"What is this, Archer!?"
"She's a magical girl, Rin. Now, use that Kaleidostick to defeat Setanta!"
"Are you insane!?"
"My, my, Uncle always surprises me."
Well, it's partly a joke... but in reality, the current Rin is a magus on par with a Caster-class Servant.
"Rin, please trust me. That wand is a bit bizarre, but it's a Second Magic wand. It's like a Jeweled Sword."
"Huh? You're lying, this thing?"
[This thing!? That's too harsh, Miss Rin! Ufufufu, should I brainwash you like when you were little——]
"Hey~ If you do that, I won't stand idly by. Just teach Rin how to use it and stay quiet."
"How mean!? Well, shall we do that for now?]
"No, what on earth is this..."
Ruby transmitted its usage directly into Rin's mind. Rin, who had been glancing between Setanta and me, let out a sigh.
"Fine, I'll do it, damn it!!!"
"Heh~ Well, it doesn't seem like a joke, so let's give it a shot."
Setanta grinned, seeming to test what confidence I had in sending Rin out, but...
*Swoosh!*
Rin immediately soared into the sky. Surprised at herself for flying, Rin soon assumed a determined expression and thrust her wand forward.
"Feuer (Barrage)!!!"
*KWAAAAAA!!!*
"Hoh~ Not bad at all, Miss!"
*Shoohaah!!!*
A barrage fired with power on the level of a magical cannon shot by a modern magus. While its initial deployment is inferior to the Jeweled Sword, its capability itself is the same, resulting in comparable output. Rin really is a genius. Setanta laughed amusingly as he sliced through the magical blasts with his spear. With Magic Resistance and his skill, parrying them wasn't that difficult.
"Schneiden (Slash)!"
*Slash slash slash!*
Rin swung her wand roughly and rapidly multiple times, firing magical slashes. Setanta spun his spear, cutting through the slashes, and then came a volley of magical bullets. As hundreds of magical bullets were fired, Setanta ran across the schoolyard to dodge, then leaped high to reach Rin's altitude.
Setanta's red magic spear thrust forward. Rin extended her wand, and a star-shaped barrier appeared to block it, but the barrier shattered miserably against Setanta's serious thrust.
"Eek!"
Rin was pushed back by the impact. Seeming pissed off, Rin made a face and then swung her wand like a blunt weapon, wildly and roughly. Swinging it as if using the Jeweled Sword, a rainbow-colored magical slash cut through the air. Setanta, who dodged all the slashes and landed on the ground, and Rin.
"Heh~ Not bad, right? I'd believe you were a Caster. Your magical ability alone is incredible. Even if you're still unskilled, your talent is clear. You have a good Master, don't you? Uncle."
"Hmph...!"
"Shall we stop here? Setanta."
"Ahh, I'd like to spar with you, Uncle, but my Master is telling me to return soon. But... it seems we have an interloper."
Setanta's eyes immediately took on a murderous glint. An interloper... Oh right, that was a thing.
*Clang!!!*
I spotted Shirou running away and moved to block Setanta's path as he charged towards him. Rin, who had assessed the situation, also fired magical blasts to stop Setanta.
*Whoosh!!!*
"Tch!"
Setanta threw his spear and blocked me with his bare body. Should I block that first...? I shouldn't have taught him grappling.
*Dash!*
I quickly evaded Setanta and chased after the fleeing Shirou, but... as expected, he was already impaled by the spear. As the spear was retrieved, Setanta left. This has gotten really troublesome...
"What the, what's going on, how did..."
"I'll handle it, Rin."
His heart wasn't pierced, and he should be dead normally, but sure enough, Avalon. If he's alive, he can be healed. I used a primordial rune of healing to restore Shirou.
"He should be fine now. Do you know this person's house?"
"... Yeah, I know."
"Then let's go. You can release your transformation now."
"...."
Rin, who had been glaring at me sharply, released her transformation. Ruby flew out of Rin's hand and hovered in the air.
[My my~ Miss Rin, you've grown up so splendidly~? Ruby is so happy~ To be together with Miss Rin as a magical girl again!]
"I just remembered... because of you, my social life was ruined!"
[It's the fault of those around you who couldn't accept a magical girl! Now, Miss Rin! Let's save the world as magical girls!]
"That's crazy talk!"
Well, it turned out well in its own way, didn't it? Ruby's ability is certainly solid. By the way, why on earth did Zelretch make something like that... Do mages have nothing better to do?
We took the fallen Shirou to his house and returned home.
"Haa... I'm tired. It's because of you, Archer!"
"I did my best~ That thing may look like that, but its ability is like the Jeweled Sword, right?"
[Well, its output is a bit lacking~]
"For something like this to be our family's secret technique..."
The fact that it's in the house means one of the previous Tohsaka heads received it... I wonder if one of the previous heads was a magical girl. How did that end up with the Tohsaka, really...
"I'm tired, so shall we sleep...? No, wait."
"What is it, Rin?"
"If Lancer realizes the witness didn't die..."
"Well, he'll probably go to kill him again... Shall we go?"
"Ah~ it's so annoying, I'm telling you!"
Rin vented her anger at Shirou, who was causing trouble. Well, Shirou is the troublesome type. I picked up Rin and leaped over building rooftops, heading towards the Emiya residence.
[Couldn't we fly as a magical girl~? That would be more convenient.]
"Absolutely not! I'm never doing it again!"
"People who say that always end up doing it again, you know."
"Shut up, Archer!"
[It rhymes~]
We landed next to the Emiya residence, and Rin headed straight for the house... This magical energy, sure enough, she came.
"Step aside."
"Huh?"
Saber leaped over the fence and swung her invisible sword without hesitation. I stood in front of Rin and saw through the sword. It was no different from the sword I saw in the past. The flat of the blade, right here!
*Thwack!*
"What!?"
"Eh!?"
I struck the flat of the holy sword with the edge of my hand, parrying the thrust, and threw a punch. Saber, who quickly twisted her body to evade by instinct, then slashed at me with her sword. She's weaker than in her past life, as expected... I can't fight as well as I did then. My physical strength has declined.
*Clang!!!*
With no other choice, I had already drawn Caladbolg in sword form and parried her holy sword.
*Vwoom~!*
In the situation where our swords clashed, parrying each other's slashes, the swords reverberated, and the shock of the impact traveled up my arm, making it tingle. From the start, she intended to kill me with full seriousness, huh? Enveloping herself in magical energy and slashing with Mana Burst. There didn't seem to be any restrictions, but there was a reason Setanta withdrew. If it changed from witness elimination to a Servant battle, Bazett might have ordered a retreat, but a quick decisive victory wouldn't be easy.
"Heavy..."
"Your magical energy is brutish. It's not even an unrefined bomb. Did Merlin teach you that? For a dragon, your Mana Burst is a bit lacking."
"!? You..."
Saber was flustered by my words, which seemed to know her identity. She doesn't know me, so that's natural, right? She corrected her posture and charged at me, trying to swing her sword, but...
"Stop, Saber!"
Then, Shirou, who rushed out of the house, unconsciously used a Command Spell and stopped Saber. Saber stopped, bathed in the light of the Command Spell, and was bewildered. This is troublesome; I guess both have problematic Masters. Both in her past life and now, she's the type to suffer because of those around her.
"Why did you stop me, Shirou!? This person is a Servant, and the one behind is a Master! If we don't deal with them here..."
"That's why I said wait! It's only right to explain a little! If you're going to call me Master, then stop doing things like that."
"Things like that? Don't spout idealistic nonsense like 'don't hurt people'! I cannot follow such orders! It is only natural to defeat the enemy!"
"That's why I said let's talk...!"
Haha, is it Saber's fate to suffer at the hands of the Emiya father and son?
"My my, King Arthur is in quite a state. Being prevented from even fighting by her Master."
"Kuh... Just who are you!?"
"Hmm... A debt collector? Merlin owes a debt with you as collateral, you see?"
"Wh-what did you say!?"
"Your heart. I'm the one who retrieved it, you know. That's the collateral, right? Hurry up and pay back the debt."
""Eh!?""
"S-such a thing...! Merlin, just who... Who are you to say that!?"
"I'm an Archer for now... My true name is Fergus. It's okay to say this much, right, Master?"
Rin glared at me with a look that said, "You've already said it, what am I supposed to do?" Haha.
"Fergus... Fergus mac Róich!? That Ulster... Merlin, just to whom did he owe such a debt!? You said you did it!"
"You believe Merlin's words? You'd be better off believing the Saxons."
"That would indeed be better... So, a debt, you say..."
"Well~ let's think about that gradually later? I wanted to tell you this... You've been sold off."
"Merlin!!!!"
Haha, she really is a fun kid to tease, isn't she?
"For your information, your father Uther acted as guarantor, and Morgan was the witness."
"This family is no help at all!"
"Britain, no, all of Celt is like that. I also suffered greatly because of my nephews. Though perhaps not as much as you... For now, let's get along as kings of the same lineage~ Debtor."
"Kuh... In the past, it was debt relations with Rome, and this time it's Ulster...!"
"Wow, the Debt King. Hmm... Ah, I know someone who said this. Have you ever regretted being born?"
"I'm doing so right now."
"Haha."
"... Hello, Tohsaka."
"Haa... For now, let's go inside and talk."
And so, we entered the Emiya residence. It's not good to incur debts from others recklessly, you know. But your family went and did it for you, even though it's not your own affair. Haha.