Chapter 46

Startled by Rin's imposing presence, Shinji instinctively took several steps back, only stopping when his right foot stepped on a protruding stone, which helped him regain his composure.

The fact that a powerful mage with a Heroic Spirit could be intimidated by an ordinary magician was a testament to how dazzling Rin Tohsaka's genius was. The accumulated authority of the past was not something Shinji, a nouveau riche, could easily forget in a short time.

"Hey, hey, it was just a joke. Don't take it so seriously."

The girl's contemptuous gaze stirred Shinji's courage. He patted his clothes, which had not even gathered any dust, using this meaningless action to ease his tense nerves, then returned to a relaxed posture.

"The rumors about the Tohsaka heiress being greedy and petty are not baseless, it seems. Well, forcing the weak undermines the image of the strong. You might as well take me to remove that seal first."

As a descendant of a mage family, even without innate magical circuits, he still had some knowledge of the profession. Even if he could summon a Heroic Spirit immediately when Rin acted, there was no guarantee she didn't have special methods to harm him. Besides, Shinji was not willing to let this proud and beautiful girl perish.

However, he couldn't just forget the loss of face from earlier. Although he understood that Rin was obsessed with money because gem magic was extremely costly, Shinji didn't mind using this to mock her.

"Follow me."

Leaving these words, Rin immediately turned and pushed the door open, as if even a glance at Shinji would taint her eyes.

Shinji's hasty entry into the small house exposed his weakness of suddenly gaining power but lacking experience.

A mage's workshop, besides being convenient for studying magic, was often meticulously arranged, making it the most advantageous place for the mage, akin to a boundary. Shinji, who had never been to the house before, of course, did not know that this was a special dormitory prepared for Irisviel by the Mahou Nauts.

Thus, rashly entering a place that could be advantageous to the other party was not just a simple lack of strategy. From Rin's perspective, her 'old acquaintance' was simply a fool.

To carefully plan to deal with such a fool, Rin couldn't help but doubt if she had been too cautious.

"Is it here?"

Following the girl to the basement of the house, seeing no other way to go, Shinji spoke up.

"Yes, it's that crystal ball."

Slightly stepping aside so Shinji could see, Rin pointed to a sphere in the basement.

At this point, Shinji seemed to realize he should be more cautious. He looked from a distance at where the girl pointed, not getting any closer. He didn't realize that if this was really the girl's workshop, he would have no chance to be on guard.

Shinji's cautious demeanor made Rin feel even more like a fool. Dealing with such a fool, why would she need to worry about his Heroic Spirit? Throwing a suitable bait to lure him to her home, and with the arrangement in the workshop, there were more than ten ways to eliminate Shinji before he could summon his Heroic Spirit.

"What about the seal you mentioned? Should I just break this ball?"

Hearing the voice behind her, Rin sighed slightly, discarding the boring regret. Not to mention that the situation had already developed to this point and couldn't be changed on the spot. Just the special boundary of her workshop alone would prevent Shinji, no matter how foolish, from entering so naively.

"This seal was not set by a mage but by a sorcerer. It's normal that you can't see it."

There was no need to explain the subtle difference in terminology; Rin believed Shinji was not so ignorant as to not understand.

Sure enough, upon hearing the term 'sorcerer,' a look of realization appeared on Shinji's face, but it quickly turned to disdain.

"Sorcerer? Those clowns from the Mahou Nauts? They should be given a lesson. After I obtain the Holy Grail, I'll show them what real magic is!"

Making conclusions without thoroughly understanding others' capabilities, such people were typically called clowns. Even with the title of a genius, Rin did not dare to provoke the guests from the sorcerer nation lightly, even after obtaining a Heroic Spirit.

Buzz...

A faint sound came from the pocket of her skirt. Due to the distance, Shinji did not notice anything unusual. It was the vibration of the girl's phone.

Receiving the signal, Rin immediately leaped with the fastest speed, landing behind Shinji.

"Uh, you..."

Turning his head in confusion, before he could finish his sentence, a flash of white light passed, and the boy named Shinji Matou disappeared into thin air. There was no trace of him in the basement.

"Everything went smoothly."

Standing alone in the basement, Rin suddenly raised her head and muttered to herself.

"Of course."

Whether it was a response to her previous statement or not, the cold voice of Irisviel came from above.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

Appearing in a magic circle with his face on the ground, Shinji Matou, as a star member of the archery club, was still a better athlete than the average student.

Rubbing his slightly dizzy head, he quickly got up from the ground. Without considering the preciousness of the three Command Spells, the boy shouted towards the empty platform.

"Berserker!"

Arrogant and self-important, but not to the point of being completely clueless, Shinji was still aware of his current situation.

Standing on the top of a tower-like building, the surrounding environment was peaceful. The sound of waves hitting the shore told Shinji that he was on a quiet island.

There was no mood to appreciate the beautiful scenery; only the towering giant standing behind him could offer some comfort.

He finally realized that the girl named Rin Tohsaka did not truly need his help. The lie about removing the seal was now clearly full of holes.

The failure of the Tohsaka heir to summon a Heroic Spirit, if known, would likely be laughed at by anyone with a basic understanding of the matter. Shinji, who had finally understood the truth, had no time to feel happy.

How to deal with the impending ambush was his top priority. He did not believe that the girl had gone through all this trouble to invite him for a vacation.

Turning to Berserker with a questioning look, although deprived of language and most of his consciousness, through the connection of the Command Spells, Shinji could still communicate with the giant in a simple way.

The giant's response was that there were no signs of life or magical energy. This answer did nothing to ease Shinji's anxiety; the longer humans faced unknown danger, the more fear and tension grew.

Just as Shinji was aimlessly running around to vent his inner suppression, several pairs of eyes were watching his excellent performance.

The small house, which had been empty just moments ago, now gathered almost all the residents in the living room, except for the only male.