Chapter 309: Iron Fist of the Tohsaka Style
The boy activated his Mystic Eyes. Using his powerful dynamic vision, he barely managed to track the girl's rapid, explosive fist. He twisted and rolled to the side, dodging the attack. To be honest, Shirou wasn't surprised to see Tohsaka like this; after all, if you truly provoked her, this was the inevitable outcome.
Tohsaka originally had a "little devil" personality, but when she completely lost her cool, she became terrifying. This was especially true when she encountered her distant relative, the young lady Luvia; they would trade blows regardless of the time or place.
Consequently, there was an unwritten rule in the Clock Tower: never let the "Red Devil" and the "Lady Crane" appear in the same venue. If you saw them meet, you'd better clear out fast.
Truly, it was the most rational choice. However, in this situation, Shirou couldn't hide. He could only stay there and help clean up the mess.
He understood better than anyone just how troublesome the woman named Tohsaka Rin could be. Though he wished she'd be more composed, he didn't actually dislike her.
During their student days, Tohsaka was the publicly recognized perfect idol of the school. As an adolescent boy, it wasn't as if he'd never had thoughts about her. Although they attended the same middle school, he was just a child then, focused more on his own training and didn't pay much attention to her. Once they hit high school, however, the girl blossomed. Like a flower on a high peak, she possessed a charm that made her the object of every boy's admiration.
What he hadn't expected was that it was all an act. Behind that perfect exterior was a little devil with a rather wicked personality.
Having lost her parents at a young age and shouldering the burden of a magus lineage alone, Tohsaka had high self-esteem and was fiercely competitive. She always put on a cold front when facing trouble, but she would never stand by if she saw people in danger.
Once he learned of her troublesome true nature, he actually liked her even more. Besides her tsundere side, she was usually brilliant and perfect, which made the way she always "dropped the ball" at critical moments quite cute.
Yet, no matter the situation, she never backed down. Like a pillar of strength, she would find the crux of a problem and give it her all. That "manly" spirit of hers was something he sincerely admired.
In fact, Shirou had once thought that if Tohsaka had been born a man, she would have charmed thousands of women. If she participated in a Holy Grail War, no matter what Heroic Spirit she summoned, they would likely end up liking her.
If Artoria was his most reliable Servant, then Tohsaka was undoubtedly his most reliable ally.
After getting to know each other, he learned about her childhood and their similar experiences—both had lost their parents in the Fourth Holy Grail War. He had become an orphan overnight, while Tohsaka lost her father and her mother suffered a mental breakdown, passing away a few years later.
Perhaps they shared a sense of mutual identification that was hard to describe in words. While studying abroad in England, they lived under the same roof for several years.
Even though he was the one taking care of her in their daily life, Shirou understood in his heart that he had gained much from her as well. Without Tohsaka, he wouldn't have had a stable life during those years in London to immerse himself in learning magecraft and related knowledge.
To him, Tohsaka was—even if not a lover—a trusted comrade-in-arms to whom he could entrust his back. She was a partner he wanted to stay friends with for a lifetime. He would always welcome her to stay at his home for a while; they were like family.
Except right now, this "family-like" Tohsaka had no intention of showing him any mercy.
"Wait! Didn't you kick me into the Thames back then? Why do we have to do this every time we meet?!" Shirou argued, finally recalling the sequence of events.
Back then, he had entered the Clock Tower as Tohsaka's attendant and disciple to study alongside her. After he made her angry, her reaction every time they met was quite extreme. The "little devil" had grown up into a super-dangerous "devil woman."
It seems girls really do change once they grow into women.
Ah... speaking of which, only Sakura was always gentle and considerate, waiting for him at home. Though sometimes, she would smile without warning and suddenly appear behind him—even if he was thousands of kilometers away in a foreign land.
"Yes, since that day, I've lived a life of humiliation, mocked by the entire Clock Tower. But thanks to that, my research went smoothly, and even my martial arts progressed at lightning speed. By hitting a punching bag with your face taped to it, my boxing level shot up. It's truly miraculous," the girl said, shrugging.
"I... I see. That's great then," Shirou answered awkwardly.
"Yes, it's wonderful. So I decided back then: every time I see you, I'm going to punch you!" Tohsaka Rin clenched her fists. The killing intent she had been suppressing exploded in full. A black aura seemed to surge up behind her as if to swallow the sky.
"Don't dodge, Shirou. One hit is enough. I'm just going to lightly tap your head," the girl smiled, throwing a punch straight at Shirou's face.
"I told you! STOP DODGING!!!" The twin-tailed girl screamed, rushing in front of Shirou. She dropped into a low crouch and aimed a strike at his abdomen.
Shirou felt his stomach muscles tighten. Even before the hit landed, it felt as if something was crushing him; a piercing pain reached his very marrow. Shuddering, he flipped and jumped backward.
The punch she threw soared into the sky, the wind pressure literally blowing the leaves off the trees above. The lush green tree was suddenly left with a bald gap.
Shirou shouted frantically, "With a punch like that, my head would be blown apart instantly!"
"Oh, stop it. A human head isn't a watermelon! It's not like it would shatter and fly all over the room just because of one slightly overpowered punch," the girl said, waving her hand with a fake "young lady" smile.
"Tohsaka! You studied Magic with the Wizard Marshall... you've gone mad just like the rest of them, haven't you?!" Shirou looked at her in shock.
"You said it... you finally said it! Prepare yourself!" The twin-tailed girl's face darkened as she glared fiercely at the boy.
"The Wizard Marshall," Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. Some might not recognize the name, but if his most famous title were spoken, even residents of other worlds would find it ringing in their ears.
The Second Magician. The observer of parallel worlds who walks freely among them. He created the limited-function Mystic Codes of the Second Magic, such as the Jeweled Sword, which can fire the strongest mana cannons from other worlds with every swing. There were also the red and blue magic staves that directly created magical girls on the level of Heroic Spirits.
His greatest feat was soloing the falling of a celestial body, destroying the physical body of the Crimson Moon, Brunestud—the most terrifying King of the Moon in another universal system. However, he himself became a Dead Apostle because of it, his strength fading to less than ten percent of his prime.
Perhaps because of his ability, he could see the future in which he was destined to die. Or perhaps Zelretch was simply an eccentric. Unlike other Magicians, he was active in taking disciples. Even in Shirou's previous world, he had dozens.
These were divided into "ordinary" students who were simply taught a few things because of a chance meeting. It is said the head of the Tohsaka family was given the blueprints for the Jeweled Sword with the mindset of: "I don't expect much, but things won't get any worse, so give it a try." This was the basic assignment for learning the Second Magic.
Then there were the "magus" disciples, and finally, the most high-profile and envied ones: the "Magician's disciples" who held the right to compete for the inheritance of the Second Magic.
However, it was said to be the most dangerous curriculum. While the chosen geniuses sought incomparable glory and opportunity, an equal number of geniuses were destroyed. Many
"heaven-sent" elites broke or went mad shortly after beginning their study of the Second Magic.
Only things that neither magecraft nor science can reach—unique and singular—can be considered "Magic." Magic is a precious miracle independent of the world, yet also something akin to a cursed destiny. To learn Magic, one must reach the Root, which carries the danger of being swallowed and assimilated. Even if one becomes a Magician, they are bound by the Root to some extent and must perform certain important tasks.
Therefore, those without talent cannot touch it from the start, nor do they need to. But truthfully, Magic is like a maddening poison. Thus, as far as Shirou knew, the geniuses who tried to learn the Second Magic had gone insane.
Given Tohsaka Rin's talent in the five elements, her future achievements could be predicted to rank in the top hundred of the Association's history, comparable to the famous figures of every era. Consequently, some professors at the Clock Tower lamented her choice to study the Second Magic. Then again, without that level of talent, there would be no point in researching it.
Shirou didn't know the eventual outcome; after all, he had chosen to part ways with Tohsaka to travel alone to war-torn regions and disaster sites as a volunteer. Looking at her now, this woman was indeed crazy.
"Shirou! Die! I'll forgive you after you die ten more times!" Tohsaka Rin grinned, her clenched fist glowing with an intense light.
Shirou actually sensed energy from it on par with a celestial body—the same kind he had felt when he analyzed the Jeweled Sword in the past.
"Talk is useless!" The girl leapt high, throwing a punch imbued with the power of the Second Magic down at Shirou.
Shirou didn't dare be careless. His eyes flashed with white light; he had to use his full strength in defense to withstand such a powerful attack.
The ground caved in, a crater over two meters wide and several meters deep being blasted out. The earth vanished beneath them, and they both fell in.
"Not done yet!" Tohsaka Rin gritted her teeth. She wouldn't let the chance slip even in mid-air. She spread her limbs and pounced on the boy, pinning him beneath her as they slammed into the bottom of the pit.
"You... you're still the same as ever..." Shirou felt a searing pain in his back; it felt like his bones were about to snap.
At that moment, due to the violent impact, stones began to fall from the edge of the collapsing pit. Shirou saw a falling rock heading straight for the back of the girl's head.
Shirou suddenly grabbed the girl's shoulders with force and pressed down, flipping their positions. He pinned the girl beneath him.
Tohsaka Rin, her eyes red with burning rage, was so focused on attacking that she was completely unaware of the danger. From her position pinned to the ground, she swung her fist directly at the boy's head.
This time, the punch was unavoidable.
Shirou watched the flashing, powerful fist enlarge in his vision and closed his eyes, resigned to his fate.
However, the expected pain didn't come.
Opening his eyes, he saw the girl's fist had lost its light and stopped just above his head. The falling stone had been flicked away.
The girl gritted her teeth, grabbed Shirou's collar, and flipped their positions yet again.
"What are you doing?! Hit me back! Why?! Every time, you're like this! Aside from running away, can't you show some improvement? If you act like this, I can't follow through with my attack!" The girl sat astride Shirou, her fist clenched tight and pulled back, speaking angrily.
Shirou looked at her face and spoke with guilt. They had been apart for over ten years, and he was no longer the person she knew.
"Sorry. I'm truly sorry," Shirou said in a low voice, looking at her.
"What are you apologizing for? Did you do something wrong to me?!" Tohsaka Rin shouted.
Shirou just gazed at the girl without speaking, thinking: Because you always have that expression, how could I possibly hit you...
"You're the one who's fine! Talking about pursuing your ideal of becoming a Hero of Justice, not wanting to drag us into it, and suddenly leaving! Then one day, all news just stops. What do you think it felt like for me, left alone in London?!" Tears welled up in Tohsaka's eyes as she shouted emotionally.
The Shirou she knew was a boy with a baby face but a temperament far more mature and steady than he looked—a man in a plain, simple shirt who wore the friendly smile of a boy next door.
However, that smile of his always felt as if it could shatter or vanish at any moment. Though he was a "good guy" you couldn't find fault with aside from being too kind-hearted, he kept everyone at a distance.
So, the girl had actually sensed the boy's future. But because of a momentary fit of pique, she let him leave. Later, she only knew of his movements through Sakura and Taiga-sensei, who received regular contact.
Until there was a three-month period with no news from Shirou.
She began investigating news from where he was active. Sure enough, a major accident had occurred—a nuclear power plant had malfunctioned, nearly leading to a horrific disaster. A core meltdown could have killed hundreds instantly, infected thousands with disease, and turned the region into a human-restricted zone for decades. Yet, miraculously, only one person died.
Though that person's body had been incinerated to ash by electricity, reports from the last workers to escape and signs left behind suggested that person had risked their life to shut down the machinery, saving everyone else.
Such a story was too much like a fairy tale. Except for a few workers who saw the red-haired boy running into the danger instead of away from it, everyone else treated it as a tall tale and quickly forgot it.
But when Tohsaka Rin heard the story, she understood.
At the time, she thought: Ah... it finally happened, didn't it. Though there was no confirmation, she felt it. A voice deep in her heart told her that person was Shirou.
Thus, she felt deep regret for the rest of her life. If she had stayed by his side, she never would have let that happen—or rather, she would have beaten him half to death before letting him take such a risk.
"Because... Tohsaka was always strong, so I believed you would live a wonderful life," the collared Shirou said with a bitter smile. In his heart, Tohsaka was the strongest, most reliable woman, someone who made him feel more at ease than anyone else he knew.
The girl roared frantically: "Of course I would! There are plenty of excellent male magi in the Clock Tower who want to pursue me! Who would wait forever for a guy like you who starts things but doesn't finish them! If you're unhappy about it, you should have left me an heir! How could I let the Tohsaka lineage die out?! But it's no use! Why did I have to touch the Second Magic and see parallel worlds?! You suddenly disappeared from every single parallel world!"
"Sorry..." Shirou said to the girl once more.
"I told you, I'm just taking my anger out on you! I get fired up just looking at you, so I have to vent!" Tohsaka Rin said crossly.
"So, has your anger subsided now?" Shirou asked.
"Mhm... I've mostly calmed down," Tohsaka Rin answered.
"Then, Tohsaka... shouldn't you get up? That outfit of yours, the contact is a bit too much." To Shirou, the girl was currently wearing what was basically a swimsuit—essentially a bikini warrior from a traditional Japanese RPG. Sitting astride a boy's stomach in such a state was quite unrefined.
The girl finally realized the situation, and her face turned bright red.
BOOM!!
Like a volcanic eruption, the boy flew straight out of the pit, spinning five or six times in the air, crashing through tree branches before finally landing in the bushes.
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