Prologue: A fateful encounter

Summary of this volume:

There was once a weak and submissive loli in front of me, but I didn't cherish her. Only when she turned into a little devil did I realize my mistake. If God could give me another chance, I would say three words to that loli, "Take my hand."

Text:

In the deepest, deepest part of my memory, there seems to have been such a person.

Her long silver hair was as bright as the white moon, her crimson eyes were even more fiery, her skin was as white as jade, and her face was as exquisite as a sculpture. Despite being so beautiful, she always wore a dark robe and a tasteless Mask.

Because of that Mask, I never really had a chance to see her expression. In the few times I remembered her, her face always had a wicked smile on it. It was such a waste to have such a terrible expression on such a beautiful face.

Despite having once shared a very intimate relationship, she seemed so unreal, as if she didn't belong to this world.

--Hey, that's not it at all. She should be an existence that transcends this world.

In retrospect, I only spent a few days with her, from our first meeting in the backyard of the Tohsaka Residence to our final parting at the Zenjou Residence. Even if you counted in hours, it wouldn't be much.

But why do I miss them so much?

Where exactly do I begin to look forward to spending time with her?

When we fell together from the rooftop, in that gentle, reassuring embrace? When we were chased by monsters in the dark alleys of Shinto? When we appeared covered in blood at the broken window of the Zenjou Residence?

Who knows, emotions always ferment without you realizing it, and by the time you realize it, it's already out of control.

Opening the somewhat rusty door, Rin Tohsaka returned to her home after eight years. Her first reaction wasn't to reminisce about the good old days, but to cover her nose to block out the air that had been tainted by mold and dust for so long.

It seems we should open the door to let in some fresh air; we can't get in here anytime soon.

Anyway, there are more important things to do.

The stone path in the courtyard shows few signs of age, but the once tidy courtyard is now overgrown with weeds. The plants that my father spent a lot of money to plant have either grown haphazardly or been entangled by unknown vines and weeds, their branches and leaves withered and lifeless.

Cleaning the house or tidying the yard is a huge undertaking; it's impossible for one person to do it alone, and you have to ask for help.

But that's a story for another time; there's no rush.

Rin walked past the wildly growing plants in the courtyard, following familiar traces to the Magecraft Nodes that had once been set up here. Her father had armed this place into a fortress, confident that no enemy could breach it, yet the most fatal blow came from right beside her.

Using the location of the Magecraft Nodes, Rin had already pinpointed the center of the entire mansion's barrier. She took out a finely polished Gems from her pocket and gently placed it on the core.

"It's a bit of a shame, but for now, we'll have to use you."

This Gems is Rin Tohsaka's masterpiece. She has carried it with her for over seven or eight years. Since obtaining it, she has continuously enchanted and strengthened the Gems. Now, the quality of this Gems may be slightly inferior to the Ruby pendant left by her father, but the difference is not far.

Moreover, she has two Gems of the same quality.

She would only take out these two Gems on the most important occasions; even during the final exam at the Clock Tower, she only chose the best quality gem among the other finished pieces.

This shows how much she values the current barrier.

With a few incantations, the nodes and Gems simultaneously lit up with Magecraft light, and the barrier that had been abandoned in the courtyard for several years was activated once again.

Back then, I analyzed this barrier designed by my father like a pilgrimage, but looking at it again today, I can easily find its flaws.

This indirectly shows that he has surpassed his father in his youth, and his long-cherished wish has finally been fulfilled, yet he feels no joy.

If my father could continue to study Magecraft, he would probably have a long way to go. However, after so many years, his Magecraft skills have not improved at all, and he has lost the possibility of continuing to move forward. My father was already at his peak back then.

Having surpassed his father's peak performance, all one could feel was a vague sense of melancholy.

Knowing his own physical condition, the father had long ago suppressed all of Rin's Magic Crest, placing all his hopes on this outstanding daughter.

After their defeat in the Fourth Holy Grail War, the Tohsaka Family completely withdrew from the world of Magecraft in the East. Relying on the connections of the family head and some research results, they climbed up to the Clock Tower and lived a life of fear under the protection of the Association.

Rin Tohsaka, with her extraordinary talent, naturally entered the Clock Tower to study, where she created miracles that even the ancients probably could not replicate.

Despite being only an elementary school student, she took all the courses offered by the instructors within a year and completed them perfectly. Her final grades even far surpassed those of people several times her age.

Basic elemental Magecraft goes without saying, but other spells like spirit summoning, healing, alchemy, and so on—no matter how complex—can Imitation after a few demonstrations. Within a few weeks, she can reach an average level. Her amazing talent even caught the attention of the Second Magician, who was known as the [Magecraft Marshal].

Since she was a descendant of Nagato Tohsaka, Rin entered the Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg's class without any obstacles and received his personal instruction.

The specific education she received is unknown to outsiders. However, within the Mage's Association, there is a saying that "becoming 'Zelretch's disciple' is almost synonymous with 'being crippled'." Yet, the fact that Rin Tohsaka girl who was only a teenager, could survive like her ancestor Nagato Tohsaka is nothing short of a True Magic miracle.

While completing her studies at the Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, she continued her training at the Clock Tower. Finally, in her eighth year of study, she passed the Clock Tower's final exam with perfect grades and graduated. The Association tried hard to recruit her, but she declined on the grounds of "family matters." Because she was a disciple of the [Magecraft Marshal], even the all-powerful Association could not forcibly change her will.

In reality, anyone with even a slight understanding of the inside story knows that the Tohsaka Family's so-called "family matters" are simply the obligation of descendants of noble families to wash away their shame, so there is no particular requirement.

So, after being entrusted with the role of Tohsaka Family Head by her father, Rin Tohsaka set off alone for her long-lost hometown. Although the Holy Grail War was still two years away, Magecraft are people who depend on the land, so it was necessary to send her here in advance to familiarize herself with the ley lines of Fuyuki City. Originally, as the managers of the Fuyuki ley lines, the Tohsaka Family should be on home turf here. It would be bad if they rushed here after the ceremony actually began, making it seem like they were fighting on away turf.

Her father's last words were. "Everything is entrusted to you. Obtaining the Holy Grail is the mission of the Tohsaka Family." For this, even without any particular desire, she would devote herself wholeheartedly to this battle.

Actually, it's not that he didn't have a wish, but rather that this wish was to be fulfilled through the Holy Grail rather than through the Holy Grail War itself—because that's who he was.

The barrier is now functioning perfectly. Next, we need to visit some local powerful families. After all, the Tohsaka Family still holds considerable influence as the land administrators back then, and using their name will make things easier.

For trivial matters such as tidying up the Tohsaka Residence and garden, or arranging for students to transfer here, even Magecraft with powerful Magecraft abilities would find it better to rely on personal connections to handle these things.

The first target was decided to be the Fujimura Group, which has considerable influence in the city. Thanks to my father's connections, the visiting cards were sent yesterday, and we arranged to visit them today.

Since the barrier had been restarted, Rin, who wasn't worried about being robbed, left the door open for ventilation, turned and left the Tohsaka Residence, heading towards the Miyama Town shopping street at the foot of the mountain.

Because she deliberately slowed her pace—in order to experience the changes in her hometown that she hadn't seen for many years—it was already quite late when Rin arrived at the Fujimura Group.

Before placing her hand on the doorbell, Rin's attention was drawn to the mansion next to the Fujimura Group's mansion with a casual glance.

Although it was not obvious, Rin's strength allowed her to easily perceive the subtle traces of Magecraft.

Are there any Magecraft families around the Fujimura Group? The reports we received didn't mention anything about that. Is this an oversight by the Association, or is this information being deliberately concealed?

It's probably a family of minor Magecraft living in seclusion here. Normally, there's not much to worry about, but with the Holy Grail War looming over them, they have to be cautious. Who knows, this family might produce an Astr in the future.

According to her father, the Holy Grail would even drag people with only a faint trace of Magecraft's bloodline into the war, so it was unavoidable.

Just to be on the safe side, Rin stared at the house and then recited a spell.

The magical energy from the Magic Circuits surged towards her head, and when she looked again, Rin's left eye was different; a crimson pentagram mark was reflected in its pupil.

The Mystic Eyes Eye transforms the eyeball into Magic Circuits, converting its passive function of receiving external information into the ability to actively influence external things. In other words, all targets within its field of vision are affected by Magecraft; if the target looks directly into the Mystic Eyes, the Magecraft effect is amplified. Because the Mystic Eyes cannot be looked at directly, and anyone seen by Mystic Eyes will be trapped in the opponent's Magecraft, and because it is difficult to determine whether someone possesses the Mystic Eyes from their appearance, it is a matter of prevention; therefore, possessing the Mystic Eyes is proof of being a first-rate Magecraft.

Although Rin possesses excellent bloodline, she was not born with Mystic Eyes. Artificial Mystic Eyes, at best, only have abilities like charm and suggestion, which are only useful against much weaker opponents.

Rin, however, is an exception. Her Mystic Eyes consists of only one eyeball, not an artificial transplant, but a final gift from someone. Its purpose isn't to affect vision, but something far more terrifying—

Copying Magecraft.

It has the ability to read all Magecraft and magical energy within its field of vision, and to perfectly copy any Magecraft it has ever seen. Although the issue of magical energy must be taken into account, Rin Tohsaka is born with the Five Great Elements attributes, combined with the Tohsaka Family's Magecraft that is good at storing magical energy, works perfectly with this Mystic Eyes.

Despite possessing extraordinary talent, the real secret that earned Rin Tohsaka the title of "Miracle Girl of the Clock Tower" is actually this Mystic Eyes.

The only and best gift Assassin left behind.

Rin Tohsaka hid it very well. Even though she could master it after watching it only once, she deliberately pretended that it took her a long time to learn. Even her father didn't know this secret of hers, only thinking that his daughter was too outstanding. Her master chef might have noticed something, but he never pointed it out.

Using her ability to Mystic Eyes of Replication, Rin clearly grasped the flow of magical energy within the mansion. Aside from a simple Spirit Gathering Formation and basic Defensive Barrier, there was nothing else. It seemed to truly be a reclusive, small Magecraft family. Perhaps she could consider befriending them; maybe she could have an extra ally in two years?

After all, the Tohsaka Family has a good reputation, and their future seems bright to outsiders, which should be enough to attract ordinary Magecraft.

With this matter in mind, Rin Tohsaka gently pressed the doorbell of the Fujimura Group.

"Then I'll leave the matter of transferring schools and contacting a housekeeping company to Fujimura."

"Not at all, it's more of an honor for us to be able to do our part for the Tohsaka Family Head."

Sitting upright for Rin Tohsaka's legs a little sore and numb. Having lived in Europe for a long time, she didn't often use the traditional etiquette of her homeland. It wasn't that she didn't know how, but she was still a little unaccustomed to it after a while.

The conversation with Leihua Fujimura went very smoothly. She had thought she would have to pay a price to get help, but Tohsaka's name was more useful than she had imagined. The old man agreed to her request without any hesitation.

In reality, it was a very simple matter. Rin only wanted to use this opportunity to test the attitude of the landlords, represented by the other party, towards the return of the Tohsaka Family Head.

It started off very smoothly.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they inquired about each other's families. Because of Leihua's approachable attitude, Rin gradually relaxed and began to treat him as an elder rather than a business partner, talking about her various experiences in Europe. The exotic customs of foreign lands piqued the interest of this elderly man who had long lived in the East Asian cultural sphere, and the atmosphere became quite lively.

"... The British are notoriously bad cooks, not only in Europe but also in the world. During my studies in London, I couldn't stand the terrible food there, so I had to cook for myself."

That must have been really tough.

When the conversation turned to the British Isles, Rin sensed the presence of strangers outside.

"Oh, Grandpa! It's me!"

The door was flung open, and a woman in her early twenties walked in. She had short, neat brown hair and was dressed simply and naturally, almost like a man.

At the same time, Rin also noticed that this person's steps were steady, suggesting that he probably possessed considerable martial arts skills.

By the way, although Rin is an unparalleled Magecraft genius, precisely because she is so talented, learning Magecraft is not difficult for her at all, so she also spends some time practicing other skills. The Clock Tower is full of practical Magecraft who emphasize pragmatism, many of whom are also highly skilled Martial Arts masters. Having received their training since childhood, Rin is quite confident in her physical skills.

Of course, this has absolutely nothing to do with that muscular woman from the Edelfelt Family. I didn't train to outdo her, absolutely not!

Well, speaking of which, the fact that this girl could barge in so casually during a family gathering speaks volumes about her relationship with Leihua. Judging from how she addressed him earlier, she must be the granddaughter of Leihua, Taiga Fujimura, mentioned in the information.

"Oh, we have guests?"

It seems this person is indeed as the intelligence reports suggest, possessing a rather unrestrained personality.

"Hello, I'm Rin Tohsaka, here to bother you. Nice to meet you."

"Oh, oh, I'm Taiga Fujimura, nice to meet you."

Rin rose and gave an elegant bow, which made Taiga feel a little uncomfortable. She quickly bowed back.

But--

"Gurgle~"

Did you hear a sound?

"Ah, this... I..."

Taiga clutched his stomach, extremely embarrassed and flustered, a few blushes spreading across his face.

"Ah, it's already this late, I'm a little hungry too."

Rin, being very understanding, spoke up to help her out of the awkward situation. Leihua didn't say much, but followed Rin's lead and continued:

"That's true. In that case, why don't we have dinner here? Although it's just simple home-style cooking, I have a lot of confidence in our team's chefs' skills."

"Then I shall respectfully accept your offer."

Afterwards Leihua explained to Taiga that Rin would be transferring to the Private Huiqunyuan Academy. Upon learning that this great student would be there, Taiga became even more embarrassed, probably because her stomach had been rumbling earlier. However, just a few minutes later, she laughed and told Rin that she would protect her at school and that if anyone bullied her, she should just mention her name.

"It looks like school life will be quite exciting."

Rin, who lacks the experience of a typical middle school student, is filled with anticipation for her upcoming school life.

The quality of dinner was indeed Leihua had said. Although the dishes were very common, the taste was unforgettable. Rin even joked about whether she could rent the Fujimura Group's chef to her in the future.

Upon hearing this, Leihua gave a strange smile and said that it wouldn't be impossible if there was an opportunity.

"They call them our cooks, but they're actually the kids from next door. Our two families are always in touch. Taiga often goes there for meals, and I was curious about how delicious the food was that attracted her. So I had those two kids cook for us a few times, and she couldn't eat anything else after that. And those two kids are happy to provide meals for so many of us every day."

Is that the Magecraft's house next door?

"Today's dishes are all Chinese food, so it must have been made by Jizi Zi. She's still preparing for the others in the group, and she'll be back later."

"Oh~" Rin didn't know she should reply, so she just responded with a soft "Oh~".

"When you arrive, I can introduce you to her. Tohsaka has been gone for so long, she probably doesn't recognize many places in Fuyuki City anymore. Jizi is about your age, so having her show you around wouldn't be a bad idea. You can also entrust the tidying up of your old family house to her, so you can rest assured."

Rin didn't really want strangers to follow her, because many of the upcoming activities involved matters of the mystical side, but that Jizi, seemed to be Magecraft too—anyway, she should meet her first.

About ten minutes later, Rin sensed another presence at the door. Unlike Taiga, this newcomer knocked very politely and only opened the sliding door gently after Leihua answered. The entire process, from opening the door to entering, was almost completely silent.

It seems like she's a rather introverted and quiet person.

Rin stood up as she opened the door, turning around gracefully. "Hello, I'm Rin Tohsaka, here to bother you today. Nice to meet you."

Rin gave a slight bow and then looked up, her eyes meeting directly with the newly entered girl.

Huh, that face!?

--------------------------------ps------------------

P. S. 1. If I don't remember, the tiger is indeed Emiya's neighbor.

Ps2. Mystic Eyes of Replication, from "The Legend of the Legendary Heroes," has the same ability as described earlier: it can analyze all magic flow and Magecraft formulas, and perfectly copy any spell formula it has seen, even incomplete ones. However, it has a huge side effect, which has been removed in this setting; as long as there is enough magic power, it can be used indefinitely. In other words, it's the gift that Jizi left for Rin with her last bit of magic power.

PS3. I forgot to mention in the Afterword that I actually heavily borrowed from Space Princess's "A Certain Heroic Spirit's Assassination Girl" for A Route. In fact, the entire A Route was inspired by that book. This chapter also shamelessly plagiarized the first chapter of her FSN arc... That book is indeed... and it seems it wasn't taken down by 404. I highly recommend it to those who haven't read it.

Although I feel that their fame far surpasses mine by tens of thousands of times.

P. S. 4. Even Director Luo has a day when she can update 10,000 words a day! Hahaha!

0. Prologue: A Fateful Encounter

0. Prologue: A Fateful Encounter was typed by a member of [*][Novel. net].

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