Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

He's a boy, so it's normal that he couldn't resist the charm of androids, although he was somewhat disappointed.

Humph……

Seeing how well he treated Sakura, I initially thought he would be a more serious boy... Ah, I was wrong!

"cold?"

Ayako called out, and Rin Tohsaka snapped out of her daze.

"Oh, I'll go too."

Rin decided she was going to play a good trick on Shirou later.

As a result, they originally only planned to congratulate Irisviel and leave, but after being earnestly persuaded to stay, they ended up staying for dinner.

Dinner was prepared by Shirou and the maid, and it was quite lavish.

It was past 7 p.m. when the three of them left.

"Amamiya-kun, it's getting late. Could you please take Sakura home?"

"Oh, no problem."

"See you tomorrow, Sakura."

"Okay! See you tomorrow, Tohsaka-senpai!"

Sakura smiled happily.

After saying goodbye to everyone, Rin Tohsaka embarked on her journey home alone.

I chatted with Sakura for a while during dinner today, and it was really enjoyable.

If we were at school, we wouldn't feel comfortable being together, but at Amamiya-kun's house, there was no such restraint...

Looking back now, it really is an incredible space...

Hmm, I can understand a little better why Sakura always likes to run this way.

Rin Tohsaka wondered if she should also find an opportunity to show her face to Amamiya-kun in the future.

That way, I can talk to Sakura more often, and I definitely don't have any other impure motives!

"call……"

Rin Tohsaka exhaled a long breath of white air.

She stopped at a street corner.

After confirming that there were no other unrelated people nearby, Rin Tohsaka spoke to the void behind her.

"Isn't it about time you showed yourself? How long are you planning to keep following us?"

"------"

After a brief silence, the sound of high heels clicking on the ground rang out in the darkness.

"As expected of Tokiomi Tohsaka's daughter, she's incredibly perceptive."

Rin Tohsaka frowned, turned around, and clearly saw who had appeared.

She was a tall, beautiful woman dressed in Chinese style, and she was probably around 30 years old.

The woman wore a dark blue cheongsam adorned with sequins, perfectly showcasing her curvaceous figure. Her sexy and mature aura made even Rin, a woman herself, blush.

Her proud breasts swayed alluringly with each step, while the red spider lily tattoos that ran from her shoulders to the depths of her breasts also swayed, like fragrant insectivorous flowers.

What alerted Rin Tohsaka even more than the woman's beauty and allure was the strange doll she was holding in her arms.

It's not Western magic or the Ugly Woman, but rather a ceremonial outfit related to "Taoist arts"...?

Rin Tohsaka couldn't help but furrow her brow even more deeply.

The woman observed the girl in front of her, who was clearly wary, and chuckled.

She lifted the doll to her elbows, clasped her hands in a gesture of respect, and said:

"I am Ye Sizhen from the Spiral Pavilion's Pingyi Building. Nice to meet you in the future?"

"Spiral Pavilion".

Rin Tohsaka had heard of this name.

Its sphere of influence mainly covers mainland China and parts of Southeast Asian Chinese-speaking countries. This organization, based on the research of "mind magic," is rooted in a museum comprised of ten buildings.

A super magic organization that can rival the Clock Tower, and in terms of sheer numbers, it even surpasses the Clock Tower.

Although Japan has been deeply influenced by Chinese culture since ancient times, it absorbed a large amount of Western technology and culture in modern times, especially since the Meiji Restoration—this is also reflected in magic.

In Japan today, the magic world is still dominated by Western magic, like the Tohsaka family. If you want to find local magic, you have to go to the deep mountains or temples. There is almost no interaction or contact with "thought magic" and "Spiral Hall".

"Oh, so that's how it is..."

Rin Tohsaka revealed a sly smile: "Thinking you can seize Fuyuki's sacred land just because Father isn't here? The Tohsaka family is being looked down upon."

Without a doubt, the other party was a hostile foreign magician who intended to invade and seize the land of Fuyuki City.

This kind of thing is actually quite common.

Thinking that the magician who managed the land was just an underage girl, and that the church had never sent anyone to help, he decided to try his luck.

Rin Tohsaka has dealt with several similar cases over the years.

However... tonight's enemy is clearly not on the same level as before.

"..."

Faced with Rin's criticism, Ye Sizhen neither confirmed nor denied it, but simply widened the corners of her mouth in a smile.

This attitude of completely disregarding people... will absolutely make you stop laughing!

Rin decided to strike first.

In a split second of lowering her body, the girl rushed out.

With her magically enhanced, slender legs taking lightning-fast strides, Rin Tohsaka's figure transformed into an arrow released from a bow, like the crimson taillights of a car in the night.

She covered the twenty-meter distance between herself and her opponent in just a few steps, then leaped into the air, instantly switching from a horizontal sprint to a vertical maneuver.

“Anfang (setting) —!”

As the girl tumbled through the air, she unleashed a series of black spell bullets.

"Gandr, that's quite a sight."

The thought magician, Ye Sizhen, remained unmoved, standing quietly in place while extending her other hand, which was not holding the doll.

A closed seashell appeared between his slender fingers.

"Opening and closing (starting from this)."

This is a spell used to connect the self and the thought plate.

It is similar to one of the two types of spells in Western magic, which involves self-modification.

At Ye Sizhen's command, the seashell opened, and the cursed body hidden inside the seashell drew lines on her delicate, unadorned face.

Her full lips were painted vermilion, and her almond-shaped eyes were surrounded by bluish-purple hues.

Almost simultaneously, the pitch-black curse bullet that had been approaching her forehead suddenly vanished into nothingness.

"What……!?"

Rin was taken aback.

Gandr's magic wasn't particularly powerful, so it wouldn't be surprising if it was blocked, but—

Her magic trick wasn't just blocked, it was instantly nullified.

Ye Sizhen said calmly, "This is something similar to the Peacock Guardian Curse (Mora?paritta). A curse of this level is absolutely not enough to pass."

A mind magic that draws "power" from within oneself through makeup.

It is a very rare type of technique in the Spiral Pavilion? Possession Building, but it is very suitable for Ye Sizhen's characteristics.

Since ancient times, makeup has been used to ward off evil. Wearing makeup around the eyes, in particular, was considered a powerful way to keep curses and diseases away, and depending on the region, it was even a privilege enjoyed by high-ranking officials like priests.

The magic was so weak that even Ye Sizhen couldn't bear to look at it.

Even a meticulously prepared ritualistic grand magic trick (ten sections) could not harm her in the slightest.

"That was just a greeting, I understand."

Unlike Rin Tohsaka, who fell to the ground in a disheveled state, Ye Sizhen's cheongsam hem didn't even flutter.

She rested her delicate chin on her hand and began to speak.

"However, are the people of this country so barbaric and rude as to launch a sudden attack on someone they've just met?"

Or... is it just you who feels this way, Ms. Tohsaka?

Rin Tohsaka's forehead twitched, and she retorted loudly, "You dare to trespass on someone else's territory and stalk them, and then have the audacity to say it's impolite?"

Ye Sizhen said, "This is a misunderstanding, Miss Tohsaka."

I have no intention of starting a war with you. If possible, please listen to what I have to say before making a new decision.

Rin Tohsaka crossed her arms and snorted, "Let me hear what your purpose is."

Ye Sizhen said lazily while fiddling with the ends of her hair.

"I want information about Shirou Amamiya, the victor of the Fourth Holy Grail War."

"........."

Seeing that Rin Tohsaka remained expressionless and unresponsive, the magician in the cheongsam continued.

"If I'm not mistaken, he's the culprit who brought shame to the Tohsaka family during that ceremony."

Your father, Tokiomi Tohsaka, is now a laughingstock in London.

A loser who was defeated by an outsider magician, gave up magic, became a businessman, and left his underage daughter with a mess...

This is how the world perceives him.

Rin Tohsaka lowered her head and clenched her small fists.

Ye Sizhen smiled seductively and invited, "How about it? How about we cooperate and defeat Amemiya Shirou together?"

"——————"

When Rin Tohsaka raised her head again, Ye Sizhen saw the fearless smile on the girl's face.

"Ah, I have listened to you in accordance with etiquette."

"And your reply?"

Rin Tohsaka recalled the smiles of Shirou and Sakura that she had seen at the dinner party that evening.

"Then, my answer was—I will absolutely not let you see Amamiya-kun."

-----------

Volume 4, Chapter 177: Why did I bring another strange woman home?!

"Negotiations broke down...?"

The thought magician, Ye Sizhen, blinked blankly.

She was actually quite surprised.

According to prior intelligence, Tohsaka, as one of the three founding families of the Holy Grail War, should hate Amamiya Shirou to the core for disrupting the ritual and bringing shame upon the previous head of the family.

Although they maintain a facade of peace, they will turn on you whenever they have the chance; that's the nature of magicians.

Ye Sizhen fiddled with her earrings and asked, "May I ask why?"

Even if you're not considering cooperating with me, there's no need to treat me as an enemy, is there?

There's no particular reason.

Rin Tohsaka gave a dismissive look: "Sorry, although the Tohsaka family has declined, it hasn't fallen to the point where it would say 'Ah, okay, here you go' when an outside magician comes to ask for someone."

Although that guy is outrageous, he is still a decent citizen of Fuyuki.