On the Road to Growth: The Fairy-Tale Witch / On the Path to Demonhood: I've Successfully Become an Apprentice!

After speaking, Rin took Sakura's hand and walked into the abandoned unfinished building.

Kirei Kotomine swept his gaze over the surrounding streets, then followed Rin and Sakura into the building. Once inside, he casually set the luggage down in a room before quickly catching up to them.

Touko Aozaki, who was lying on the sofa in her office drinking, suddenly sensed three strangers entering Garan no Dou. She warily put down the can in her hand, walked over to her desk, and sat down, staring intently at the door.

Before long, there was a knock outside the office. Then, two little girls led an adult man into Touko's office.

After entering the office, Rin politely bowed to Touko before introducing herself.

"Hello. I am Rin Tohsaka, the future head of the Tohsaka family. Today, I have come with my younger sister, Sakura Tohsaka, and my senior brother, Kirei Kotomine."

The name Rin Tohsaka had long since spread throughout the magecraft world. Touko had never expected the person who had so recklessly barged into her Magecraft workshop, Garan no Dou, to be this "renowned" little girl. She stared at Rin curiously and asked,

"Miss Rin Tohsaka, what do you intend to do by breaking into my Magecraft workshop?"

"Um, may I call you Touko? Of course, you can call me Rin. I heard that you've recently been a little short on funds, Touko, so I hope to commission you."

Hearing Rin's words, Touko withdrew the hand she had kept beneath the desk, pressed against a magecraft circle. She stood, walked over to the sofa, and casually sat down before turning to Rin, Sakura, and Kirei Kotomine.

"Come sit. What do you want to commission me to do?"

Rin led Sakura and Kirei Kotomine to the sofa opposite Touko and sat down before speaking.

"Alice Kuonji. Touko, you know her, right? I want my sister to become Alice Kuonji's disciple, so I want to commission you to take us to her and protect us along the way."

"Arisu!" Upon hearing that name, Touko seemed to fall into her memories. She remained silent for a long time. Seeing Touko lost in thought, Rin did not speak again and simply waited quietly on the sofa for her answer.

Touko emerged from her memories and pushed up her glasses. The reflection of the light concealed her gaze as she asked Rin,

"How did you learn about Arisu?"

"You!"

Touko looked at Rin, who had firmly said that she had learned about Arisu through her, and asked again,

"Me? You mean you learned about Arisu through me?"

"Yes! Although not many people know about your past, the Tohsaka family has operated in Japan for many years and can still obtain plenty of intelligence. For example, Alice Kuonji—and it seems there was once a Phantasmal Species by your side as well."

Although Touko still had some doubts after hearing Rin's words, she did not dwell on them.

"Then, what's the payment?"

Rin first took a bag of gemstones from the bag slung over her shoulder and tossed it to Touko. Then she took out the Divine Rune stone Gilgamesh had given her years ago, held it out before Touko, and opened her palm to display it.

"This bag of gemstones is the deposit. It should be worth around five million US dollars. After the job is done, I'll give you this Divine Rune as well. How about it?"

Touko looked at the Rune stone, then poured the gemstones from the bag into her hand and played with them for a while before putting them back.

"Rin, you should understand how valuable you are. Tell me, if I..."

Before she could finish, a magecraft circle appeared on the wall of the room.

"If I capture you, I think I can get anything I want."

Rin calmly looked at Touko, then stopped Sakura and Kirei Kotomine from preparing to counterattack.

"Are you dissatisfied with the payment? Then name your price."

Touko looked at the calm Rin, boredly stretched, and then said with a smile,

"You saw through me. Aren't you even a little worried, little girl? Fine. I've long heard how the magecraft world has been making a huge fuss over your talent, piling every possible title of genius onto your head. So give it a try."

Touko then pulled a parchment covered in magecraft cipher from her clothes and handed it to Rin.

"Take a look. If you can help with my research, I'll accept your commission. But I want the Rune too."

Rin said nothing. She took the paper Touko handed her and lowered her head to read it.

Watching Rin think, Touko stood, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, walked to the window, lit one, and looked outside.

Just as the cigarette was nearly burned out, Rin finished reading. She raised her head and looked at Touko in surprise.

"Touko, you want to create dolls on the level of Servants?"

"You figured it out? Looks like the rumors were right after all. You really are a genius. So, do you have a solution?"

"No. There was a problem with this design from the start. If you merely intended to create dolls with physical strength comparable to Servants, that wouldn't be much of a problem. As long as the materials are suitable, your skills should make it achievable. But you want to create dolls that can stand shoulder to shoulder with Servants in every aspect. That's a much bigger problem. You're practically trying to create a Servant's body with a Blank Spirit Foundation."

Touko casually stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray, then pointed at Rin.

"That problem depends on you. Who understands Servants better than someone born into a family that created the Holy Grail ritual?"

Rin picked up the paper again and looked it over, scratching her head in frustration. Why did it have to be such a troublesome condition? Artificial Servants... how could that possibly work?

"Sorry, I can't do that."

"You can't do it either? Then my plan to use a group of Servants to teach my little sister a lesson can't be realized. You may leave now."

Seeing Touko begin to dismiss them, Rin thought, So she only wants Servants as combat power? In that case, wouldn't holding a False Holy Grail ritual solve it? With that in mind, she hurriedly said to Touko,

"If you only want to use Servants against the Fifth Magus, I have a method. The Holy Grail ritual—I can give you the materials on the Holy Grail ritual, and I'm willing to research a ritual for summoning Servants independently with you."

Touko looked at Rin and thought for a moment. Then she extended her left hand, clasped Rin's right, and shook it.

"Deal!"

"My Hero Academia"

A girl who had transmigrated into Izuku Midoriya's older sister, Inko Midoriya, whose Quirk was gravity manipulation.

In a society overflowing with Quirks, countless criminals took the opportunity to commit evil. A new generation of heroes would write their own chapter in this world.

The Road of Rin Tohsaka's Growth—Fairy Tale Witch

Kuonji Residence, Misaki City.

Early in the morning, Alice Kuonji was holding a watering can and watering the flowers and plants in the garden when she suddenly stopped and turned to look at the path leading down the mountain.

The magecraft barrier Alice Kuonji had set up around the entire mountain detected four Magi intruding into it. The magical energy emanating from one of them felt extremely familiar to Alice Kuonji.

Before long, four figures—one adult and three children—appeared on the path leading up from the foot of the mountain. The woman walking at the front waved awkwardly at Arisu.

"Good morning, Arisu."

Alice Kuonji looked at Touko, who was waving at her, silently set down the watering can in her hand, turned around, walked into the villa in several strides, and shut the door.

At Rin's signal, Touko awkwardly walked to the door and raised her hand to knock on the closed entrance.

"Arisu, is this how you treat an old friend who has come to visit?"

Before Touko finished speaking, the door suddenly opened. Alice Kuonji emerged from the entrance holding several Noble Phantasms and looked at Touko.

"Touko, didn't Aoko curse you so that you could never return to Misaki City?"

Touko pulled a pack of cigarettes from the breast pocket of her shirt, skillfully lit one, and said,

"Wouldn't changing bodies solve that curse? Don't be so wary, Arisu. Rest assured, I didn't come to cause trouble for you. I only accepted a commission from those people behind me. They're the ones who want to see you."

Rin took the opportunity to step forward and join the conversation.

"Hello, Miss Kuonji. I am Rin Tohsaka of the Tohsaka family, the family that manages the spiritual veins of Fuyuki City. I have presumptuously come to disturb you today because I have a request."

She then gave Kirei Kotomine a meaningful look. Kirei immediately took the gifts he was carrying and respectfully presented them to Alice Kuonji.

After silently examining Rin, Sakura, and Kirei Kotomine, Alice Kuonji accepted the gifts.

"Then come inside. Touko, if you don't want Aoko to find you, you should leave immediately. Aoko could return at any time."

"Arisu, are you worried about me? If that woman Aoko wants to come, let her come."

"No. I'm only worried that if you and Aoko start fighting, you'll damage the villa..."

The group then followed Arisu into the villa and sat on the sofas in the living room. Arisu took out a tea set and tea leaves from a nearby cabinet and brewed each of them a cup of black tea.

Rin took the black tea from Arisu's hand and casually placed it on the coffee table.

"Miss Kuonji, I'll be direct. We came to disturb you because we hope you will accept my sister as your disciple. Please rest assured, we absolutely do not seek your Witch's inheritance. We simply hope you can guide my sister in Fairy Tale Magecraft."

Alice Kuonji had only allowed Rin and the others into the villa out of consideration for Touko, but upon hearing Rin's request, she frowned uncomfortably. Not for the inheritance of Fairy Tale Magecraft, but for guidance in Fairy Tale Magecraft? She put down her teacup.

"Do you possess the inheritance of Fairy Tale Magecraft?"

"No, but I created a kind of Fairy Tale Magecraft myself. It isn't sufficiently complete, though, so it can only be considered False Fairy Tale Magecraft."

Alice Kuonji glanced at Touko, extended her hand toward the door, and said,

"Leave."

Hearing Alice Kuonji tell them to leave, Rin was suddenly stunned. What's going on? Using Touko's connection to approach Alice Kuonji, then using False Fairy Tale Magecraft to draw her interest before naturally having Sakura become her disciple—the plan should have been perfect. Why did Alice Kuonji chase us out the moment I mentioned False Fairy Tale Magecraft?

At that moment, Sakura, sitting beside Rin, also felt her heart stir. Big Sister often studies until late at night and reads all sorts of dangerous magecraft texts so I can learn suitable magecraft. Now she has even taken me out in danger to find the right teacher. I can't keep being like this. Sakura, do your best. Fight for it yourself. You can't let Big Sister's efforts go to waste. She hurriedly stood.

"Miss Kuonji, because our Tohsaka family has no magecraft inheritance suitable for my Imaginary Number Attribute, my sister is often troubled by it. Now, for my sake, she has brought me here despite the danger to seek you out. I don't want my sister to risk herself for me anymore. Miss Kuonji, please accept me." Tears flowed from the corners of Sakura's eyes as she spoke.

Rin looked at Sakura in surprise. She had not expected usually gentle and quiet Sakura to say such a thing. Seeing the tears on Sakura's face, Rin stood with heartache, hugged her, and comforted her.

"Don't cry, Sakura. It's all right. If Miss Kuonji doesn't work out, there's still May Lilydale, the Coal Witch. We can go to the Clock Tower and ask Kotomine Kirei to make an introduction. It'll be fine, Sakura. Don't worry. And Sakura, you're my real little sister. Doing these small things for my little sister's future is what I should do as your big sister. Besides, Sakura, you know I never do anything risky, don't you?"

Alice Kuonji looked at the adorable little girls embracing each other and was faintly moved. But looking at Touko beside her, she could not believe that a girl barely ten years old could have created Fairy Tale Magecraft herself. She believed this was nothing more than Touko's scheme.

At that moment, a black-haired girl somewhat resembling Touko suddenly appeared behind Alice Kuonji. The girl gently embraced Alice Kuonji from the side, placing herself between Alice Kuonji and Touko.

"Arisu, I'm back!"

"Mm."

The girl then turned to look at Touko.

"So my senses were right. I just didn't expect you to dare return to Misaki City, much less come all the way to Arisu's place. Touko, do you want to turn into a frog again?"

Touko took off her glasses, glanced disdainfully at Aoko, wiped the glasses, and put them back on.

"You're as unchanged as ever, Aoko. But I don't think you still have that ability."

"Want to try?"

"Then let's try."

Watching her friends begin arguing the moment they met, Alice Kuonji sighed and raised her hand, knocking both of them on the head.

Aoko and Touko simultaneously clutched their heads and shouted at Arisu.

"That hurt, Arisu." X2

Aoko turned to glance at Touko, snorted coldly, then looked at the Tohsaka sisters in the living room and at her own sister before sighing.

Looking at the sisters who cared for each other before her, and the troublesome woman beside her, Aoko—one of the people who understood Alice Kuonji best—tentatively said to Arisu,

"Arisu, I was invisible in the living room the whole time just now, so I heard your conversation. But let me say something. This Rin Tohsaka is recognized by the magecraft world as the most talented Magus of the past hundred years. If anyone else claimed to have created Fairy Tale Magecraft, I wouldn't believe it either. But Rin Tohsaka might actually be telling the truth. Why not give her a chance and let her demonstrate it?"

Alice Kuonji, who lived in seclusion, truly did not know that Rin Tohsaka's reputation as a genius had spread so widely through the magecraft world. After hearing Aoko's suggestion, she thought for a moment and nodded.

"All right..."

The Road of Rin Tohsaka's Demon God—Successfully Becoming a Disciple!

Everyone left the Kuonji residence. Led by Alice Kuonji, they arrived at an open space on the mountain.

Alice Kuonji took out a Noble Phantasm and said to Rin and Sakura,

"Begin your demonstration."

Rin had thought they only needed to briefly demonstrate False Fairy Tale Magecraft, but Alice Kuonji seemed to intend to hold a magecraft contest with her and Sakura.

Rin turned to look at Sakura. Seeing that Sakura was prepared and wearing a resolute expression, Rin nodded at her, took her hand, and said to Alice Kuonji,

"Please be careful, Miss Kuonji."

Rin and Sakura raised their joined hands together. Their magical energy began to form a circuit, and the formula activated. Using Sakura's Imaginary Number magical energy as its foundation and Rin's five great elements as its filling, the sisters fully activated the magecraft called Man-eating Grandma of the Chicken-Leg Hut for the first time.

Thick, mysterious mist rapidly enveloped the entire mountain along with Rin and Sakura's magical energy. A massive chicken-leg hut appeared behind them, its door opened, and an aged witch with an eerie laugh emerged.

Alice Kuonji calmly watched the two little girls vaguely visible within the dense mist. At this moment, she was completely convinced that this truly was some entirely new kind of Fairy Tale Magecraft.