Here on a patch of grass behind the sacred city of Fuyuki, Lin Luo, Misaka Mikoto, Tohsaka Rin, Mugino Shizuri, and Shokuhou Misaki were all engaged in their respective methods of cultivation.

To prepare for the Fourth Holy Grail War, which was fast approaching at the end of the year, everyone was making the necessary arrangements.

As an Academy City Level 5 esper, a powerhouse standing at the apex of humanity, Mikoto understood her own shortcomings. With her full power, she could easily obliterate nearly half a city in an instant; however, such raw force was useless against Heroic Spirits—a lesson she had thoroughly learned during her fight with Sieg.

Simply put, her power level was too low. Not in terms of destructive yield, but in realm or domain.

One part strength, one part realm; the realm comes first, the strength follows. When two formidable powers clash, if their realms are equal, the one with greater strength prevails. But if their realms differ, regardless of the difference in raw power, the one with the higher realm is absolutely guaranteed victory.

Whether it was electrical shocks or the Railgun, these straightforward attacks were, fundamentally, the peak of the merely "physical" plane. In contrast, the ABER she had witnessed, Sieg, or even Lin Luo who grasped the fundamental rules, all operated beyond the "physical"...

The only thing that could truly contend with these powers was the command over rules—the inherent Law of the world itself.

Closing her eyes, she focused on feeling the potential hidden within her body, striving to comprehend it bit by bit...

...Stretching out obsidian wings, they gently fanned the air... Mugino Shizuri could feel the power surging through the pair of wings that didn't originally belong to her—a feeling of the abyss, of sin, of utter corruption that provoked a deep sense of revulsion... And yet, precisely this made it fit her perfectly.

Not everyone could progress in the light; not everyone was destined to draw strength only from the light. If one wished to live better, to live more freely, sometimes one had to forge a path through degradation, unleashing oneself within the depths of iniquity.

Yes, a forced descent into corruption. Since it was irresistible, she would embrace it entirely... the legacy of the Fallen Angel.

...Mana flowed back and forth within her core, having accumulated to its maximum capacity. Tohsaka Rin knew that despite being hailed as a genius magus, among this group she was the weakest in terms of inherent strength, thus she had to become stronger.

It wasn't that she didn't want to rely on her companions' power, but... if possible, she wished to save her family with her own hands.

Touching the faint Command Seal imprinted on the back of her hand, she could sense the immense surge of magical energy concealed within. She funneled all her available mana directly into the Seal, pleading silently: Please answer me before the Holy Grail War begins.

Shokuhou Misaki was perhaps the most relaxed among them. Since her combat methodology was entirely different from the others, and there was nothing specific she needed to comprehend, she required no rigorous training. She sat resting in the shade of a tree, keeping watch over the others while observing their cultivation.

...

(Something is missing... I feel like something essential is missing?)

Since arriving in this world two days ago, for nearly a month now, Lin Luo had not paused his analysis of this world's rules. He was gradually understanding that what was called "analyzing the world's rules" was, in essence, an act of permeation into this world.

How much one understood, how much one felt, and what attitude one held toward this world—all these factors were integral parts of analyzing the world's rules. At the very least, if an individual harbored deep hostility toward this world, constantly harboring thoughts of its destruction, the world would never tolerate or accept them, much less allow them to analyze its underlying laws.

This was only possible if one's individual power vastly eclipsed the power of the world itself—a feat, Lin Luo knew, that was infinitely more difficult than achieving godhood.

Lying flat on the cool grass, a breeze swept over him, and dew drops fell from the tips of the blades. The musty scent of damp earth drifted into his nostrils... The vantage point determined everything; where one stood defined what one could hear, see, and feel. If this were the old Lin Luo, he likely wouldn't grasp the true meaning of 'the world.'

Was it merely the vast land that nurtured countless life forms? Or the space where people existed? Or perhaps the entire cosmos? No, none of those were narrow enough. The World must be the origin of all things.

The World is where the fundamental source resides.

To permeate this world, one had to locate its origin. Similarly, to analyze this world’s rules, understanding its source was mandatory. But...

Frowning, Lin Luo felt that something crucial was slipping away. It felt tantalizingly close, yet impossibly distant, like water instantly draining through his grasp the moment he tried to hold it.

"What exactly am I missing?" Sitting up, Lin Luo slapped his forehead, bewildered. The missing piece was a "spoon" capable of holding the water. The problem was, where did one find such a "spoon"?

"Spoon, Spoon, damn spoon!" Lin Luo muttered under his breath. This wasn't something you could just buy at the market for a couple of coins. "Sigh..."

Lin Luo sighed, and just then, cries of alarm erupted from the girls behind him.

"Rin?"

"Rin!"

"..." Hearing those voices, Lin Luo snapped his head around. In the distance, he saw Rin lying motionless on the ground, surrounded by the others.

"What happened?" Lin Luo sprinted forward, gathering her small frame into his arms. Her face was flushed crimson, her forehead beaded with sweat, laced subtly with a hint of agony.

"This... we aren't entirely sure either," Mikoto and Mugino exchanged a glance, shaking their heads with a hint of anxiety. They had both been deep in their own practices and only turned when they heard the commotion, finding her already collapsed.

"Shokuhou, what about you?" Seeing the other two were clueless, Lin Luo turned his gaze to Shokuhou Misaki.

But Shokuhou also shook her head, her brow faintly furrowed. "I saw her collapse while performing some magic just now. I don't know the specifics."

While using magic... Could it be the Magic Crest?

Lin Luo knew that because Rin's Magic Crest was transplanted only after her father’s death, she would suffer periodic rejection episodes, often manifesting as high fever, so fainting wasn't entirely unexpected.

Realizing this, Lin Luo immediately activated Divine Healing. The result confirmed his suspicion: the rejection of the Magic Crest.

Originally, at LV1, Divine Healing could only perform complete restoration or general diagnostics. However, upon reaching LV2, in addition to partial simple reinforcement modifications, it could now perform detailed preemptive diagnostics. For example, if a regular person suffered from muscle atrophy, through the healing art, Lin Luo could restore their muscles to normal levels while simultaneously reinforcing their physical strength by about twofold.

Of course, this reinforcement effect was significantly diminished when applied to espers or mages. Lin Luo couldn't reinforce Rin’s body, nor could he even manage significant physical enhancement on Shokuhou.

The issue with the Magic Crest was currently a significant headache for Lin Luo; it had troubled him long before he arrived in the A Certain Magical Index dimension.

Divine Healing restores a person's body to a complete state. If Lin Luo forcefully healed Rin’s body now, the Magic Crest would vanish from her, as it wasn't intrinsically hers—an outcome that was completely unacceptable.

Thus, for the pain caused by the Magic Crest, Lin Luo was helpless beyond slightly alleviating her suffering.

"How is it?" Seeing Lin Luo’s frown, Mikoto asked, tilting her small face up with concern. Beside her, Mugino and Shokuhou also showed flickers of worry.

Though they often bickered like innate rivals, sometimes friendship blossomed precisely amidst such squabbles. Especially for Mikoto, Rin, and Mugino, their transformation into lolis inevitably shifted their inner perspectives. Their unhappy childhoods made them reject their present state, yet simultaneously allowed them to understand each other.

All three shared similar formative years, occupying positions that were inherently abnormal, and standing on the same front line. Against this backdrop, unless someone was inherently predisposed to detest others, it was difficult not to become friends. Of course, due to certain factors and their inherent personalities, openly expressing these feelings remained profoundly challenging.

"It's fine, just a minor issue that will clear up shortly," Lin Luo offered a knowing smile, signaling reassurance, then immediately employed the restoration technique... Although he couldn't eliminate the core problem of the Magic Crest, he could certainly repair the side effects it caused, even if it was merely treating the symptoms.

A faint white light spilled from Lin Luo's hand. As the radiance enveloped Rin entirely, he suddenly felt a tremor ripple through the Contract Book within him. Simultaneously, a streak of flowing light violently burst forth from Rin’s chest.

"What is this..." Lin Luo's expression instantly changed. Without any basis or prior experience, driven by an innate instinct, he recognized the essence of the phenomenon: it was... Resonance.

The next moment, his consciousness seemed to warp; his head spun violently. When his vision cleared, he found himself suspended high in mid-air. "Where... where am I?"

Suddenly, a sound drifted up from below. He instinctively looked down and froze completely.

Rain was falling from a grey sky. On a wet road, a funeral procession moved silently forward through the downpour. Supporting the entire ceremony was a diminutive girl, perhaps only seven or eight years old, her black ponytail swaying, her face delicate, her eyes like jewels—undoubtedly, this was the true, young Tohsaka Rin.

This was ten years ago... no, perhaps nine years ago.

Witnessing this scene, Lin Luo understood. Although he didn't know the specific cause, through this resonance, his consciousness had entered Rin's memory, transported to her father Tohsaka Tokiomi's funeral nine years prior.

P: God, I fell behind for two days and even lost my train of thought. It took me six or seven hours to write a single chapter, tragic! Fortunately, the flow returned as I wrote, so three chapters today are unavoidable. Furthermore, as compensation for the delay, I might deliver four chapters today. If I don't manage four today, expect two tomorrow. Above are the logistics.