in-a-million opportunity.

For that, he was truly thankful.

Souta nodded before turning to the others.

"Let's give them some space. They need to talk."

Understanding the situation, everyone quietly left the room.

Rin even took the unconscious Tokiomi with her.

Just before leaving, Souta leaned in close to Artoria and whispered in her ear.

"One last piece of advice—as a king, you must reward and punish fairly. If you keep indulging and forgiving those who have wronged you, it may torment them more than any punishment ever could. If you want to make Lancelot suffer, then just keep acting like this. But... if you never truly hated him—"

He trailed off, leaving the last part unsaid before stepping out of the room.

Outside, Rin sighed.

"Do you think they'll make peace?" she asked Souta.

"No idea," he replied, shaking his head. "This is beyond the original plot now. What happens next... nobody can say for sure."

"I just hope they don't start fighting and wreck the house," Rin grumbled. "This is precious Tohsaka property, you know."

Souta shot her a blank stare.

So that's what you're worried about?

"You've really been traumatized by being broke, huh?" He patted her back. "Relax. You've still got me. If they really destroy the house, I'll give you free gems for life."

"That's a promise!"

Rin's eyes sparkled with excitement.

It was unclear whether she was more excited about the gems... or the promise of "for life."

Just then, Illya approached, tugging at Souta's sleeve.

"Big Brother," she said sweetly, "I have a question."

"What is it?" Souta met her gaze.

"You don't like mature bodies, do you?"

"...!"

Souta nearly coughed up blood.

Illya's expression was one of genuine curiosity. Where had she even gotten that idea?

"I'm going to use the Holy Grail to fix my body and grow up a little," she continued with a sly smile.

"But not too much. Otherwise, you wouldn't like me anymore, would you?"

"Shameless!" Rin suddenly shot Souta a look of utter contempt.

"..."

Souta's face remained completely expressionless.

What the hell did I even do?!

"Anyway, Illya," he said, suddenly remembering something. "You need to be careful when you make your wish."

"Why?" she asked.

"If you change your body right now, it might mess with the timeline. You should wish for the past-you in Germany to be healed instead. Otherwise, the wish might go to waste."

Illya frowned slightly, realizing she hadn't considered that.

Meanwhile, Rin could no longer hold back.

"Souta... you're not seriously letting her make that wish, are you?"

"Enough already!" Souta groaned. "I swear, I am not into little girls! Will you all give it a rest?!"