Killing intent surged from the previously gentle and shy Rin Tohsaka, and before I could react, a powerful blow akin to the "Rising Dragon" technique struck my chin. I felt as if my jaw might shatter, intense pain coursing through me, and the force of the impact lifted me off my feet.
But that wasn't the end. My abdomen tightened, and the long, beautiful leg that had just stirred countless desires within me was now stomping down on me. With a loud thud, I was sent flying like a kite with a severed string, crashing heavily against the edge of the rooftop. If I hadn't managed to brace myself with my hands, I would have already fallen off the building.
The incredible explosive power emanating from the seemingly frail girl in front of me was hard to believe. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, and my body twitched in pain, signaling that I was indeed injured, and it was serious. The violent martial art of Baji Quan could topple trees, let alone the small frame of Shinji Matou.
Rin Tohsaka, still smiling, leisurely rolled up her left sleeve as she walked toward me. I looked at her in sheer terror, while she spoke in a way that was hard to comprehend: "I warned you long ago, no matter what requests you have of me, I will try my best to fulfill them. But you must not put Sakura in such a dangerous situation as the Holy Grail War, or I will make the Matou family pay a heavy price. Why won't you listen?"
Sakura? The Holy Grail War? What is she talking about?
I stared in astonishment at Rin Tohsaka, who revealed her subtly muscular arm, covered in glowing blue patterns that seemed to defy common sense and appeared particularly menacing to me.
"Ah, haven't you seen this before? This is the magical crest passed down through the Tohsaka family. You must have heard of the Yin Qi Bomb, right, Shinji-kun?" Seeing my astonished expression, Rin pointed her right index finger at me, smiling as she explained.
Magical crest? Yin Qi Bomb? As I gazed at the suspicious energy gathering at Rin's fingertip, a world quietly unfolded before me, a world that transcended reality.
If even something as cliché as time travel could happen, what else was impossible? I just didn't want to believe it. Now, the leap from reality to the illusory world was finally realized, but at the cost of my life.
Every part of my body ached, and the taste in my mouth was a strong metallic flavor, which oddly calmed me down. My mind gradually became highly focused as I fixed my gaze on Rin Tohsaka, watching the dark energy coalesce into the magical "Yin Qi Bomb," poised to strike. The girl looked down at me with a mocking gaze, as if enjoying my fearful performance.
This act of toying with prey filled me with rage. What was I so afraid of from this girl? I had faced death before; at worst, I could just kneel and beg for mercy.
Moreover, I didn't understand a single word of what Rin had said. At the very least, I wanted to die with some clarity.
"Rin, wait a moment! What you just said about the Holy Grail War and involving Sakura—what's going on?"
I don't have many strengths, but reading people's expressions is one of them. Earlier in the archery club, I sensed that Rin was particularly concerned about Sakura. Now that I mentioned her, perhaps Rin would stop her violent actions out of consideration for Sakura.
"Is this your last words?!"
If Rin had any semblance of rationality before, the moment I uttered "Sakura," it completely flipped her switch. In an instant, she raised her hand, aimed, and the magical "Yin Qi Bomb" let out a piercing shriek as it tore through the air, shooting rapidly toward me!
Its speed was akin to a bullet, and there was no doubt that being hit would be fatal. Was I going to die again? I felt my body automatically give up resistance, preparing to enter a state of dormancy.
[You can dodge it.]
At that moment, this thought abruptly emerged in my mind. A renewed strength began to circulate within me along a certain path, quickly spreading throughout my body. My bones operated with mechanical precision, pushing against the ground, kicking off, using the force, all in one fluid motion without any pause, and I rolled to the side.
With a loud bang, a deep pit appeared just two body lengths away from my current position.
I broke out in a cold sweat. If that had hit me, I couldn't even imagine the consequences. Looking back at Rin Tohsaka, I couldn't help but curse, "Damn it, this skill can be fired continuously?!"
...
"Rin-senpai!"
Just as I was completely out of strength and ready to accept my fate, a startled female voice suddenly came from the exit. Hearing this voice, Rin, who was gathering energy for a second "Yin Qi Bomb," trembled, and the magical energy at her fingertips dissipated into the air.
At that moment, a purple-haired girl in a school uniform rushed over and stood in front of me.
It was Sakura Matou. I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
At the same time, I noticed the corner of Rin's eye twitch, her hand froze in mid-air, and her expression grew increasingly grim.
"Sis... Rin-senpai, what are you doing?"
Sakura subtly changed her tone, opening her arms to shield me as I lay on the ground, her voice carrying a hint of accusation.
What is the relationship between these two?
Rin Tohsaka didn't answer the question; she merely stared at Sakura's left hand, murmuring, "Sakura, you..."
Noticing Rin's gaze, Sakura retracted her hand to cover the back of her left hand, lowering her eyelids as she said softly, "Rin-senpai, this is a matter for the Matou family. You should not interfere."
I sensed a hint of vengeful satisfaction in Sakura's words, and then I saw Rin's expression freeze, her hands drooping helplessly as her tone became strained. "Do you really think this has nothing to do with me?"
"If it's concern from a senpai to a junior, Sakura is grateful. If it's something else, then let's forget it."
The almost heartless words continued to spill from Sakura's lips. Seeing Rin's dazed expression, I felt a surge of satisfaction. Serves you right for using Baji Quan on me! With that thought, blood rushed to my throat, and I spat out a mouthful of old blood. In an instant, my consciousness faded, and I quickly lost consciousness.
When I slowly regained consciousness, I opened my eyes to a somewhat familiar ceiling. The pain in my body had lessened significantly. I tried to turn my neck, and suddenly, an unpleasant, wrinkled old face appeared before me.
"Wow!" I quickly grabbed the blanket and backed against the wall.
Anyone would be startled to wake up and see an old man gazing at them with deep, soulful eyes and a grotesquely lewd smile.
But this old man looked quite familiar.
"Shinji, you finally woke up."
The old man rubbed his hands together, looking at me with a flattering expression. Wasn't this the perverted old man I saw in the bug cellar? What should I call him? Grandpa? No way, just not calling him an old geezer would be good enough for this disrespectful old gentleman.
"Ah, I... I'm back home."
"Yes, yes." The old pervert continued to gaze at me with deep affection.
"Do you have something to say?" I couldn't help but shiver. This old pervert couldn't have some special fetish, could he?
"Well," the old pervert paused and said, "Shinji, shouldn't you tell Grandpa about the magic circuits in your body?"
Magic circuits? What is that?
Seeing my confused expression, the old pervert's eyes suddenly lit up with excitement. "Ah, it's true; I've been negligent in your education. I never expected, never expected, that I would see magic circuits opening up after birth for the first time. Is it because of the excellent bloodline of the Matou family? Hehe, a total of forty-five main magic circuits, and thirty-three auxiliary circuits. This is simply better than the Tohsaka family's material!"
Looking at this incoherent old man, I wanted to tell him to calm down and first explain things to me.