Chapter 29: 12:15 PM

"I, Matou Sakura, have finally, finally become a heroine!"

The purple-haired girl, Matou Sakura, declared herself a heroine with the most triumphant, smug look imaginable.

"It took so long... Even though I was the junior character, because of the dark, erotic/grotesque 'Heaven's Feel' (HF) route, I was hidden in the shadows for countless years by the overwhelming onslaught of the orthodox blonde heroine's route and the classic flat-chested twintails heroine's route. Even in official heroine popularity rankings, I was overshadowed by the three heroines: Saber-san, my Nee-san, and Illya-san. Even in fan-created works, those based on the Saber Route and Older Sister's Route were mainstream, and my route was minor..."

Sakura reminisced, gazing into the distance.

Indeed, Matou Sakura, alongside Saber (the blonde heroine) and Tohsaka Rin (the classic twintails tsundere heroine), was conceived as a Fate heroine—specifically, the junior character who secretly admired the protagonist, each possessing their own defining attributes.

However, Sakura's route, the HF Route, was a hidden route unlocked only after clearing Rin's UBW Route.

Furthermore, unlike the previous stories centered on love and conviction, the HF Route prominently featured dark, erotic/grotesque, and horror elements. It revealed the hidden truth of the Holy Grail War that wasn't apparent in the Fate and UBW routes, uncovering the darkness carried by someone irreplaceable in the protagonist's daily life.

And it epitomized the Type-Moon trope: "The Heroine is the Last Boss."

For these reasons, she was significantly distanced from the other main heroines in the official popularity polls.

Moreover, in the world of fan-created works, there were few purely based on the HF Route.

However, perhaps because they were fewer, there were brilliant masterpieces like "Matou Rin" and "IF Archer's HF Route."

Regarding heroine popularity, in the all-character poll held from June 8th to 24th, 2012, which included characters from Fate/Zero, The Garden of Sinners, Mahoutsukai no Yoru, and Tsukihime, Sakura ranked 8th.

With Arcueid at 5th, Iskandar at 6th, Aozaki Aoko at 7th, and Gilgamesh at 9th, one could say she fought well.

But still――――.

"In Fate/Extra CCC, I certainly, definitely had a heroine route, unlike the previous work, yes, yes. But, but... why is it that in the official April Fools' jokes, my treatment is still that of a Last Boss, Joke-Type Heroine?!!"

In "Alleyway Satsuki: Heroine Zodiac Arc," announced in 2013, Sakura was treated as a joke character, appearing with the ridiculously playful name Megabayashi Sakurako.

Ciel pointed out, "A world where a heroine who has fallen this far into the dark side becomes a top idol is wrong."

In response, Sakura merely shrugged it off, saying, "A role as a grudge-fueled character is super ☆ top-notch! I'm starting to have fun now that I've come full circle!"

Starting with Hollow Ataraxia, then Colosseum, and Carnival Phantasm, Sakura gained the 'dark-hearted' character attribute among fans. Coupled with the official, unstoppable excess of mischief, Matou Sakura has become completely treated as a Last Boss, Dark-Hearted, Joke-Type Heroine.

"And as for the currently popular Prisma Illya, even with my Older Sister and Luvia-san appearing, I'm not even a shadow or a shape, fading out from the original work, not to mention the anime's circumstances... fufu, fufufu..."

(Note: Even without Sakura's appearance, the sharp-tongued Sister Caren made her second anime appearance since Carnival Phantasm.)

"But the era of Dark Sakura is over! I, Matou Sakura, having been confirmed for a movie debut, will be reborn as an orthodox junior heroine!!"

Sakura declared this again with the ultimate smug look, striking the "Answer: Columbia" pose.

The effort involved, even playing the BGM from a certain unicorn show on a portable music player, was extensive.

However, this merely added to the suspicion of her being an airhead, as revealed in the "Heroine Zodiac Arc," undermining her conviction.

"Heroine, heroine. It truly is a good sound. If they just show the (self-censored) scene with my Senpai in the theater, the blonde heroine should be nothing! ufotable, which faithfully showed the (self-censored) scene from the original The Garden of Sinners, surely, surely will do it for me!"

But Sakura had forgotten the conditions for a heroine:

The maidenly heart and character attributes that a man idealizes.

Who would ever see a character who completely disregards these elements and knowingly leans into erotic gags as a heroine?

Matou Sakura, who couldn't understand this, had completely become a dark-hearted, joke-character-only asset.

"You moron!!"

"Hyah!?"

Just then, Sakura's only blood relative, who had been listening silently, slapped the rampaging Sakura on the head.

"Listen to me quietly;'If I strip, I'll become popular' or whatever you're saying, Sakura, are you underestimating what it means to be a heroine!?"

"N-Nee-san"

Sakura rubbed her head and turned around with teary eyes. Standing there was Tohsaka Rin, the classic flat-chested twintails heroine, glaring at Sakura with an expression of pure fury.

"Forget orthodox; there's Saber, Type-Moon's cash cow and the champion of heroines. There's Illya, the silver-haired magical girl who loves her big brother, whose popularity is rising even further with Prisma. There's the dark horse offensive of loli-heroines, starting with the silver-haired maid pair of Sella and Leysritt, and the tanned, silver-haired little girl, Chloe. In Extra, we have the Red Saber, who graduated from being a flat-chested heroine, the lewd pink Caster Fox, and the dragon girl in the loli category. Every single one of them has a strong personality and is fighting a fierce battle as a heroine! Don't you dare underestimate what it means to be a heroine by thinking you'll be popular just by stripping!"

After venting her pent-up frustration, Rin was breathing heavily.

Tohsaka Rin is still an active heroine, appearing in numerous spin-offs among the ever-increasing number of Type-Moon heroines. However, she was starting to feel a sense of crisis due to the powerful rivals emerging from Type-Moon's recent heroine mass-production system (excluding Tsukihime).

That's why she couldn't tolerate such naive words from her only blood relative, suggesting that becoming a main heroine was easy with just a little sex appeal.

"But even you, Nee-san, in Extra, you were showing your butt and mastering the 'Absolute Territory,' weren't you... Ouch!?"

"SHUT UP!! I was wearing a sailor uniform in CCC, so it doesn't count!"

Sakura pointed out the fact that Rin pioneered a new domain of 'butt-flashing' in Extra, but Rin denied it.

"Besides, Sakura, what was with those breasts in CCC? Was Passionlip meant as a jab at me? And Meltryllis, the little girl character, with her lower half practically exposed—is the only route for you the erotic one?"

"Th-That wasn't me, it was an Original Character! It was an original character born in fan fiction, so it has nothing to do with me!!"

Recalling her 'dark history' form, Sakura strongly denied it with teary eyes.

In Extra CCC, new characters modeled after Sakura appeared, but their appearance was the problem.

Passionlip's appearance was exactly like Sakura's, but her upper body was covered only by suspenders—a complete pervert. Her chest size, by the way, was 160 centimeters, surpassing a certain maid's 90-something centimeters, making her undoubtedly the largest among Type-Moon heroines.

Meltryllis, also having the same appearance as Sakura, was younger and wore an oversized long coat with sleeves that hung past her hands. She only wore sharp, sword-like greaves on her legs, and the only thing covering her lower body was a chastity belt-like undergarment over her crotch. Furthermore, the front of her coat was completely open, revealing her crotch with nothing to conceal her from the waist down. By all appearances, she was an exhibitionist, yet she insisted with an utterly smug look that she was "modestly hidden."

"See? Sakura is more of a joke character specialist than a heroine."

".................."

Sakura lowered her head at her sister's teasing.

The old Sakura might have quietly backed down here, but the current, grown-up Sakura, who had been secretly plotting the assassination of the Worm Man in Hollow Ataraxia, was not the type to retreat silently.

"Ahaha, Nee-san, you are the gag character in Prisma Illya. Weren't you very active in Tiger Grail with cat ears, a military uniform, and as a Magical Girl?"

"Oh!?"

A vein throbbed on Rin's temple at Sakura's statement, which had stepped on a landmine.

"Ahaha, you're angry, aren't you, Nee-san? Fufufu, shall I show you the pro-wrestling move taught by Luvia-san again?"

"Oh, go ahead. I was careless last time, but you haven't yet tasted the power of the Bājíquán the heretic priest taught me, have you, Sakura?"

They exchanged insults and challenges. Fighting was the only option.

Sakura instantly dropped her stance, forming a wrestler's guard with both hands forward, and crept closer.

Rin, in turn, lowered her stance, clenched her fists, and waited for Sakura in the Bājíquán posture.

Just as the sisterly duel was about to commence――――.

"Rin, Sakura. Please stop fighting out in the street."

"!"

"!?"

Someone stopped the sisterly fight.

The two sisters turned toward the familiar voice and were surprised.

"S-Saber-san, why are you here?"

"Wait, why is Saber wearing a maid outfit?!"

The person they turned to was Saber.

For unknown reasons, she was not wearing the maid outfit that became a figure, the one with the beautiful back line; instead, she was in the uniform of an orthodox maid: a long skirt to keep her feet clean, a robust white apron, and a neatly tied ribbon at her chest.

"I originally came to Café Ahnenerbe as a customer, but due to various circumstances, I am reluctantly working as a waitress."

"Ahnenerbe... Ah, we were in front of Ahnenerbe."

Only now did Rin realize they had been causing a commotion in the street.

"And since I heard familiar voices causing a ruckus in front of the shop, I came out."

"Ugh, I'm sorry, Saber-san... It's all Nee-san's fault, so she'll treat you to a large obanyaki from Verde later."

"Hey! Sakura! Why are you pinning all the blame on me?! Treating Saber means going bankrupt!"

Saber watched the sisters with half-closed eyes.

The sisters were flustered, but Sakura, subtly pushing the blame onto her sister, was definitely dark-hearted.

"That's fine. I don't require obanyaki right now."

However, Saber refused Sakura's offer.

The fact that that Saber was not tempted by food sent a shockwave through the sisters.

"Eh... No way! Saber-san, You're saying Saber-san isn't tempted by food?"

"C-Calm down, Sakura! First, her chest... good, it's flat like mine, so she's not Red Saber."

"W-What kind of assessment is that!"

Because her gluttonous persona was so deeply rooted, Rin and Sakura were filled with suspicion about Saber's indifference to food. Saber roared in protest, clearly unwilling, but her protest was confirmed, as if to rub salt in the wound, by a blonde girl who emerged from the shop.

"It's true, Saber. You were tempted into working at Ahnenerbe with the promise of all the leftover food you could eat."

A new character, Arcueid, stepped out of the shop door.

She, too, was wearing a maid outfit—and upon closer inspection, it was the same one used at the Tohno Residence.

"Ah, just as I thought."

"Right? That's Saber for you..."

"M-Ngh! Don't expose that, Arcueid!"

"Ehh, it's fine, isn't it?"

Sakura and Rin nodded in agreement with Arcueid's statement.

In contrast, Saber was indignant towards Arcueid, who didn't seem to care.

"I, too, ended up working as a waitress due to various circumstances, just like Saber. Why don't you drop by Ahnenerbe?"

With a wink of her red eyes, Arcueid invited the Tohsaka sisters into Ahnenerbe.

"...Well, I suppose so. It's a bit hot, and since we're here, we might as well take a break."

"...You're right, Nee-san. We can settle our score even after having something to drink, so let's go in."

At those words, the sisters looked at each other and thought for a moment.

However, they quickly reached a conclusion, and Rin and Sakura accepted Arcueid's suggestion.

“Alright, alright! Two guests coming through!”

Thus, Ahnenerbe welcomed new guests.