Type-Moon: My Destiny Compendium Chapter 6

The zipper was pulled open, revealing scalpels, nails, a small hammer… all the instruments of torture clattered out, glinting with iron and stained with blood.

The young man, a short sword plunged into his abdomen, struggled to pick them up and, without hesitation, turned them upon himself.

Cutting flesh, squeezing out blood.

These were the "gifts" Ryunosuke Uryu had intended for Sakutsuki, but now they were all used on himself.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Sakutsuki watched Ryunosuke Uryu's self-mutilation with golden eyes devoid of any ripple.

The panel of the Destiny Illustrated Book slowly unfolded.

[002: Ryunosuke Uryu]

[Character Information: Innocent Murderer…]

[Hidden Information: Despite committing crimes everywhere, he had his own job. He was never interested in his victims' money, earning his living honestly during the day—only to discover in the end that the death he pursued was within his own body, and he began to mutilate himself.]

[Recording Conditions (1/1):]

1. Kill Ryunosuke Uryu (Achieved)

[Recording Condition 1 Achieved, Reward Obtained: Ability Parameter "Endurance" Restored to Normal Value!]

[Endurance D→C]

A pleasant groan echoed from within him as Sakutsuki stretched his body, feeling considerably more resilient.

"The condition has been met, which also means…"

He looked up to see the man named "Ryunosuke Uryu" with hollow eyes, his fingers tightly gripping a blade, mechanically carving one wound after another into himself.

His blood had all run out, yet a stiff smile remained on his face.

It was like a ukiyo-e painting of a flaying hell.

… Sakutsuki silently withdrew his gaze.

While it was good that the murderer died early, to be caught up in something like this right after arriving in this world, and to have personally killed his "savior"... although he didn't regret it, he still felt somewhat displeased.

It was like wearing a freshly washed white shirt and getting splashed with mud by a passing tractor.

Bad luck.

If that's the case… the youth's gaze shifted, landing on a cliff not far away, his golden eyes gradually lighting up.

If that's the case, then he would use his signature move to wash away the filth clinging to him.

Facing the rising sun, the youth's eyes sparkled as he began to sprint towards the cliff.

Crossing the cool breeze, traversing the verdant ground, towards the clean, azure sky, he spread his arms—

"Wooohooo—!"

With an excited shout, the white-haired youth leaped out, plummeting from a peak 4158 meters above sea level!

Behind him, the kneeling figure collapsed in despair, his blood gradually drying in the sunlight, like a shattered red pomegranate.

The killer who loved leopards had died.

And the newly born eaglet, falling from the mountaintop, let out its first clear cry towards this beautiful world:

"Leap of Faith—!!!"

Five days later, in the vicinity of Zugspitze

The north wind howled, heavy snow blanketed the land, and the temperature plummeted to new lows. In this harsh weather, which even the German soldiers guarding the border found unbearable, a figure crossed the border between Austria and Germany, invading this desolate area.

This was a sparsely populated wilderness, and at the same time, the boundary between the mystical and the eternal.

The building known as "Winter's Castle," a participant in the Fourth Holy Grail War, and one of the three founding families of the Holy Grail, the Einzbern Family, was sealed away here, isolated from the world.

As the abnormal flow of magic dissipated and the final magic foundation was dismantled, the golden-eyed youth, Sakutsuki, stood up and wiped away nonexistent sweat from his face.

"Phew… Finally done. The Einzbern family truly lives up to its reputation as a great family with a thousand years of history. The defensive barriers they set up probably have more layers than even the patriarch can remember?"

Yes, after performing a Leap of Faith from Jungfrau Mountain in the Alps, Sakutsuki followed the trajectory of the ley lines and arrived near Winter's Castle, beginning his stealthy infiltration.

Having seen the plot of Fate/Zero, how could he not be interested in the Einzbern family, and in Kiritsugu Papa, who was currently residing here?

After all, this "Partner of Justice" was the original body's adoptive father, and the formidable individual who severed the Holy Grail in this Holy Grail War.

As for why he didn't simply charge into Winter's Castle with overwhelming force, but chose such a troublesome method of infiltration, there was a reason.

Sakutsuki looked up, and a faint blue panel appeared, displaying past records.

It was the reward obtained after fulfilling Angelica's recording conditions.

[Hidden Recording Condition 3 Achieved, Reward Obtained: Replacement Magic: Modified!]

[Replacement Magic: Modified: A+]

[As one of the introductory magic spells, its principle is a degraded basic magic of exchange. Few people use it, but in the hands of a certain family specializing in this path, the scale, precision, and scope of application of replacement magic have surpassed common sense, even touching upon ethereal concepts like space and spirit.]

[Under the power of mystery, Sakutsuki is as if he carries a magic workshop with him, able to perform replacement magic far beyond its normal capabilities. Moreover, he can even touch upon difficult-to-understand "conceptual" levels.]

Compared to the original replacement magic, Replacement Magic: Modified not only had a significant improvement in strength and precision but also transcended the realm of "knowing that it works" to "knowing why it works"—in other words, the Einsworth Family's thousand years of magical accumulation, theories, and techniques had all become knowledge in Sakutsuki's mind.

At this moment, Sakutsuki's knowledge regarding replacement magic was on par with Darius, the head of the Einsworth family for a thousand years; he merely lacked sufficient practical experience.

Winter's Castle's impregnable magical barrier – this was Sakutsuki's perfect training opportunity.

Concept Extraction: Art of Death, Ryunosuke is happy to get a bento, yay!

Special Reminder: Do not attempt a Leap of Faith (freefall) in the real world!!

The impact from falling from a great height can cause severe damage to the human body. Whether it's a haystack (though in the game Minecraft, hay bales reduce fall damage) or a sponge pad, neither can save you! Even if the fire department lays out an air cushion for you, it won't help.

In the Assassin's Creed movie, before the protagonist's ancestor, Aquilus, jumped into the water from a high place, he first threw his throwing knives into the water to disrupt the water's surface and reduce the impact he would receive. However, it was still extremely dangerous, and you should never try it.

Natsuki Subaru, please consciously ignore this.

Let's talk about a certain man.

The man who was filled with ideals more than anyone else, yet despaired because of them.

That man's dream was simple.

He sincerely wished for everyone to be happy and joyful.

Every boy has once harbored such a dream, but when they understand the cruelty of reality, they give up. They give up on such childish ideals.

Happiness comes at the cost of sacrifice – this is the simplest truth all children learn as they grow up.

But that man was different.

When he realized that all life in this world was placed on the scales of "sacrifice" and "salvation," and that neither side could ever be cleared...

He resolved to become the master of the scales.

In the snow-covered forest, the defensive barrier had been eroded, creating a small passage, enough for someone to sneak into Winter's Castle without anyone noticing.

...If the infiltrator had a map.

But unfortunately, Sakutsuki did not possess such a thing. Therefore, he chose a simple and crude method – to follow the trajectory of the spiritual veins.

As the Einzbern Family's main base, Winter's Castle was naturally built upon the highest quality spiritual veins in the Alps region. This is common knowledge for mage families.

Because of this, as long as he kept moving along the spiritual veins, he would eventually reach the core.

Amidst the howling wind and snow, Sakutsuki, using Replacement Magic: Modified, "replaced" and disrupted the vigilant parts of the defensive magic array, eliminating the mystery like shattering building blocks, he thought with hidden pride.

As an ordinary person from an ordinary world just half a month ago, he was very satisfied with his decision.

However, the result of his proud actions was an unexpected premature demise.

"Rustle..." Small snow boots struggled to break through the thick snow, small hands pushed aside the grass, and a little loli wearing a purple felt hat and a purple dress looked around, slowly walking towards Sakutsuki's location.

If it weren't for the heavy snowfall today obscuring her vision, the girl would have discovered Sakutsuki, the uninvited guest, immediately.

Oh no, this is really bad.

Sakutsuki stared at the little creature in the snowy forest approaching him, silently reflecting.

He had indeed considered all the variables regarding magic, but he had completely failed to consider the possibility of being discovered.

However, there was still a chance to escape. As long as he withdrew before being discovered, Sakutsuki could avoid the Bad End of a failed infiltration.

Yes, if he could use his extraordinary speed, he would surely be able to leave gracefully.

But just as he was about to act, the approaching face of the girl caused his movements to freeze as if the power had been cut off.

The blood in his entire body seemed to flow backward, and a trembling excitement coursed through Sakutsuki's spine. Emotions that did not belong to him warred within him, forcing Sakutsuki to look directly at the small figure approaching him.

Silver long hair, ruby-like eyes, a purple dress, like a snow spirit.

All these descriptions, in Sakutsuki's mind, in Shirou Emiya's body, conjured the same name –

Illyasviel von Einzbern.

The child of his adoptive father, Kiritsugu Emiya, and his wife, Irisviel. She was also his, Shirou Emiya's, older adopted sister – although Sakutsuki was taller and older than her.

Perhaps it was the change brought about by the memories of a transmigrator, but even when facing a relative who did not belong to his own worldline, this body still conveyed a strong emotion of "joy." It was as if someone who had lost everything, while wandering, realized once again that they were not alone.

And at this moment, Illya finally discovered the unfamiliar "big brother" Sakutsuki.

Without any caution or shouting, the silver-haired, snow-skinned girl looked at the tall, white-haired youth, a surprised smile blooming on her face.

Although she was only six years old and could barely stand, Illya still performed a lady's curtsey by lifting her skirt and bending her knees. Then, she eagerly stood up, her ruby-like eyes full of anticipation:

"Big brother, big brother, do you know what a walnut sprout is?"

Under Illya's expectant gaze, Sakutsuki couldn't bring himself to say "no" and could only crouch down with a wry smile: "Yes, I do. It's the new sprout from a walnut tree, right?"

"Mhm, yes!" Illya giggled happily after receiving an affirmative answer. "Hey, big brother, um, can you do Illya a favor?"

"Of course, tell me."

"Let's look for walnut sprouts in the forest together!" Illya clenched her small fists and said spiritedly, "I must win against Kiritsugu in tomorrow's competition!"

I see, so she snuck out today? No wonder there was no one else with her... Sakutsuki fell silent for a moment, then smiled and extended his hand: "It's my honor, little princess of Winter's Castle."

However, his gesture of extending his hand seemed to have been misinterpreted by Illya. She smiled happily, grabbed Sakutsuki's arm with both hands, and climbed onto his shoulders as if climbing a great mountain, making "heave-ho" sounds.

Sakutsuki's body swayed slightly before quickly stabilizing.

The girl's small and frail body was not as heavy as Sakutsuki had anticipated. Holding her felt like scooping up a handful of fresh snow, as if she would fall with the slightest shake, so delicate he was afraid.

Her weight was less than fifteen kilograms... the young man quickly concluded.

The magical knowledge inherited from the Einsworth Family made a ruthless judgment: this girl's body had long been adjusted, making her more like a vessel for some kind of artifact than a human being—her development would most likely stop before the onset of secondary sexual characteristics.

Illyasviel... Within her was concentrated the crystallization of the Einzbern Family over a thousand years, and also flowed the sins this family had committed along the way.

"Let's go, big brother!" Illya, unaware of Sakutsuki's thoughts, quickly settled herself in. After taking a few small breaths, she excitedly shouted, "Illya will definitely beat Kiritsugu tomorrow!"

Recalling his scattered thoughts, Sakutsuki presented Illya with his usual gentle smile:

"As you command, my dearest little princess, let us depart~~"

"Wow, so high, so high! Illya is flying—!"

The crisp, carefree laughter belonging only to a child echoed through the walnut forest, filled with wind and snow.

"Big brother, what's your name?"

"Sakutsuki... No, just call me Shirou. At least here, you can call me that."

"Oh, oh... Then, Sakutsuki Shirou big brother, have you found any walnut buds?"

"Look over there, aren't those walnut buds?"

In Sakutsuki's eyes, who possessed the innate skill Clairvoyance: C, the new buds wrapped under the white snow were so clear.

"Where, where? Wow, they really are! Shirou big brother is so amazing!"

"Haha, of course."

Amidst their joyful laughter, Sakutsuki and Illya slowly traversed the forest. Ahead of them, the grand silhouette of the Einzbern Family's castle loomed indistinctly.