"Uh, this... this matter?" Rin Tohsaka showed an expression of embarrassment, seemingly finding the topic difficult to broach.

"If I'm guessing correctly, Tohsaka-senpai must be a Magus, right?"

Rin Tohsaka looked utterly surprised. "How did you know that?"

Lin Luo chuckled. "The Tohsaka family is a prestigious lineage of Magi with a long history. It’s hardly a secret, at least among those in the craft."

"Are you a Magus as well, then?" Rin couldn't help but ask.

"Not exactly. Although I have some connection to the world of Magecraft, I lack the talent to become one..." Lin Luo sighed, deliberately putting on a look of sadness and disappointment, then dropped a bombshell: "The Holy Grail War from ten years ago is still crystal clear in my memory."

"You even know about the Holy Grail War?!" This time, Rin Tohsaka was truly shocked. She stared at Lin Luo’s face for a long time before finally waving her hand in resignation. "Ah, forget it. Since you know everything, I have nothing left to hide, especially here in this strange world... Tell me, how much do you know about the Holy Grail War?"

"I know pretty much everything. Seven Magus form contracts with seven Heroic Spirits to fight for the Holy Grail. The last one standing gets the Grail and can have any wish granted... that's generally the gist of it."

"You certainly know it inside out. That makes explaining things much easier." Rin Tohsaka paused, held up a single finger, and continued, "Let's set aside the first four Holy Grail Wars for now. Before I arrived in this world, the Fifth Holy Grail War had already begun. Just as I was halfway through the ritual to summon ABER as my Servant, something went wrong. A bizarre, immensely powerful force interrupted the summoning. Then, I just blacked out. When I woke up, I was already in this world..."

As she finished, Rin muttered in complaint, "Honestly! I prepared for this moment for ten whole years. Why did something go wrong at that exact time? If that accident hadn't happened, I definitely could have summoned ABER."

Relax, even without that accident, you wouldn't have summoned ABER, you genius who always fumbles at the crucial moment... Listening to Rin's voice laced with resentment, Lin Luo desperately wanted to tell her this.

"But, it really is very strange..."

"Strange? What's strange?" Lin Luo was taken aback.

Rin Tohsaka extended her right hand and placed it before Lin Luo's eyes. On the smooth skin of her hand was a faint, blurry mark—an imprint so indistinct that its shape could not be discerned.

"Since you know everything about the Holy Grail War, you must know about this, too?"

"A Command Spell?" Lin Luo frowned.

"Yes, a Command Spell." Rin Tohsaka nodded, her eyes full of confusion. "Although the summoning ritual was forcibly interrupted, the ritual seemed to have taken effect at that moment. This Command Spell appeared on my hand, but my SERVANT still hasn't materialized..."

"Did you try summoning in this world, too?" Lin Luo couldn't help but ask.

"Of course! Since I obtained the Command Spell, it means the Grail has recognized my qualification. I can summon a SERVANT anywhere, but I’ve tried several times and... sigh." Rin Tohsaka heaved a heavy sigh, looking utterly dejected.

Lin Luo felt rather speechless. He likely knew more about the Holy Grail War than Rin did. This world lacked Ley Lines; how could she possibly summon...

"Moreover, this world is incredibly dangerous. Even a genius Magus like myself nearly died several times."

Genius Magus? You really are narcissistic. Everyone knows that, but there’s no need to announce it yourself... Lin Luo grumbled internally, but the latter part of Rin's statement made his brow furrow. "What do you mean you almost died several times?"

"It was right after I arrived here. First, I was ambushed by a group of inexplicable delinquents. Seriously, they had no power to speak of, and I didn't even recognize them, yet they attacked me as if I were their sworn enemy! Are those guys idiots?!"

Rin Tohsaka spoke with indignation, venting the frustration she'd held since arriving in this world. "After dealing with those punks, just a few days later, I was targeted by people who seemed quite powerful. They used strange abilities. Since I had no context for this world initially, I didn't know they were espers, and I was almost killed by them several times..."

Listening to Rin Tohsaka's account, Lin Luo began to piece things together somewhat. "I think the first group that attacked you should be the 'No-Skill' organizations."

"No-Skill organizations?"

"Well, to put it plainly, they are just ordinary people filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment towards the high-and-mighty espers. They feel inferior and unwilling, aspiring to be espers but lacking the talent, so they band together and frequently attack espers when they are alone... They probably saw you, mistook you for an esper, and attacked." Lin Luo explained.

"Huh? Ordinary people attacking espers? That's truly idiotic!" Rin Tohsaka found it unbelievable. The espers in this world were akin to the Magi in her world; she couldn't fathom any ordinary person challenging a Magus—that was suicide.

"Every world has its own rules; existence implies a reason. While they are certainly annoying, in a way, they are also pitiable." Lin Luo sighed.

"Oh, forget it. I was thinking of tracking them down, but hearing you say that has completely killed my interest." Rin Tohsaka sighed again, then asked, "What about the other group? Since you seem to understand this world so well, you must know something about them."

"Based on your description, the other group should be the genuine espers, likely the dark side operating within this city..." As he said this, Lin Luo felt a touch of heaviness in his heart.

Rin appeared in this world, regardless of the exact circumstances. She had been here for over half a month; it was impossible for the Chairman (Tofficialman) to remain unaware. A Magus of unknown origin appearing in Academy City—no matter what—would never go unnoticed.

While espers defeating Magi might trigger a war, that was merely a possibility. Furthermore, Rin wasn't a Magus native to this world. With the Chairman's vast intelligence network, if he couldn't ascertain Rin's true identity, he absolutely wouldn't let her wander unchecked. Sending the dark side to investigate and attack her was probably inevitable... However, come to think of it, it was quite a feat that Rin managed to survive in Academy City for half a month, given her strength.

Rin's overall combat rating was only B, whereas Misaka, as an esper, had an A rating—a full major level difference. Translating this, Rin's fighting strength was probably only around LV4. Of course, Magecraft and psychic powers are fundamentally different, making direct comparison difficult. Still, against a Level 5, Rin stood no chance whatsoever.

Academy City currently had four dark side factions, and the Chairman controlled at least three of them. Two of those possessed a Level 5 esper, and the third, while lacking a Level 5, possessed high-end weaponry... If the dark side mobilized fully, Rin had no chance of winning; the fact that she had lasted this long suggested the Chairman hadn't intended to kill her immediately.

Thinking this, Lin Luo suddenly recalled a phrase: As the saying goes... When science and magic collide, the story truly begins!

P: Feeling frustrated. I couldn't access the author backend today, so I had to post this from an internet cafe. There’s another chapter; if I can get logged in later, I'll code and post it. If not, I’ll post three chapters tomorrow. My apologies, and please send recommendation votes!