After a little more discussion, before long, Tohsaka Aoi arrived in the courtyard with a large tray of sweets, followed closely by the skipping Sakura Tohsaka.

The group immediately ceased talking. Their secrets were inconvenient to reveal, even to Aoi and the others. Fortunately, for now, the only one exposed to outside eyes was Lin Luo. Even when Mugino Shizuri transformed once as a Fallen Angel, only the fate-unknown Old Man Matou witnessed it. The secrecy level was still quite high; as long as they avoided using their powers in the future, they generally wouldn't need to worry about being seen through.

After all, none of them were martial arts masters whose Zhenqi leaked out, nor were they Xuanhuan figures radiating imposing Baqi. The only lingering concern was the Magic Crest on Rin's body... A Magic Crest could be considered a mage's inheritance, a prerequisite for being a mage.

A mage would spend a lifetime solidifying and stabilizing magic—which was originally just a collection of formulae without physical form—until it became an intrinsic part of their body. This allowed magic to be activated effortlessly, without complex incantations or tedious steps. Even magic they hadn't studied could be executed simply by injecting Mana; the very act of chanting the spell was automatically completed. Mages could exert their power with every gesture.

Magic Crests were passed down through generations. Starting from the first generation, they accumulated over centuries, sometimes a millennium, representing the crystallized efforts of a lineage.

Because there could only be one Magic Crest, much like a human organ that couldn't be divided among many, the inheritance was strictly passed down to a single heir. Siblings not chosen as successors would never be exposed to magic, living ordinary lives, regardless of their talent.

This was the situation for Rin and Sakura. Both possessed extraordinarily exceptional talent, yet only one could receive the Magic Crest. Tohsaka Tokiomi ultimately chose Rin... And thus, the problem arose.

Rin had come from ten years in the future. Before that, she had already received the Magic Crest of the deceased Tokiomi Tohsaka. Now, returning to a decade prior, though her body had shrunk, the Magic Crest had not vanished. On the other side, Tokiomi Tohsaka was still alive, and his Magic Crest naturally remained... Meaning, the Tohsaka family now possessed two Magic Crests.

If this fact were to spread, it would cause an absolute sensation. Even if it didn't attract the perverted figures of the hidden world, the Mage's Association certainly wouldn't ignore it. It wouldn't be entirely out of the question for them to seize the entire Tohsaka family to use as test subjects for research.

After all, for a mage, the Magic Crest was absolutely essential. Take Emiya Kiritsugu, for instance; he only acquired a 20% Magic Crest after eliminating his own father. Similarly, Aozaki Touko, enraged because her grandfather passed the Magic Crest to her younger sister, Aoko, instead of her, ended up slaying both her grandfather and master in anger... While Kiritsugu's patricide had other underlying reasons, Touko's hatchet swing was purely for the sake of the Magic Crest.

It was evident that in the Nasuverse, the Magic Crest was as precious as the position of the Sect Master in Wuxia novels. Therefore, if this position could become two, or even more... And Rin also possessed Command Spells.

Fortunately, although the Magic Crest was something etched onto the body like a tattoo, it only manifested when activated; it was usually undetectable. So, as long as Rin didn't use magic, there was basically no major issue. As for the Command Spells, perhaps because the power accumulated by White ABER was too little, they wouldn't reveal themselves unless Rin intentionally triggered them.

Looking at it this way, there seemed to be little to worry about. However... Better safe than sorry.

While enjoying the snacks brought by Aoi Tohsaka, Lin Luo contemplated various potential occurrences and devised countermeasures for each possibility. Simultaneously, he casually answered Sakura Tohsaka’s barrage of childish questions: How old is big brother? What is your relationship with big sister? If you and big sister are friends, why haven't we met you before? and similar inquiries.

It had to be admitted that sometimes, the words of children hit the nail on the head.

At the very least, these questions were not ones Lin Luo could answer truthfully; he could only offer vague replies.

"Sakura, no talking while eating!"

Seeing Lin Luo’s distracted look, Aoi Tohsaka mistakenly thought her daughter was annoying him and rebuked her softly. Sakura Tohsaka immediately pouted, looking quite aggrieved.

Lin Luo smiled, saying nothing. In the next instant, when his gaze unintentionally drifted to the side, the smile froze on his face, a flash of killing intent involuntarily crossing his eyes.

At the main gate of the Tohsaka residence, a man dressed in black priestly robes, a cross hanging around his neck, appeared and was walking toward the main hall of the Tohsaka house—Kirei Kotomine.

The Fourth Holy Grail War. Regardless of whether Lin Luo could remain until the war began, since his purpose was to fulfill Rin's wish, he obviously had to side with Tokiomi Tohsaka. Even if he couldn't guarantee Tokiomi's victory, he at least had to ensure his life.

In terms of combat level, the Fourth Holy Grail War undoubtedly surpassed the Fifth. Setting aside the sheer strength of the Heroic Spirits and the skill level of the mages, at the very least, the ruthlessness and bloodshed in the conflicts were far beyond what the Fifth War could compare to.

In the original story, Tokiomi Tohsaka was betrayed and killed by Kirei Kotomine. Given his naivety, if nothing changed this time, he would only suffer the same fate again.

Kill Kirei Kotomine?

Admittedly, it was a tempting proposition, but Lin Luo could not do it.

Although Kirei Kotomine, like Zouken Matou, was on the kill list, there was a fundamental difference between the two, rooted in their backgrounds. Zouken Matou was merely the patriarch of a declining mage family in a small local town; his death would concern no one. However, Kirei Kotomine was a crucial operative cultivated by the Church, an organization that even the Mage's Association dared not openly confront.

Truthfully, Lin Luo held no favorable feelings towards such a militant religious organization. Any miracle or mystery that differed from their faith or doctrine would be branded as heresy and purged—magic, for example.

It was truly strange. Others believed in their magic, and you believed in your God. These should be two entirely separate matters, yet they used the accusation of blasphemy to fiercely strike against magecraft, truly believing themselves to be God's spokesmen?

... Go, I am the real representative of the divine.

Although Lin Luo was unimpressed by these foolish zealots, their power was undeniable. Even the Mage's Association wouldn't dare engage them head-on. Furthermore, Tokiomi Tohsaka, being a mage, had dedicated himself to the Church and believed in their doctrines.

With Lin Luo's current strength, killing a mere Kirei Kotomine wouldn't be difficult. The crucial point was that if he killed Kirei, the Church would certainly not stand by. While he could fend off ordinary Church assassins, if they mobilized some of the monstrously powerful figures, things would become troublesome.

Therefore, Kirei Kotomine was untouchable, at least not until the Holy Grail War began.

It was even impossible to warn Tokiomi Tohsaka to guard against Kirei. After all, they were currently in a cooperative relationship, and given that cheap father-in-law's degree of innocence... it was truly hopeless.

"That is Kirei Kotomine, Tokiomi's magical disciple," Aoi Tohsaka said, following Lin Luo's gaze to the black-robed priest.

"Hmph," before Lin Luo could speak, Rin Tohsaka let out a cold snort, fully expressing her dissatisfaction with the priest. This was unsurprising. Although Rin didn't know Kirei was her future father's murderer, as someone determined to inherit her father’s path of magic, the fact that Kirei had become Tokiomi Tohsaka's disciple first was something she could never tolerate.

With so many people sitting in the courtyard, Kirei naturally saw them. He nodded slightly in their direction, a form of greeting, before elegantly entering the Tohsaka residence hall.

"Does this guy think this is his own home?" Rin Tohsaka grumbled upon seeing this.

"Rin, don't speak nonsense," Aoi Tohsaka admonished her daughter quietly. "Father Kirei is a comrade helping your father realize his long-cherished wish. Don't be so rude."

"I know," under pressure from her mother, Rin replied reluctantly, then lowered her head and began fiercely battling the food in her hands, taking a hard bite, seemingly taking the snack for Kirei Kotomine.

Lin Luo watched, unable to suppress a chuckle. Indeed, now that her body had reverted to a loli, her mentality was unconsciously starting to lean toward that of a child... Hmm, lolis are truly cute.

...

Children are always subjected to far more restrictions than adults. Having turned into a loli, certain things became unavoidable—school, for example.

The next morning, standing at the entrance of the Tohsaka residence, Loli Rin held a piece of bread, her schoolbag strapped to her back, her expression as awkward as it could possibly be. Opposite her, Lin Luo, Misaki, Mikoto, and Mugino were seeing her off. While it was called seeing her off, it was more like watching a sideshow.

Watching Loli Rin's miserable face, Lin Luo’s eyes twitched, desperately suppressing the smile rising in his chest... In truth, Rin was relatively lucky. She had only returned to ten years ago, which was the first grade of elementary school. If it had been eleven years ago, she might have had to attend the senior kindergarten class, perhaps even receiving a shiny red flower upon returning home.

"This is so unfair! Why do only I have to do this?" Loli Rin complained resentfully, then angrily pointed at Mikoto and Mugino, who were also lolis. "You two, you have to come with me too!"

"Are you kidding? We aren't from this world, why should we have to be elementary students?"

"Exactly, Rin, you're being unreasonable."

Loli Mikoto and Loli Mugino naturally refused, rejecting the demand simultaneously.

"Even if you aren't from this world, now that you’ve become little kids, you need to act like little kids..." Saying this, Loli Rin turned her target toward Lin Luo. "You told us not to show behavior beyond our apparent age, right? If they don't go to school, won't that be too abnormal? So, you need to talk some sense into these two!"

"Huh?..." Lin Luo was stunned. He hadn't expected the fire to spread to him so quickly. Although Rin's point wasn't entirely wrong, making Mugino and Mikoto go back to being elementary students again... that might be...

Before Lin Luo could speak, Loli Mugino scoffed, "It's enough for you to go to hell by yourself, don't drag us along."

"You..." Loli Rin gritted her teeth, so angry she could barely speak, her face filled with fierce hatred. "No, I..."

"Rin, what are you doing? Such a loud voice! Hurry up and go to school, or you'll be late." Before Loli Rin could finish her outburst, Aoi Tohsaka’s voice came from the kitchen, instantly extinguishing her aggressive spirit.

At the same time, Sakura also walked out of the living room carrying her schoolbag. Seeing everyone gathered, she offered a kind reminder, "Sister, why aren't you going to school yet? Be careful, or the teacher will make you stand as punishment."

Pfft.

This time, no one could hold back. Everyone burst into loud laughter, even Misaki, who appeared the most ladylike, was clutching her stomach and roaring with mirth.

Loli Rin’s face turned bright red with anger.

"Rin, study hard and make progress every day." Seeing Loli Rin looking so adorable, Lin Luo subconsciously reached out and patted her head, teasing her.

"Bastard, go die!" For Loli Rin, this was hardly encouragement; it was the ultimate humiliation. She angrily lifted her foot and kicked viciously toward Lin Luo.

One tends to dodge instinctively when attacked. Even though the opponent was a little loli, getting kicked by her would still hurt. Thus, Lin Luo reflexively dodged to the side...

After all, she wasn't a true loli. Loli Rin had been in her loli body for less than twenty-four hours, and her coordination in terms of strength and movement was still accustomed to her adult state. Since she missed the kick, her center of gravity immediately became unstable, and she tumbled backward, arms and legs flailing toward the ground...

The tragedy unfolded too suddenly; everyone failed to intervene in time. Even though Lin Luo managed to extend a hand, he only grasped a corner of her garment. With a thump, Loli Rin fell heavily onto the ground, her eyes sparkling with stars and tears.

But the greater tragedy wasn't that... The corner Lin Luo had grabbed was actually the hem of Loli Rin's skirt. He hadn't managed to let go in time. When she fell, her skirt naturally flew high up, revealing her little white panties clearly...

Time seemed to freeze...

Three seconds later... Lin Luo swore that the only reason he hadn't let go of Loli Rin's skirt during those three seconds was purely because the suddenness of the event prevented him from reacting.

"K-kill you..." Loli Rin squatted on the ground, both hands pressing down her skirt, veins throbbing on her forehead, fixing Lin Luo with an eagle-like, murderous glare.

"Um... that really wasn't my fault." Lin Luo tried to plead innocence. He had only intended to tease her a little because her expression was so earnest; he never expected such a fatal fan-service moment.

"Whose fault is it then? Is it mine?" Loli Rin spat out, teeth clenched.

"Uh, well, it's..."

Before Lin Luo could finish speaking, Misaki sighed beside him, "Stop pushing the blame onto the world. The world is pitiful enough, you loli-con."

Mugino: "Sick taste."

Mikoto: "Pervert."

Lin Luo was in despair. It was over; his Favorability points were about to drop.