The so-called inevitable future is the form that will inevitably be achieved in a future where anything is possible. For example, within the next ten years of Aoko's future, she might get married or remain single, she might become a Dead Apostle due to some strange encounter, but there's a greater possibility that she'll remain human. However, no matter what the future holds, Aoko will inevitably still be the Fifth Magus.
To make an analogy: the trajectory of human life is a line that constantly twists and extends forward. The inevitable future is a line perpendicular to the front line. This line penetrates all the points of advancement and development in future life, and the result achieved by connecting these points is the inevitable self of the future.
The field of flower sea covered by Aoko's Fifth Magic was the only area not affected by the Predecessor Magus's Grand Forbidden Wind Spell at this moment. Of course, this was only for now, but once that destructive wind tunnel crashed down, everything would turn to dust.
Aoko looked at the Grand Forbidden Spell that the Predecessor Magus was gradually completing with an unprecedentedly serious gaze. It wasn't that she didn't want to interrupt, but she had already tried enough. Even the maximum output of the magic bullet - Grand Eclipse - would be directly sucked into the magic power wind tunnel in the sky.
Can I really only use my future self for one last gamble... "Aoko, go. I believe in you, and I believe in your future." At this moment, Rin, slumped on the ground, forced a strained smile at Aoko. It was a life-or-death decision, a final gamble; continued indecision was no different from waiting for death.
At this time, Rin had just exhausted all her combat power in a head-on confrontation to hold back the Predecessor Magus in his full glory; it was no exaggeration to say she was on her last breath. Alice had previously used all her combat power to support the operation of her familiars, and the impact of the familiars' massive destruction had left her mentally exhausted and unconscious. Even the invisible Moon Oil hadn't escaped destruction. Touko, who had continuously cast grand magic before, wasn't known for her magic power reserves, and she was already depleted, unable to fight further.
At this point, Aoko had become the only effective combat force on their side.
"Aoko, even though you're always reckless and unreliable, I believe you're still very dependable at critical moments. Now, the fate of all of us rests entirely on you." Rin's eyes looked at Aoko with complete trust. She was willing to believe in Aoko's arduous efforts and struggles, and also in her own guidance and their shared sweat, blood, and tears for Aoko.
"Use my time. Ten or twenty years doesn't matter. To your limit, do your best. Believe me, I'm not that kind of short-lived person."
Aoko shifted her gaze from the gradually completing Grand Forbidden Wind Spell back to the heavily injured Rin. Their eyes met, and she said: "Compared to my usual reckless self, Rin, who is always so reliable, both normally and at critical moments, is surely more worthy of trust. Rin, thank you for your trust, but for me, you are more worthy of my trust than I am myself!"
Her hands, glowing with an infinitely mysterious light, pressed onto the heavily injured Rin. Rin immediately realized what Aoko was about to do!
"Rin, I believe in your future. In exchange for my time, descend, Tohsaka Rin from ten years, no, twenty years later!"
Boom!
The mysterious axis of time materialized again. This time, the axis of time extended directly from Rin's body. Rin was enveloped in a turbulent chaotic light. Aoko's Fifth Magic ascended the axis of time towards the future. An unknown existence from twenty years later was flowing down the opened path... At this moment, Rin's consciousness seemed to be thrown into the long river of time. From the distant future, a familiar yet strange figure rushed towards her, then collided and merged... Rin, enveloped in chaos, twisted like a liquid amorphous creature, rapidly forming an upright human figure. The figure's height had already surpassed the current Rin, reaching 178 centimeters... "Snap."
The magic of transcending time was complete. What emerged after breaking through the membrane of chaos was Rin's appearance twenty years later, at the age of twenty-six.
A tall figure over 178 cm, still maintaining her twin-tails hairstyle. A gorgeous long trench coat, intricately woven with black and red magic patterns, billowed with the strong wind. Her magnificent twin peaks, tightly bound by a black tight bustier, were at least a standard 35C. Simple and bold tight shorts stopped three inches above her knees, and she wore knee-high black boots. Her hands, with fingerless gloves embroidered with magic arrays on the back, naturally and unhurriedly took out a lighter to light the cigarette she held in her cherry-like mouth... Aoko stared at the "savior" she had summoned, blinking rapidly, her wide eyes scanning Tohsaka Rin up and down in disbelief. From her identical beautiful face, it was clear this was indeed Rin. Twenty years later, her facial features were only slightly deepened, making her appear mature rather than youthful. Her outstanding height and exceptional figure left Aoko with no doubts, but... what the hell! The world was about to end, and she was calmly lighting a cigarette!
Rin from Twenty Years Later must be a smoking, delinquent older sister type!? She wouldn't also have hobbies like teasing cute young boys or something, would she!?
Aoko watched Rin from Twenty Years Later, her mind constantly collapsing. And Rin from Twenty Years Later, of course, noticed Aoko's gaze. With a cigarette in her mouth, she turned to look at Aoko and said: "Aoko, really, why are you so excited to summon me? Actually, summoning me from ten, or even five years later, would have been enough to handle the current situation."
Aoko immediately went from collapsing to being dumbfounded. This Rin from Twenty Years Later seemed a bit too casual! She completely disregarded the old driver who had been driving for over a hundred years.
Rin from Twenty Years Later shifted her gaze back to the Predecessor Magus, who was performing the Grand Forbidden Spell. She calmly smoked, taking a puff, letting it travel through her lungs for a while, then exhaling. Aoko smelled Rin's "second-hand smoke." There was no choking smell of burning tobacco leaves or tar; instead, it was a light, ethereal scent of a hundred flowers. Far from numbing the brain, it was refreshing, instantly clearing her thoughts and calming her down a lot.
Aoko, sobered by Rin's "second-hand smoke," immediately realized it wasn't the time to complain and quickly said to Rin: "No matter what, hurry up and stop him!"
However, Rin from Twenty Years Later, facing the imminent completion of the world-destroying Grand Forbidden Spell, was unexpectedly calm. She continued to smoke unhurriedly, completely unconcerned, and said with a listless tone: "What's the rush? Let me finish this cigarette. Do you want one? To calm down."
With that light remark, Aoko immediately fell to her knees, her entire being turning completely gray.
What kind of person did I summon by sacrificing twenty years of time? It must be fake, you're definitely fake! Did the summoning go wrong and I called the wrong person? How could my reliable Rin be like this in the future...
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