"Perhaps it's because similar personalities tend to clash."
A gentle voice sounded in Sakura's ear.
Following the voice, she discovered that at some point, another person had appeared beside her.
Sakura was sure she had never seen this man before, but his deep blue eyes gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Before Sakura could speak, Tohsaka Tokiomi had already stepped forward, pulling Sakura and Aoi behind him protectively.
"Who are you?"
The man who had suddenly appeared was, of course, Shinji. He silently gave Tokiomi an evaluation in his heart before speaking:
"Just passing by. I sensed a magical fluctuation and came to check it out."
Tokiomi's eyes instantly became sharp.
Although they had moved the battlefield from the workshop to the backyard, it didn't mean there were no defenses in the backyard. Not to mention, the bounded field reinforced countless times by the Tohsaka family's five generations of heads couldn't possibly allow even the slightest bit of magical fluctuation to escape. Moreover, this backyard was specially designed as a training ground for magecraft battles, with other arrangements in place.
In other words, this uninvited guest in front of them was lying, and it was a completely insincere lie.
Tokiomi's gaze did not change Shinji's calm demeanor.
"Don't look at me like that. I mean no harm. Even if I did, there's nothing you could do."
Tokiomi's face showed clear anger.
"What, you don't believe me?"
Shinji raised his right eyebrow. The next second, he appeared directly in front of Tokiomi, slapping him to the ground with one palm.
Tokiomi struggled to stand up but found himself unable to move. The commands from his brain were blocked by an invisible force as they passed through his spinal cord, unable to reach the rest of his body. The only part he could control was his head.
At this moment, Tokiomi had lost his intimidating aura, replaced by fear and confusion.
Fast, it was too fast.
He only saw the young man disappear from his original spot, and before he could react, he was already on the ground. He had no idea what had happened in between.
Even more exaggerated, this young man had no magical fluctuations around him, meaning he hadn't used any magecraft. He had completely overwhelmed Tokiomi with just his physical skills, giving Tokiomi unprecedented pressure.
Shinji leisurely squatted down, smiling at the now sweating Tokiomi: "Do you believe me now?"
"..." Tokiomi remained silent.
He didn't speak, and Shinji didn't mind. He looked up at Aoi and Sakura, the mother and daughter.
The mother, who couldn't even truss a chicken, held her daughter in her arms. Though her face was pale, she resolutely met Shinji's gaze.
Little did she know, this gaze, unique to a virtuous wife and loving mother, was one of the main reasons Shinji had dealt with Tokiomi so harshly. He could have demonstrated his power in other ways, but he chose the most objectionable method of overpowering Tokiomi directly because of Aoi Tohsaka.
Despite the worldline changing, the Tohsaka family giving up their pursuit of the Holy Grail, and the Matou family no longer being so sinister, some things hadn't changed. Matou Kariya still had a childhood crush on the eldest daughter of the Zenjou family, Aoi. Tokiomi still saw Aoi's excellence as a mother for magi, and Aoi ultimately chose Tokiomi over Kariya, giving birth to two adorable daughters—Rin, who was currently in a fierce battle with Luvia and completely unaware of what was happening, and Sakura, who was staring wide-eyed at Shinji from her mother's arms.
Matou Kariya's fate also hadn't changed. He left the Matou family and became a journalist, silently protecting the woman he loved from the shadows.
Shinji knew that Tokiomi was exceptional, and Kariya's fate as a loser was largely his own doing, with no one else to blame. He also knew that without this outcome, Rin and Sakura wouldn't exist. However, he still felt displeased with this result, so he decided to teach Tokiomi a lesson.
Of course, his anger was directed solely at Tokiomi. He held Aoi, an excellent wife and mother, in high regard, and Sakura had a unique and irreplaceable place in his heart.
"Madam, don't worry. Your husband is not hurt; he just can't move temporarily. He'll be fine in a few minutes."
"Really?" Tohsaka Aoi asked, half-believing.
"Of course, I have no reason to lie. Perhaps in your eyes, the Tohsaka family is formidable, but to me, it's nothing special. The jewel magecraft passed down from the old jewel man is indeed one of the world's finest legacies, but it's a pity that no one in the Tohsaka family over five generations has truly grasped its essence. Apart from your ancestor Tohsaka Nagato, who made a name for himself, no one else in your family has even touched the threshold. You're sitting on a treasure mountain without knowing it; how do you expect us to take you seriously?"
Shinji sighed—a bit of showing off, but his words were entirely true. This was a lament Zelretch had expressed when teaching Rin, given her outstanding talent and the Tohsaka family's five generations of unworthy ancestors.
Cold sweat dripped even more from Tokiomi's forehead. Aoi and Sakura didn't understand the significance of these words, but he did. The mere title of "old man of the jewel" was enough to indicate the young man's extraordinary background. Ask anyone in the entire mystical world—how many dare to call the Second Magic user "old jewel man"?
"May I ask who you are, young man—?"
Seeing Tokiomi's expression, Shinji knew he had misunderstood, thinking of him as some old monster similar to Zelretch. Tokiomi was ultimately not Matou Zouken and couldn't see through the Assassin class skill "Presence Concealment." Of course, this also had to do with Shinji's "Presence Concealment" being only at level D. If it were a real Hassan, even the old worm's sharp eyes wouldn't help.
Shinji didn't bother to correct this misunderstanding.
"I'm nobody, just a passerby. It's rare to see three exceptional talents gathered here, so I came to take a look. You don't need to worry about me. Once I've seen enough, I'll leave."
"Y-yes," Tokiomi stammered, nodding obediently. He had noble manners, but it depended on who he was facing.
"Alright, stop lying on the ground. Your paralysis should be wearing off. Stand up. If you had the martial skills of Tohsaka Nagato or your mentor Kotomine Risei, you wouldn't have been unable to block even one move." Shinji decided to maintain his high-and-mighty act.
"The descendants are unworthy, a disgrace to the ancestors," Tokiomi lowered his head, looking like a child who had done something wrong.
"Your attitude is not bad. Since you know you're unworthy, you should continue to work hard. Your determination is commendable. As for magecraft, I'm not familiar with jewel magecraft, so I can't say. But in martial arts, if you persevere, you might reach the 'seeking the way' realm in your lifetime."
"Thank you for your guidance..." Tokiomi bowed deeply.
Shinji shook his head. "Your etiquette is incorrect. You should use the martial arts salute."
Tokiomi immediately corrected himself, clasping his hands in a fist-in-palm salute.
"That's better. "
"Yes."
Shinji nodded in satisfaction and then ignored Tokiomi, waving at Sakura, who was still in her mother's arms.