Rin watched the explosion caused by the collision between Witch-King Slayer and the wind bullet, not daring to let her guard down as she stood still and began gathering starlight.
The massive explosion caused everyone nearby to tacitly make even more room for Rin and Lorelei's battle.
Kotomine Kirei, who had been nervously watching the two duel, took advantage of the opening to ask Jewel Old Man.
"What do you think, Lord Jewel Old Man?"
"Rin is no match for that girl Lorelei. Once they enter a magecraft battle, if Rin has no trump card, Lorelei will defeat her very quickly."
Hearing Jewel Old Man's answer, Kotomine Kirei unwillingly turned to look at Rin Tohsaka, who was gathering starlight on the field. Come on, Rin! I believe that little girl who played us all like fools back then won't lose like this!
At this moment, affected by the daylight, Rin was clearly gathering starlight more slowly than usual. At the very instant the dust cleared, she finally entered Starlight Mode.
"Starlight Mode, Wings of Light Deploy!"
Lorelei emerged from the smoke and dust. Watching Rin float in the air, she nimbly dodged the starlight, then leaped upward with wind magecraft and rose into the sky as well.
"Not bad magecraft, but it isn't enough—Wail!"
A massive storm appeared. Winds comparable to a Category 17 typhoon at sea surged from the magecraft circle before Lorelei, blowing Rin away the instant they touched her.
Fujino, who was still some distance from the battlefield, saw Rin get blown away. A rainbow gleam flashed in her eyes as she launched her Twisted Magic Eye at Lorelei.
Lorelei dodged Fujino's attack and flew into a rage. She had never expected anyone to dare interfere with this duel, and she roared.
"Crush them—Wailing Wind!"
The gale changed direction and swept toward Sakura and Fujino in the distance.
Rin, who had been blown away by the gale, casually tossed aside the shattered gemstone fragments she had used to block Lorelei's attack. She flew anxiously toward Sakura and Fujino. From the distortion in the air just now, Rin had easily recognized that attack as the Twisted Magic Eye.
Just as Sakura and Fujino struggled to withstand Lorelei's attack, Rin finally arrived. Feeling that she was in the wrong, Rin charged straight into the range of Lorelei's magecraft and took the attack herself. Enduring the intense pain, she gestured at Lorelei.
Lorelei stopped her magecraft and came before Rin Tohsaka. Looking at Rin kneeling on the ground, clutching her stomach and chest while continuously coughing up blood, she frowned and asked in confusion.
"Why?"
"Cough... They're my younger sister and disciple. Please forgive their thoughtless actions."
Lorelei haughtily turned her head away.
"Such boring feelings. You have no ability to resist after taking Wailing Wind head-on. I'll allow you to recover for a day before fighting again."
Rin had not expected Lorelei's magecraft to directly attack her insides through the surface of her body. Feeling that her internal organs were already a wreck and that only magic power was barely keeping her alive, Rin stubbornly shook her head.
"No need. Fujino interfered in the duel first. Taking one of your attacks is only fair. I can still fight. Water of Life!"
A huge amount of magic power was converted from Rin's Magic Circuits. A mass of clear water appeared above her head and poured down over her.
Lorelei watched Rin recover and stand again, then nodded. She had begun to acknowledge Rin, though she was somewhat puzzled by the cost of that magecraft.
However, if Lorelei knew the price of Rin's magecraft, she likely would not merely acknowledge her—she would kill Rin with all her strength. Water of Life was the spell of Vasilisa, leader of the Magic Index world's Anti-Magic Annihilation White Book. In the Magic Index world, it was merely a mysterious and powerful magic, but in the Type-Moon world, due to the distortion of its magecraft foundation and Rin's modifications, it had not only become one-use magecraft and required an enormous amount of magic power, but its price was also that those drenched by Water of Life would gradually become Dead Apostles with repeated use. At the same time, their hearts would be twisted into killers as the number of uses increased!
Rin suppressed the bloodthirsty urge rising within her. Feeling the emptiness in her Magic Circuits, she said to the anxious Sakura and Fujino beside her.
"You two, no matter what happens to me, you are not allowed to interfere again. Understand?"
Sakura and Fujino, who had only barely held off Lorelei's magecraft for a short while despite giving it everything they had, supported each other as they rose from the ground. Resenting their own weakness, they glared at Lorelei, only nodding unwillingly when they sensed Rin's impatience.
"All right. Let's settle this in one strike."
"Mm. Rin Tohsaka, regardless of the outcome, I, Bartholomello Lorelei, acknowledge you."
Rin and Lorelei rose into the sky again, once more facing each other in midair.
At this moment, Rin used the Command Spells in her hand to establish a mental connection with Da Vinci, far away in Japan.
"Da Vinci, I need to use the Bounded Field. Can I use it now?"
"Wow! Rin, what kind of enemy did you run into that you need to use that?"
"Da Vinci, stop babbling. Just tell me whether I can use it or not."
At Zenchou Villa on the outskirts of Fuyuki City—or rather, it should now be called Tohsaka Villa—Tokiomi Tohsaka had bought the place from the Zenchou family after the Fourth Holy Grail War. Over the past few years, Rin, Touko, and Da Vinci had turned the villa into a Magecraft workshop. Having received Rin's message, Da Vinci looked at the enormous machine beside her and nodded hesitantly before replying to Rin through their contract.
"Perhaps, probably, maybe... it'll be fine."
Rin looked at the increasingly impatient Lorelei opposite her and snapped through the contract.
"Da Vinci! I need certainty!"
"Ah! Rin, you know this device has only been used once since we built it, and it only lasted three minutes! I don't know either, but it'll definitely be fine for a short time."
"It'll be fine for a short time? Then Da Vinci, connect it!"
"All right, since you've decided, Rin, then of course I'm... OK!"
Da Vinci flipped the switch. The magic power in the Magic Furnace instantly flowed into the machine. The machine activated, and Da Vinci stepped into it. At the same time, the Winter Saintess's soul fragment inside the machine shone with dazzling light.
Feeling the endless flow of magic power transmitted through their contract, Rin smiled faintly. System—work with me. Let's begin!
"Infinite Phase—Demon God Forbidden Realm!"
Thanks to Qi★Xiaolan, Kanade Tachibana, and Starry Night o Star Nuo for the blades! Oh, and myself too.
Strongly recommended!
"I'm Just Craving the Feminized Male Protagonist's Body"
Section 61: Chapter 60: The End of the Duel.
With a face full of curiosity, Lorelei looked at the unfamiliar street before her. Beneath a bright, starry sky, rows of enormous windmills stood beside an empty modern street.
Lorelei turned around and looked at Rin, who had suddenly appeared behind her.
"A Bounded Field? Is this your trump card? But I'm curious—how can a human like you use magecraft of this level?"
After saying that, Lorelei enhanced her eyes with magic power, then saw through the Command Spells on Rin's left hand, which had been concealed by a mirage.
"Remote magic power transmission! A Servant from the Holy Grail War? Then that on your hand is a Command Spell. I don't know how you did it, but it's meaningless—Wail!"
The raging storm reappeared and completely swallowed Rin.
Lorelei watched Rin disappear into the storm, then stopped her magecraft in confusion. She warily observed her surroundings and muttered to herself.
What exactly is the effect of Rin Tohsaka's Bounded Field?
"Of course, the effect is—Heaven's Punishment!"
A strangely dressed girl, with a cross dangling from her tongue, leaped down from a nearby building while holding an enormous hammer. She landed before Lorelei. The newcomer was none other than Rin Tohsaka, transformed into Wind of the Front through the Bounded Field.
Through the system's new function developed in recent years—"Memories"—used as a mental image, combined with a device researched by Da Vinci that could activate the Winter Saintess's soul fragment, Da Vinci could acquire vast amounts of magic power and feed it back to Rin through their contract. Thus, for the first time, the Bounded Field known as "Infinite Phase—Demon God Forbidden Realm" was displayed in this world.
Lorelei clutched her head in pain and half-knelt on the ground, staring fixedly at the Wind of the Front before her. Although her appearance had changed, Lorelei could still tell from the expression on Wind of the Front's face that the person before her was Rin.
"Lorelei, surrender."
Enduring the severe headache, Lorelei rapidly considered her options. What kind of spell is this? Is it the effect of this Bounded Field? No, if that were the case, I should have been affected the moment I entered it. Wait! This spell only began working after Rin transformed into this form.
Rin Tohsaka, transformed into Wind of the Front, looked at the weakened Lorelei kneeling before her. She raised the hammer in her hand, ready to deliver the final blow.
Just as the hammer was about to strike Lorelei's back, a violent gale burst from Lorelei's body and forced Wind of the Front back.
"I understand! You deliberately made this incarnation look like this, didn't you? Your goal was to make me feel hostility."
Rin curled her lips at Lorelei. Do you think I wanted to look like this? This is how Wind of the Front dresses. Uh! It seems I'm Wind of the Front now.
While Rin was distracted, Lorelei seized the chance to raise both hands. An enormous magecraft circle spread out with Lorelei at its center.
"Submit!"
Dozens of massive tornadoes circled around Lorelei like obedient giant pythons.
Rin narrowed her eyes at Lorelei, who floated in the air protected by dozens of tornadoes. She swung the hammer in her hand with all her strength. With every swing, a massive mass of air like a blunt weapon collided with Lorelei's tornadoes.
As Rin attacked, the "giant pythons" came alive. Some roared as they charged toward Rin, while others displayed their ferocity and swept up enormous amounts of debris to form walls around Lorelei.
Wind of the Front swung her hammer, sending out one "air blunt weapon" after another to continuously knock away the tornadoes. Using the damaged buildings, she charged toward Lorelei in midair. I'm still too weak. If I were the original Wind of the Front, I should have stripped Lorelei of her consciousness the instant I deployed Heaven's Punishment Spell.
The system's so-called Memories function recreated battle scenes involving magicians from the Magic Index world, allowing Rin to learn by watching those magicians fight.
Because Rin had previously been busy searching the world for Holy Relics and conducting new research, she could only barely recreate Wind of the Front with the system's assistance. Yet without understanding the spells, she could only use them mechanically. Combined with the limitation of Rin's own strength, the Wind of the Front she had transformed into could not even display half of her combat power.
Lorelei watched Wind of the Front rapidly approach her, yet she had no way to deal with it. Although she possessed nearly the strongest Magic Circuits among Magi, after repeatedly casting large-scale magecraft, Lorelei could now barely even control the tornadoes. She no longer had enough magic power to make any other response.
What Rin did not know was that Da Vinci, far away in Fuyuki City, was trembling as she watched the pipes beside her continuously burst.
Rin, it's not going to hold! It's going to explode!
Lorelei watched in despair as Wind of the Front raised her hammer and swung it down at her. Am I going to lose?
Boom! Da Vinci's device could no longer hold on.
Suddenly, the scene instantly shifted from Academy City beneath the night sky to the sunny El-Melloi Estate.
Rin Tohsaka awkwardly raised a hand and looked at Lorelei before her.
"The weather is nice today!"
"Is that so? Go to—ugh!"
Before Lorelei could cast magecraft again, Rin reacted swiftly. She stepped forward, leaped up, and wrapped her legs around Lorelei's neck in a scissor hold. After the two fell to the ground, Rin forcefully pinned Lorelei's right hand.
Lorelei pushed hard against Rin's leg with her left hand to leave herself room to breathe. At the same time, she noticed the crowd beginning to approach from the corner of her eye. Furious and embarrassed, Lorelei made a decision that even she had not expected. Opening her little mouth, she bit down hard on Rin's smooth thigh in the absolute territory between her stockings and skirt.
"Ah! You actually bit me! Let go!"
"I won't bite if you let go first."
Feeling the pain in her thigh, Rin grew furious as well and bit down on Lorelei's fair forearm.
Jewel Old Man, who arrived first, held his forehead in exasperation as he watched the two genius girls fighting on the ground like little children. He took off his cloak and threw it over them, covering the clothes damaged during their battle.
"All right, separate. Mind your appearance. This duel ends here!"
Rin and Lorelei released each other at the same time and exchanged a glance. Hmph. x2
After separating, the two lowered their heads shyly and huddled together beneath Jewel Old Man's cloak until, under the cover of the mercury maid sent by Kotomine Kirei, they entered the castle to wash and change.
In the spacious main bath of the castle, Rin comfortably leaned against the edge of the pool and looked up at the bathroom ceiling. Fujino and Sakura, whose clothes had been torn to shreds by Lorelei's earlier attack, sat nearby and stared hatefully at Lorelei beside Rin.
"Rin Tohsaka, this time we'll call it a draw! As one who fought me to a standstill, I permit you to proudly announce your achievement to the magecraft world!"
Rin turned her head and saw Lorelei's fair thigh beside her. She opened her little mouth, but after hesitating for a long while, she still did not bite down.
Lorelei, who had lowered her head, saw Rin opening and closing her mouth while staring at her thigh. Blushing, she pulled her bath towel down a little.
"Hey, there's no need to be so petty, right? I only bit you once! Didn't you bite me too?"
Rin turned away, touched the faintly aching wound on her thigh, and curled her lips. If I could beat you, I'd have bitten you to death today. Hmph!
Section 62: Chapter 61: After the Battle and Morning.
Waver lowered his head to look at the dozens of cigar butts in the ashtray beside him, then turned to look at the night outside the window and sighed.
"Why haven't Rin and Jewel Old Man come out yet?"
Late at night, Rin lay on the soft bed with her entire body aching, while Da Vinci's complaints kept ringing in her ears.
"Rin, I'm miserable! The machine exploded and blew up a third of the workshop. Before I could even finish cleaning it up, Touko grabbed me and lectured me for an entire afternoon. I only just finished putting everything in order. Rin, you have to compensate me!"
"All right, all right. Tomorrow, I'll mail you the United Kingdom's most famous cuisine as compensation!"
Da Vinci, far away in Japan and covered in soot, happily sent her cheerful feelings to Rin through their contract when she heard that Rin would bring her a gift. But Da Vinci did not know that United Kingdom cuisine was famously terrible around the world in modern times. The gift this little devil Rin planned to send Da Vinci was the renowned Star Gazing Pie.
After ending her conversation with Da Vinci, Rin looked out at the night and could not fall asleep. Thinking back on Jewel Old Man's guidance during the day, the pile of new topics she needed to research, and the approaching Holy Grail War, she irritably picked up a magecraft tome from the bedside table.
"Big sister, Master, are you asleep?" x2
Rin had just picked up the book when she heard voices from outside the room. She put it down and called toward the door.
Before you continue