As magus families established were during the same period, the Matou family's Western-style house had seen little change, and the same could be said for the Tohsaka family.
Compared to the Matou family's overall dark and oppressive atmosphere, the red walls and white tiles of the Tohsaka family were much more pleasing to the eye, and the entire family exuded vitality.
The Tohsaka family had been established for 200 years, far from the 500-year mark where magus families usually start to decline, and was currently in a golden age of ascension.
The family head, Tohsaka Tokiomi, although not exceptionally gifted, had become a first-rate magus through his efforts and was quite renowned even at the Clock Tower, the headquarters of the Mage's Association.
His daughter, Tohsaka Rin, was even more extraordinary. At only twelve years old, she was already a leading figure among Japan's youth, her reputation in the mystical world rivaling that of Ryougi Shiki from the Ryougi family and Akiha Tohno from the Tohno family. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a prodigy.
Recently, however, this prodigy had encountered a rival, one who matched her in every aspect.
Rin's magecraft, inherited from the famous "Old Man of the Jewel," was renowned in the magical world. But this rival also excelled in gemstone magecraft, and her inheritance and skill were no less impressive than Rin's.
Moreover, Rin's other trump card, Bajiquan, which she had diligently practiced since childhood and in which she had considerable proficiency, did not give her any advantage in their confrontations. Her opponent, too, had practiced martial arts from a young age, and her mastery of English wrestling had given Rin quite a few setbacks.
From that moment on, Rin regarded this person as a formidable rival, an obstacle she had to overcome.
This rival was also a girl, about Rin's age. She wore a striking blue dress that evoked the sky, her blonde hair styled in ringlets with a matching blue ribbon, and her eyes were like amber gems.
Most striking of all was her beauty, which, though different in style from Rin's, was no less enchanting.
The girl's name was Luviagelita Edelfelt, known by many titles such as "Finland's Star of Tomorrow," "The Arena's Hyena," and "The Gentle Crane." She was the daughter and heir of the prestigious Edelfelt family, a renowned magus house in Finland.
The Edelfelt family, based in the lake country of Finland, had risen to prominence through the plundering of mystical secrets and magical artifacts. Their family motto was "Nobles should be like mercenaries." Wherever there was something valuable, they would be there among the contenders, earning them mixed reputations in the magical world.
Some called this family the nouveau riche of the Renaissance, shamelessly meddling in the world's conflicts to snatch magical treasures, leading to the nickname "The World's Most Elegant Hyenas."
From the Edelfelt family's perspective, however, the problem lay with those who couldn't guard their secrets to the end. They believed that they were the ones who could properly manage and utilize these secrets, hence their title "The Scales that Weigh Ores." (TL: The reason why Luvia is the perfect vessel for Astraea)
The previous head of the Edelfelt family, a pair of twin sisters, had participated in the Third Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City. During the war, the sisters turned against each other, resulting in the younger sister's death and the elder sister's survival. Rumors suggested that the younger sister's death was due to their conflict. Because of this, Luvia had despised the Tohsaka family from a young age and harbored considerable animosity towards the Japanese, believing that their pursuit of advanced technology left them far behind in understanding the mystical.
Having mastered her skills, Luvia came seeking trouble.
It was expected that when Finland's star of tomorrow met Japan's prodigy, the sparks would be intense, practically igniting a "heavenly thunder and earthly fire."
For the next few days, these two girls, destined to amaze the magical world, fought fiercely every day. Due to the frequency and intensity of the battles, Tohsaka Tokiomi had to move their battlefield from the Tohsaka family workshop to the backyard—continuing in the workshop would have severely damaged the building's structure.
One day, the two girls started arguing over some trivial matter, which eventually escalated into a physical fight.
On the pitted ground, gemstones flew through the air, their brilliance dazzling, and various magical attributes erupted like a fireworks display.
Amidst the fireworks, two figures, one red and one blue, dashed about, their fists and feet clashing, neither giving an inch.
The red figure moved with agile steps, her every motion exuding a dominance that belied her slender frame.
She executed techniques one after another: Small Frame, Big and Small Pigua Palm, Eight Vajra Stances, and Six Great Openings, like a storm.
Such an onslaught could break through even concrete walls, let alone a person.
However, the blue figure withstood it. Not only did she withstand it, but she also counterattacked in the gaps between the moves.
Training the England-original Lancashire-style of martial combat (which is quite similar to pro-wrestling), and received the nicknames of "Hunting Dog of the Ring" and the "Forklift Lady" for it, had forged Luvia's strong physique. Her elemental attribute, the most solid of the five great elements, was earth, which allowed her to stand firm against Rin's violent attacks. A well-timed grapple and throw inflicted as much damage on Rin as Rin's continuous strikes did on Luvia.
Rin's mother, Tohsaka Aoi, watched from a distance, her hands unconsciously clenched.
Rin's father, Tohsaka Tokiomi, patted his wife's shoulder, indicating she needn't worry. He not only did not oppose the fights between his daughter and Luvia but welcomed them. Both magecraft and martial arts require ample tempering, and Luvia was the perfect whetstone for Rin.
Beside Tokiomi and Aoi was another girl, slightly younger than Rin and Luvia, with long black hair cascading over her shoulders. Her green eyes darted between Rin and Luvia, her delicate and quiet face full of concern.
She was Tokiomi and Aoi's younger daughter, named Sakura. However, she did not bear the Tohsaka surname, nor her mother's maiden name, Zenjou. She bore the Edelfelt surname. According to the rules of the magical world, the Tohsaka family's magic crest could only be passed to one person, the eldest daughter Rin. To not waste the younger daughter's talent, Tokiomi had Sakura adopted by the Edelfelt family.
The Edelfelt family's magical trait was "sisters." Generally, magus avoids having multiple inheritors in their family line, but the Edelfelts went against this, always having two inheritors, which is why they are called "the scales."
Originally, the Edelfelt family had two inheritors, but Luvia's sister was too frail to endure magical and physical training. To balance the scales, the Edelfelts brought in Sakura, whose talent was no less than Luvia's.
It's worth mentioning that although Luvia disliked the Tohsaka family and was not fond of the Japanese, she was very fond of her adopted sister Sakura, caring for her as much as her biological sister. Sakura also adored this older sister.
In other words, both the red and blue figures fighting were Sakura's sisters, both of whom she cared for deeply. This left Sakura feeling very confused and troubled.
"Why can't my sisters get along?" she wondered aloud.
"Perhaps it's because similar personalities tend to clash.," someone answered.
P.S.: Luvia's body is indeed tough. Rin's strikes even hit her medulla oblongata, but Luvia remained unaffected.