Chapter 15: The New Adventure Duo  

this simple, idyllic childhood didn't last long. After a modest lunch, the homeroom teacher suddenly announced that classes would be canceled for the afternoon.

Most of the students were happy about not having to attend class, but a few were concerned about the reason.

Tohsaka Rin was one of them. She went to the teachers' office to ask, but overheard the teachers discussing the recent child disappearances.

Due to the actions of Rider, Iskandar, Caster's workshop had been destroyed, and the commotion had drawn public attention. The horrific crime of child abduction and murder had been exposed.

One of the victims was a student from Mifune Elementary School, and the perpetrator was still at large.

The criminal's activities were centered in Fuyuki City, and many students at the school lived there. Concerned for their safety, the principal decided to cancel afternoon classes.

The next few days would likely be tense, with the possibility of further cancellations until the perpetrator was caught or the public's memory of the incident faded.

Tohsaka Rin trembled as she listened outside the office. She thought of her friend Kotone, who hadn't come to school today and also lived in Fuyuki City.

Worried about her friend, Tohsaka Rin used a payphone at the school to call Kotone's house. The call was answered quickly, but the voice on the other end was anxious: "Is this Kotone?"

"No, this is Tohsaka Rin, Kotone's classmate. Kotone didn't come to school today, so I wanted to ask if something happened."

Tohsaka Rin's response disappointed the person on the other end.

"Kotone is missing. She disappeared yesterday. We're looking for her. If you hear anything..."

After the call ended, Tohsaka Rin was distraught. As a mature little adult, she liked to act grown-up and watch the news.

So, she knew about the abductions in Fuyuki City, but she never expected it to happen to someone close to her.

"Since we don't have class this afternoon, let's go play soccer on the field."

Back in the classroom, some of the children who couldn't go home yet suggested games to play. Unlike them, Tohsaka Rin was preoccupied with her worries.

"What's wrong?"

Broly, noticing the drop in Tohsaka Rin's happiness value through the Crystal Palace, asked.

"Kotone... never mind."

People with worries often want to confide in someone, but if they think the person they're confiding in will only be burdened, they might choose not to.

Tohsaka Rin, being more mature, saw Broly as a little desk mate who needed looking after. She didn't want to scare him with her troubles.

Broly: "..."

If nothing was wrong, why did her happiness value drop? Every point of happiness lost meant potential food he couldn't get. How could a food-loving glutton not be anxious?

But since Tohsaka Rin didn't want to talk about it, Broly didn't know what to do. It wasn't until the school opened its gates and let the children go home that Broly followed Tohsaka Rin as she left.

Tohsaka Rin decided to go to Fuyuki City to search for her missing friend. It was a reckless move, but the thought of her friend possibly dying was unbearable. The preoccupied girl didn't notice the little tail following her. She bought a ticket at the train station, passed through the ticket gate, and boarded the train to Fuyuki City.

Broly, having no money, didn't buy a ticket. Instead, he used his small size to slip under the ticket gate unnoticed and boarded the same train.

Once on the train, with more time to think, Tohsaka Rin began to feel scared. After all, she was just a seven-year-old child.

Although she often acted like a little adult, she knew her limits. Facing a potential child abductor and murderer was something she, as a child, couldn't possibly handle...

"Huh?"

A pair of small shoes appeared at her feet, making her look up. When she saw her desk mate standing beside her, Tohsaka Rin's jaw dropped.

"What are you doing here?"

She blurted out.

"I followed you."

Broly answered honestly.

"Why?"

Tohsaka Rin was puzzled.

"You seemed upset. I was worried about you."

Broly kept it simple, omitting the crucial detail about her happiness value dropping.

Tohsaka Rin: "..."

She didn't know what to say, but her initial panic and nervousness were somewhat eased by the sudden appearance of the boy.

In fact, faced with her little desk mate who needed looking after, she put on her reliable, mature little adult persona and began to lecture Broly.

"Children should go straight home after school. It's dangerous to wander around."

"Aren't you a child too?"

Broly retorted.

"I'm different. I'm looking for my friend, and I'm stronger."

Young Tohsaka Rin blushed and defended herself.

"Oh."

Broly nodded, accepting her explanation.

This agreement, however, left Tohsaka Rin at a loss.

"Aren't you going to argue with me?"

"Were you lying?"

"No."

Tohsaka Rin puffed out her chest, but her eyes betrayed her guilt.

"Where do you live? I'll take you home later."

She changed the subject.

"My home is over there."

Broly pointed in the direction of the Fujimura residence from the train.

"So, what's the exact address?"

Broly didn't answer, just looked at her with a blank expression.

"Don't tell me you don't know your own address?"

"I can find my way back."

Broly didn't remember the address, but he remembered the direction.

The distance wasn't far, not even as far as his home on Planet Vampa was from the Vampa Spider Cavern.

"So, you're lost?"

Tohsaka Rin felt her head spinning. Her old desk mate was missing, and her new one had followed her and gotten lost.

"I'm not lost. I can find my way back."

Broly insisted.

But Tohsaka Rin didn't believe a word of it.

What "finding his way back"? It was just the boy's stubborn pride talking.

"I'm going to look for my friend Kotone. After we get off the train, you should find a police officer and ask them to help you get home."

"What's a police officer?"

"You don't even know what a police officer is? Never mind, I can take you to one after we get off..."

Tohsaka Rin suddenly stopped. She realized that at her age, if a police officer saw her, she'd likely be sent home too.

"Forget it. You'll come with me to look for my friend. After we find Kotone, I'll take you home. But you have to listen to me. If there's any danger, you run when I tell you to."

Taking a little companion on an adventure wasn't ideal, but in young Tohsaka Rin's eyes, it was the only choice.

After all, she couldn't turn herself in to the police, nor could she leave her clearly helpless new desk mate alone in an unfamiliar place.

"Okay."

Broly nodded obediently, having no objections to Tohsaka Rin's instructions.

The adventure duo of young Rin and young Broly was officially formed on the train to Fuyuki City.

After getting off the train, Tohsaka Rin led Broly along the route from the train station to her friend's house, searching for clues.

Based on what Kotone's mother had said and her own deductions, Tohsaka Rin believed her friend had been abducted on her way home.

However, she wasn't a high school detective in a child's body. Faced with the maze of streets and buildings, she had no idea where the abductor might be lurking.

The girl could only resort to a tedious, brute-force search, using herself as bait.

Of course, she now had Broly trailing behind her, joining in the search.

"I can't find anything. It's impossible..."

From early afternoon until the sun set, Tohsaka Rin felt the helplessness of being a child.

"Broly?"

Just as Tohsaka Rin was about to continue her aimless search, she noticed the little tail following her had disappeared.

She grew anxious. Had she lost her old desk mate, and now her new one too? And from her own hands, no less?

However, when she turned back to the street, she found the boy had simply been drawn to a takoyaki stand and had stopped in front of it.

"Do you want some?"

Relieved that Broly wasn't missing, Tohsaka Rin walked over and asked, seeing the boy's eager expression.

"Yes."

Broly nodded. The aroma of the takoyaki had awakened his hunger.

"Then I'll treat you."

Tohsaka Rin took out her small wallet and bought two servings of takoyaki.

After walking so much, she was also a bit hungry.

The two found a seat in the shop and waited for the takoyaki to be ready.

"I need to use the restroom. Don't follow me."

While waiting, Tohsaka Rin felt the need to go and got up. Seeing Broly about to follow, she blushed and said.

Broly obediently sat back down.

The sound of flushing water echoed.

As Tohsaka Rin washed her hands and prepared to leave, the magic compass hanging around her neck began to move.

This tool was a birthday gift from her father, designed to detect magical presences in the world, mainly to help her avoid hidden dangers. She never expected it to react at this moment.

Following the compass's guidance, she peeked out the back door of the takoyaki shop and saw a young man walking past the alley, holding the hands of several expressionless children, bathed in the setting sun, smiling brightly.

"Good children, come with big brother. I'll take you to play fun games."

Ryūnosuke Uryū, wearing a hypnotic magic bracelet given to him by his Servant, had gathered another group of adorable children.

Since meeting his Servant, Gilles de Rais, Ryūnosuke felt his creative inspiration bursting at all times.

Unaware that his "artwork" had been destroyed by Rider due to the police search, he smiled brightly, thinking about his next creation.

He had already made a human piano, which was indeed art.

So, the next piece should focus on furniture, like a human piano chair that would emit beautiful screams when sat upon.

[This person is suspicious. He has a magical presence!]

Tohsaka Rin hesitated at the back door but decided to follow quietly. She didn't call Broly, thinking it was safer for her new desk mate to stay in the takoyaki shop rather than follow a potentially dangerous kidnapper and murderer.

"Your takoyaki is ready."

Five minutes later, the shop owner brought Broly two servings of freshly made takoyaki.

Broly looked at the steaming takoyaki, his mouth watering, but he felt Tohsaka Rin was taking too long.

His senses told him she was getting farther away, and he didn't know when she'd return.

So...

[It should be fine to eat the portion meant for me first, right?]

Thinking this, Broly reached for a skewered takoyaki.

The round takoyaki was hot and fragrant.

With one bite, the chewy octopus inside was delightful.

In summary, it was delicious.

Seeing other customers adding sauce, Broly followed suit.

As Broly enjoyed the takoyaki, Tohsaka Rin followed the suspected kidnapper down a staircase.

Hiding behind a box in the corner, she waited until the suspect left before sneaking into a rundown underground bar.

Inside, she saw several abducted children, including her missing desk mate.

"Kotone, Kotone..."

But no matter how she called, the girl remained unresponsive.

"She's under a magical hypnosis."

After checking, Tohsaka Rin deduced the situation.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Just as Tohsaka Rin was about to leave to find help, Ryūnosuke Uryū blocked her path, having returned unnoticed.

"If it weren't for my Servant's familiar, I wouldn't have noticed I was being followed. But luckily, it's just a cute little girl. So, what are you doing here?"

"I... I just took a wrong turn."

This sudden turn of events made Tohsaka Rin break into a cold sweat. She tried to explain and attempted to run past him.

"Since you're here, why not join big brother for some fun? Parties are better with more people."

However, Ryūnosuke blocked her and reached out to grab her. Expecting the hypnotic bracelet to easily subdue a child, he was surprised when a jolt of electricity made him let go.

"Do you have static electricity?"

Ryūnosuke was puzzled. Not being a magus, he didn't realize the bracelet's hypnosis magic was being resisted by the girl's innate magical energy, causing the shock-like effect.

"Don't climb onto the bar. If you fall and hurt yourself, it'll ruin the material. Art materials should be intact."

After some struggle, Ryūnosuke managed to grab Tohsaka Rin again. But as she resisted the hypnotic magic and destroyed the bracelet with her own magical energy, he was thrown back.

With the hypnotic tool destroyed, the children in the bar woke up. Realizing they were in a strange place, some began to cry.

"Rin, what's going on?"

"No time to explain. Follow me, everyone. Let's get out of here."

Under Tohsaka Rin's loud command, the confused children instinctively obeyed.

But as Tohsaka Rin opened the door to escape, a sea demon dropped from above.

"A familiar?!"

The grotesque sea demon frightened Tohsaka Rin, who quickly backed away.

"Good thing I have backup."

Ryūnosuke got up, relieved, and pulled out a small knife.