"Ha~."
With a yawn, Shirou stretched wide.
"I'm so tired. It looks like I'm going to go back and get some sleep."
Fortunately, I don't have to go to school tomorrow, otherwise, Shirou would really crack.
While thinking about tomorrow's countermeasures, Shirou left the abandoned factory and walked home.
Suddenly, Shirou, whose hearing had improved a lot because his body was comparable to that of a Heroic Spirit, heard faint footsteps around the corner in front of him.
"Anyone?"
Shirou was immediately aware of this.
However, it was the middle of the night, so how could anyone be hanging out at this time?
Feeling a little curious, Shirou walked around the corner and quietly observed.
In the light of the street lamp, a red figure with twin tails flashed around the corner at the end of another road.
The little girl who moved slowly through the night-shrouded streets was undoubtedly Tohsaka Rin.
The other party looked to be in a hurry, as if she were chasing something.
"If you dare to come out in the middle of the night, aren't you afraid of being abducted?"
Shirou sighed helplessly, and then followed.
With the memory of the last world line, Shirou really didn't want the other party to have an accident this time.
So, he followed without hesitation.
...
Tohsaka Rin had already come to her senses.
Since she is the heir of a magus family, she is destined to follow a different path from ordinary girls.
The best example around her is her father, who is the adult Rin admires most.
In Rin's opinion, her father, Tokiomi, is already a near-perfect character.
Although there are many girls her age who have a longing for their fathers, Rin believes that no daughter can love her father as much as she does.
If you want to be a singer when you grow up, or you want to be a beautiful bride, your peers may have such wishes, but Rin's wish is different.
Her greatest wish is to become a great figure like her father.
That is to say, to choose the path that her father has taken, to choose to accept the fate that her father has accepted.
Or—to pass on the bloodline of the magecraft of the Tohsaka family.
But this is just a wish, not something that can be fulfilled just because you want to achieve it.
First of all, it is necessary to get the consent of the family head, which is her father.
Her father hadn't told Rin that he was going to entrust the family to her, and she was a little uneasy about that.
Perhaps my father has not yet admitted that I have the qualifications to become a magus.
But even so, her wishes have not changed, so she is proud of the resolve she has made.
Of course, Rin knows a lot more about the events happening in Fuyuki City today than her classmates.
Although she doesn't understand as deeply as her parents, she already knows more than most people on the street.
Seven magi, including her father, are at war, and Rin already knows about it.
In the streets at night lurks a deadly and strange threat.
Because she knew a certain truth, Rin added a sense of responsibility to her heart.
Yesterday and today, her friend Kotone didn't come to school.
The head teacher said that she was at home on sick leave, but the rumors in the class suggested otherwise.
Even if Rin called her home, the other party's parents wouldn't want to pay attention to Rin.
Nowadays, there are child abduction incidents in Fuyuki City, which cannot be solved by simple search activities.
Even if the police are called, it is difficult for the child to come back.
The teachers at school, Kotone's relatives, and friends must not have realized this; only Rin knew.
Kotone has always believed in Rin. Whether she is teased by the boys in the class or the librarian sends her on an errand, Rin will come to her aid.
It's a point of pride for Rin to be so trusted by Kotone.
This means that she is moving towards the father she admires the most.
"Always be elegant"—Helping her every time is a good opportunity for Rin to practice her family motto.
"Kotone... Wait for me, I'm here to save you!"
Rin whispered to herself.
Originally, she could have turned to her father, who was a magus, but her father was one of the participants in the "war" and had not called since he went to the Miyama Town Mansion last month, and her mother had strictly ordered her not to disturb him.
It was like the tone of saying "never go out at night."
Rin had always followed her parents' words, but she couldn't sit idly by and let her friend be in danger.
And—the night when you can't sleep happens only once.
In fact, at that time, Rin only half-understood, and her thoughts were not yet mature.
I don't know whether it is a sense of obligation or a so-called rebuke of conscience, but before she knows it, she is taken into a field that must not be set foot in.
And she herself didn't realize it at the time.
Compared to the Tohsaka Mansion, where the bounded field is strong, it is too easy to slip out of the room in the Zenjou house.
Climb out of the bedroom window, slide down the patio pillars into the courtyard, and peek out of the fence through the small door.
It took less than five minutes to get out, but when coming back, I can't use the same route.
Sliding down the terrace pillars is easy, but climbing up is a hassle.
Rin said to herself when she thought that she couldn't hide it when she went out without permission tonight, and that her parents would definitely criticize her harshly afterward.
'I snuck out not for something unseemly, but because I am a member of the Tohsaka family, I had to.'
When I go back, I must bring Kotone with me. At that time, no matter how much my parents scold me, I must still be proud of myself.
Thinking so, Rin's small right hand gripped the pocket watch hanging on her chest.
It was a magic pointer she received from her father on her birthday.
In terms of shape and construction, this is just an ordinary compass, but it does not point north; it points in a direction that emits strong magical power.
Rin had experimented and found that neither wind nor water could change the movement caused by subtle magical energy.
If there is anything out of the ordinary, this thing is undoubtedly the most useful.
All that's left are the two crystal jewels that Rin refined in the practice of Jewel Magecraft.
She picked two of the best finished products she had made.
If the mana filled within them is released at once, a small explosion will occur.
It can be used as a weapon of self-defense if things get dangerous.
With such equipment and her own strength, Rin is confident that she will be able to find Kotone and bring her back.
Gathering courage and self-esteem, Rin tells herself that she is not one of those ordinary children who are timid.
The air in Fuyuki seems to condense at night, and the cold breath of this winter day is just right to cool her burning skin.
Rin innocently thought that it would be nice if she could find Kotone before the last train.
But in that case, there are only two hours left, and there is not enough time at all.
The streets covered in night were deserted and empty.
Rin opened the mana pointer cover and was then confused by the pointer's reaction.
"What's going on!?"