Delight! / Fighting? I'm Good at That!...

"Just as I thought! You're a mage!" Rin Tohsaka was now certain that this person who had tried to play dumb was a mage.

"I'm not." Mikaela shook her head. She no longer wanted to keep arguing with Rin Tohsaka. Glancing at her Magic Circuit, she planned to follow behind Ryunosuke. Once he returned to his hideout, she would knock him out, take him somewhere deserted, and force Caster to show himself and fight the other Servants.

"Wait!"

Seeing that the "mage" around her age was about to leave, Rin Tohsaka hurriedly grabbed her clothes. "I'm looking for Kotone too. Let's work together! My father is Tohno Shiro. If you're a mage, then you should know him too."

When she mentioned her father, Rin Tohsaka's voice brimmed with pride.

PS: "Now I'm relieved. Not many people are voting with monthly passes, so even by the sixteenth, it'll probably only add three or four chapters. I can slowly pay back the updates =A=!"

Delight!

"You?"

Mikaela looked Rin Tohsaka up and down. Though she did not say a word, the blatant disdain in her eyes made Rin Tohsaka erupt like an enraged wildcat. "What kind of look is that?! My dad is Tohno Shiro! My dad manages this whole city! As a mage, haven't you heard of the Tohsaka family?!"

"..." Mikaela looked at Rin Tohsaka with a complicated expression. She had not expected Rin Tohsaka, at such a young age, to idolize her father so much. That was rather interesting.

"What?!" Rin Tohsaka bared her teeth. If this person had not seemed somewhat reliable and possessed the same kind of Magic Circuit as her, she would have abandoned her long ago.

"No, I just didn't expect Tohno Shiro's daughter to have such backbone."

Looking at the snarling Rin Tohsaka, Mikaela recited flatly, "Knowing that a Holy Grail War is being held in Fuyuki City, you still dared to come here alone without even informing your father. If another Servant finds you, then you'll be really impressive."

"!!??"

For some reason, those words, which sounded like concern, made Rin Tohsaka inexplicably furious. She snapped, "Who the hell are you?!"

"Just an ordinary passerby. You needn't remember me." Mikaela did not want to waste any more time with Rin Tohsaka. She stood and jogged toward where Ryunosuke had disappeared.

"What was that?!"

Rin Tohsaka stomped her foot, deeply dissatisfied with the blonde girl's attitude. But she had no choice. Mikaela looked "very strong," and Rin Tohsaka needed to track that "kidnapper," so she hurried after her.

Mikaela glanced at Rin Tohsaka following behind her but said nothing. She continued tracking Ryunosuke. He had already gotten quite far while she had been talking with Rin Tohsaka, so she needed to catch up quickly.

"Hmm?"

The moment she stepped onto the road, Mikaela suddenly sensed a gaze. Her instincts told her that something nearby seemed to be watching her.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!!"

At that moment, Rin Tohsaka suddenly reached out and yanked the pondering Mikaela back.

A police car passed in front of them.

"What is it?" Mikaela looked at Rin Tohsaka, who had pulled her back. She had completely failed to notice the police car, her attention focused entirely on that feeling of being watched.

"And you're asking me?! If the police spot us, that'll be the worst possible outcome." Rin Tohsaka looked at Mikaela exaggeratedly. "Until I rescue Kotone, I can't be sent home."

"..."

Mikaela said nothing. She lowered her head and checked the Magic Circuit on her chest. Seeing no "abnormalities," she temporarily ruled out the possibility of a sea demon.

"Come on, let's go." After ruling out the sea demon, Mikaela took Rin Tohsaka's hand and ran in Ryunosuke's direction. Calculations had already begun running through her mind.

If it was not a sea demon watching her, then there were probably only three people who might have come tonight.

One was Matou Kariya, the man from the Matou family with an unmatched rebellious streak.

Another was the Clock Tower genius who did not have Sola's negative buff, Kirei Kotomine.

The last was probably the person Mikaela least, least, least wanted to see: Gilgamesh!

Mikaela had to be wary of all of them. The person she had transformed into was one of her usable trump cards in the Holy Grail War—Abigail Williams.

Why was Gilgamesh the one she least wanted to meet? The reason was simple. That man did not care for appearances. No matter how beautiful someone's human exterior was, to him it was merely a shell.

What he loved to examine was a person's soul. If Gilgamesh saw her transformed appearance, Mikaela did not know whether he would see Abigail's father or directly see her own soul.

The former would be fine. Maybe Gilgamesh would die on the spot because of it?! He was not the original body anyway! If he really died, that would be far too convenient for her.

But if it was the latter, then Mikaela's trump card would be exposed in the truest sense. She had to be extremely careful and find out who was observing her from the shadows.

If it really was Gilgamesh... then she had to kill him tonight! At worst, she could pin it on Caster and Assassin! She could say that the two of them had joined forces and forcibly killed Archer.

Gilgamesh had never revealed his true strength anyway. If she killed him now, the others would at most suspect Caster and Assassin. They certainly would not suspect her.

If Emiya Kiritsugu died from having his mana drained after swinging that blade, then Mikaela would make Rin Tohsaka, who was beside her, her Master. Rin Tohsaka was still young; a few lies would be enough to make her participate in this Holy Grail War.

If she truly refused, then Mikaela would simply use Heaven's Gate to forcibly control her and make her form a contract with her.

With only the sensation of being watched, several plans had already surfaced in Mikaela's mind. Her movements became even more cautious.

Why did she suddenly become so friendly? Rin Tohsaka was still confused. She could not understand what this "mage" was trying to do. Mikaela had looked completely indifferent just moments ago, yet now she was holding her hand so warmly.

A girl's sixth sense truly was frighteningly sharp. Though she was still only a little girl, Rin Tohsaka had clearly sensed Mikaela's "goodwill."

"Two beautiful young ladies, taking a walk this late at night? Where are your parents?"

As the two secretly followed behind Ryunosuke, a "familiar" yet unfamiliar voice suddenly came from behind them. Rin Tohsaka was so startled that her twin tails practically stood on end. Without another word, she pulled out the disposable offensive Magic Crest she had stolen from home, intending to blow the person behind her to pieces.

"Don't be nervous. I came to help you."

Apparently noticing that Rin Tohsaka wanted to attack him, the man approaching Rin Tohsaka and Mikaela from behind reached out and held down the "Magic Crest" Rin Tohsaka was about to throw.

The newcomer was Diarmuid. He had been searching the city for Caster and Caster's Master. After finding Caster's Master, he saw two little girls sneakily following behind him.

Judging from the equipment on them, they should have been descendants of some mage family.

"Don't be nervous." Mikaela also pressed down on Rin Tohsaka's little head. Once she saw that the newcomer was Diarmuid, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief and put away her card. There was no need to kill this one.

"Interesting. So you finally used that power, clown."

On a distant high-rise, Gilgamesh, dressed in casual clothes, watched Mikaela with a delighted smile. He was looking forward to what she would do next.

PS: "I'm taking a break tonight. Five updates tomorrow =A=. My mom suddenly came to inspect the place! She only told me she was coming home after she'd already reached the front door ()"

PS: "Then my mom scolded me, saying my room looked like a pigsty... What a tragedy. The author only has two updates today. I'll keep working hard tomorrow."

Fighting! I'm Good at That!

"Eh? So you came here to save your companion?" Diarmuid looked at the two little girls before him. He had not expected them to be secretly following Caster's Master in order to rescue their friend.

"That's right, that's right." Rin Tohsaka nodded. She occasionally poked her head out to watch Ryunosuke's back, gritting her teeth. "Kotone was definitely taken by him, but I don't know where he's going, so I can only follow him."

"Mm." Mikaela nodded slightly. She did not want to say more to Diarmuid, because she knew that Abigail in her normal state looked just like an ordinary little girl. No one would be able to notice much out of place.

But she did not want to test those Servants' instincts. Sometimes, it was not enough for her to think there was no problem... What mattered was whether they thought there was a problem.

If those Servants thought something was wrong with her, they might suddenly attack without mercy. Since Caster's true identity had yet to be discovered, there was a high chance she would be mistaken for him.

"Is that so?" Diarmuid smiled kindly and said gently to Rin Tohsaka, "But this place is very dangerous. You should hurry back to your parents. I'll help rescue your friend."

"..." Rin Tohsaka looked at Diarmuid suspiciously, then snorted and turned away. "You're not even a mage. Why should I believe you? I'm the next head of the Tohsaka family. I don't need an ordinary person helping me."

"Uh..." Diarmuid's smile stiffened slightly.

Mikaela could not help but smile as well. Rin Tohsaka had amused her.

From Rin Tohsaka's perspective, although Diarmuid was dressed strangely, he was still just an ordinary person. Tohno Shiro had taught her that ordinary people must not be allowed to become involved in the world of mages!

Mages were incredibly powerful. If ordinary people got involved in a mage's world, they would surely die without even leaving ashes behind!

That was why Rin Tohsaka rejected Diarmuid's help. She did not want such a handsome older brother to go and throw his life away.

She had agreed to act with Mikaela because she believed Mikaela was a capable mage. With her help, Rin Tohsaka should be able to rescue Kotone more easily.

But Diarmuid... forget it. He looked rather strong, but Rin Tohsaka could not sense any mana from him. He was definitely an ordinary person!

What? The blonde girl did not have mana either? No! She had a Magic Crest just like Rin Tohsaka's, so she was definitely a mage. As for why she had no mana, that was naturally because her cultivation was higher than Rin Tohsaka's, allowing her to conceal her mana fluctuations.

"The Tohsaka family?" When Diarmuid heard those words, his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Rin Tohsaka. He clearly remembered that one of the Masters in this Holy Grail War was named Tohno Shiro.

He was the manager of Fuyuki City's ley lines. According to Diarmuid's Lord, although his talent was poor, he worked exceptionally hard, which was why he had achieved what he had today.

"..."

Mikaela sighed inwardly. She knew that young Rin Tohsaka greatly admired her father, but she had not expected Rin Tohsaka to be careless enough to directly reveal her family name.

"You know my father?" Rin Tohsaka also seemed to sense something wrong. Looking at Diarmuid, whose gaze had suddenly turned somewhat dangerous, she felt uneasy. Fear welled up in her heart, and she could not help moving behind Mikaela. This "older brother" no longer seemed handsome; instead, he felt like a beast that had locked onto its prey, making her instinctively want to get away.

"Mm."

Diarmuid nodded. Seemingly recalling something, his stern expression faded, and he smiled gently. "Naturally. Your father, Tohno Shiro, is the manager of Fuyuki City's ley lines. He protects this city's people from the existence of 'magecraft.' I naturally heard my Lord speak of such a man."

Diarmuid had indeed briefly considered capturing Rin Tohsaka and using her to force Tohno Shiro out of the war.

But on second thought, would his Lord ever be such a despicable person?! His Lord was one of the Clock Tower's Twelve Lords, the Lord of the Mineralogy Department. The victory he sought was a dignified one, defeating his opponents head-on.

Not gaining victory by holding another person's wife and child hostage! The fact that he had entertained such a thought just now meant he deserved death a thousand times over!!!

"Oh?! You know my father?! That's wonderful!" Once Rin Tohsaka learned that Diarmuid knew her father, she instantly forgot how he had frightened her. She jumped out from behind Mikaela and proudly told Diarmuid, "Since you know that, then hurry up and leave. I... no! The next head of the Tohsaka family is going to capture that kidnapper. Don't come along, and... don't tell my father that I came to Fuyuki City."

What a kind child. Though Diarmuid found it somewhat amusing, he understood that Rin Tohsaka was telling him to leave because she did not know he was a Servant and merely thought he was an ordinary person.

She did not want him to die for nothing. Compared to his own thoughts just now, Diarmuid sighed and felt that he needed to protect these two young ladies tonight.

Mikaela remained silent, maintaining a "cold" appearance. Once Rin Tohsaka and Diarmuid seemed to have finished talking, she said calmly, "That makes three."

"Hmm?!" Those words immediately drew Diarmuid and Rin Tohsaka's attention to Ryunosuke. A third child had appeared beside him without them noticing.

While the two had been talking, Ryunosuke had brazenly entered a house and "casually" taken their child away.

"He seems to be preparing to head back. Let's follow quietly." Mikaela tightened her grip on Rin Tohsaka's hand and looked at the Magic Circuit around her neck. Its needle still pointed at Ryunosuke, which meant there were no sea demons nearby protecting him.

"Eh? What about him?" Rin Tohsaka pointed at Diarmuid, clearly not wanting him to accompany them.

"After we destroy his magical tools, we'll need someone strong to hold him down." Mikaela glanced at Diarmuid's utterly "sincere" face and commented lightly, "He's an adult, and our magecraft isn't particularly advanced. To avoid any unexpected situations, bringing him along should be a good choice."

"Mm! That's right." Diarmuid nodded and flexed his muscles, indicating that when it came to "fighting," he was good at it!

"Then... then let's go." Rin Tohsaka also felt Mikaela made sense. Gritting her teeth, she agreed.

In truth, Rin Tohsaka was also afraid that Diarmuid would go find her father after leaving. She had secretly returned to Fuyuki City. If her father found out, he would probably set aside everything he was doing and come looking for her.

PS: "Ahem, ahem. Starting today, I'll work hard on updates! Everyone, hurry and throw in your monthly passes. Today is the final day. If you don't do it now, you'll have to wait until I go premium and open a reward campaign."

PS: "I still owe twenty-three chapters. Starting today, I'll repay that debt like crazy."

Tonight Won't Be Peaceful

Ryunosuke now had five children beside him. His method was simple. Even when there were no pedestrians or children on the street, he could leisurely pick other people's locks, stroll into their homes as though returning to his own house, then openly "trick" their children into coming with him.

"I see. He should have at least three magical tools on him. One for unlocking doors, another for luring children, and the last is probably for hypnosis." Mikaela frowned slightly. In fact, even if he had not said so, Diarmuid and Rin Tohsaka beside her had likely already guessed it.

"It seems he received some kind of information too. He doesn't plan to kill people outside, but intends to take the children away instead." Diarmuid had "disappeared" briefly. He had entered the house in spirit form and observed Ryunosuke's actions.

He had not harmed the children's parents, merely put them into a deep sleep. If Ryunosuke had intended to silence everyone involved, then he would have died instantly beneath Diarmuid's spear.

The only reason Diarmuid had not killed him yet was that some children had already been abducted, including Rin Tohsaka's friend and the friend of the girl calling herself "Abigail."

"Are you an Executor?" Rin Tohsaka frowned as she looked at Diarmuid and asked, "You give me the same feeling as that annoying guy."

"No, I'm merely an ordinary passerby." Diarmuid revealed a harmless smile. Naturally, he knew what an Executor was. When his Lord had investigated Assassin, he had said Assassin's Master was likely an Executor.

Diarmuid had asked his Lord what an Executor was, and his Lord had not minded. He had roughly explained what Executors did.

Executors were heresy inquisitors of the Holy Church, enforcers responsible for eliminating heretics that did not exist within the doctrine.

The Holy Church's heresy inquisitors possessed the Eighth Sacrament, which did not exist within the doctrine, and were responsible for eliminating heretics that did not exist within it.

They did not exorcise demons; they slaughtered them. They tracked demons and erased their existence—not to save them, but to eliminate them. Rather than priests, they were more like assassins among the clergy. Put simply, they hunted heretics.

The Holy Church taught that all things were created by God, including demons. Therefore, humans had no right to kill demons. But as an exception, under the Lord's name, apostles who exterminated the created demons could be forgiven. They transcended God's teachings and acted as God's agents to destroy heretics, which was why they were called Executors.

Tohno Shiro's former disciple, the current Assassin's Master, was a man named Kotomine Kirei.

He was an Executor. Diarmuid's Lord had casually left all this information on the table for him to read, and Diarmuid had naturally committed every detail to memory.

So when Rin Tohsaka mentioned "Executor," Diarmuid knew that the "annoying guy" she meant was Kotomine Kirei.

"Ordinary person, another ordinary person." Rin Tohsaka muttered. For some reason, she felt the two people before her had many secrets, but whenever she asked, they always used being "ordinary people" as an excuse.

What ordinary person could vanish in a flash, then reappear before her in another flash?

And what ordinary person could, without using any "magecraft," see through the effects of someone else's Magic Crest with just their eyes??? Even she, the next head of the Tohsaka family, had yet to figure anything out.

Before she could discover anything, these two had already seen through every detail about that kidnapper, leaving her no room to show off at all.

"Being ordinary is good. You can live your life peacefully." Mikaela sighed with feeling. She looked at Rin Tohsaka with envy and sighed. "If I could, I'd want to be an ordinary person too, living peacefully with my family, instead of being like this now."