Type-Moon, I, Sakura Matou, Rewrite Destiny

Repeating the keywords Sakura Matou had spoken, Kiritsugu Emiya's expression grew solemn.

However... Kiritsugu Emiya felt a flicker of confusion regarding the excessive vigilance of the two Servants beside him.

Sakura Matou's behavior in the courtyard just now shouldn't have warranted such attention from these two Servants... there had to be something strange going on.

"Oh dear, it seems I've accidentally let slip something I shouldn't have...!"

Frowning and warily scanning her surroundings, Artoria had already formed her own evaluation of Sakura Matou, this young girl, after the incident in the garden and the current situation... a human child full of malicious intent.

Chakra or energy from another world.

Artoria and Leonidas didn't fully believe the words of Sakura Matou, this child with malicious intent.

The reason they had become so solemn and vigilant the moment Sakura Matou spoke was entirely because, at the instant she made a sound, both of them sensed a threatening aura emanating from her.

Challenging a Servant, for Sakura Matou at this moment, was akin to courting death.

Let alone a frontal challenge, even a surprise attack from a five-year-old girl would inflict extremely limited damage on a Servant.

Then why was this young girl repeatedly provoking the Servants, constantly testing the boundaries of courting death?

Naturally, it was for... Destiny Points.

Whether it was running up to Artoria to court death, or now, revealing information that shouldn't have been spoken to the enemy before her.

It was all for Destiny Points...

Just now, the moment Sakura Matou leaked information to the three of them...

The Destiny Points, which had already surged several times since the start of the Pseudo-Holy Grail War, had once again experienced a significant increase.

In the blink of an eye... just as Sakura Matou spoke the first half of her sentence.

On the panel that had been displayed before Sakura Matou, the Destiny Points jumped directly from 3700 to 4300.

This single half-sentence had brought Sakura Matou a full 600 units of Destiny.

And at the very instant the Destiny Points jumped from 3700 to 4300.

Based on the information obtained from her conversation with Solomon last night, Sakura Matou, who had already decided which character to summon next, pressed the summon button on the panel without hesitation.

Without any warning, without any anomaly.

As 4000 units of Destiny were deducted, and Sakura Matou finished her sentence.

A chilling malice and an indescribable aura instantly emanated from Sakura Matou's shadow.

As the summoner, Sakura Matou naturally knew the truth behind this sudden surge of malice.

And for the keenly perceptive Servants, the threat emanating from this astonishing malice and aura was enough to put them on full alert.

Through 'Magecraft,' Sakura Matou's taunts continued.

However, as Sakura Matou taunted, she also grasped a slender, jade-like arm that emerged from her shadow at that very moment.

26. The Spirit of Time—Kurumi Tokisaki!

A voice that was both like a spoiled child's and full of wildness, like a yandere from legend, incredibly pleasant to hear, accompanied the owner of the slender, jade-like arm as she emerged from the shadow and appeared before Sakura Matou, reaching her ears.

"Now... that strange Magus... and those two strange Spirits... are they Sakura's enemies?"

Her long, black hair, like silk, tied into twin ponytails, her right eye the color of ruby, and her left eye, a faint gold, exuded a peculiar demonic charm. Her cherry-blossom-petal-like tender lips and skin as fair and smooth as pearls, paired with her gorgeous Gothic attire...

Wildness, chuunibyou... under the guise of these seemingly incompatible temperaments... Kurumi Tokisaki, summoned with 4000 units of Sakura Matou's Destiny, made her grand entrance!

Releasing Kurumi Tokisaki's slender hand, Sakura Matou looked at the time 'Spirit' from 'Date A Live' before her, and couldn't help but close her small mouth, ceasing her barrage of trash talk towards Kiritsugu Emiya and the others.

"They can't be considered enemies, but they can be considered uninvited unwelcome guests."

Raising a slender index finger to her lips, Tokisaki smiled charmingly and then nodded.

"Unwelcome guests? Then does Sakura need me to drive them away for you?"

"Of course I do... but, Sister Kurumi, why did you come out of my shadow..."

"Ara ara, you noticed, Sakura? You're quite perceptive... I've turned your shadow into my Shadow Space."

Shadow Space—this was a special space created by Tokisaki to hide herself, store her clones, and imprison others.

In other words... besides the Tokisaki appearing before Sakura Matou... countless Tokisakis were currently hidden within Sakura Matou's shadow.

Yes, Tokisaki. Although Tokisaki's clones could only be considered clones for certain reasons, Sakura Matou, knowing their true nature, was well aware that aside from minor issues, Tokisaki's clones were essentially past versions of Tokisaki recreated by her using the Eighth Bullet.

Except for the limitation on their activity time due to the main body Tokisaki's spiritual power, in all other aspects... they were not much different from Tokisaki. Of course, if being used as her decoy counted, then... Tokisaki's clones possessed the attribute of cannon fodder in addition to being Tokisaki herself.

Carrying a bunch of Gothic beauties around was something Sakura Matou naturally didn't mind; in fact, she was somewhat delighted.

Moreover, these Gothic beauties were capable of protecting her... Sakura Matou certainly didn't mind even more.

"Is that so? Then I'll be counting on you, Sister Kurumi."

"Sakura will be counting on you in the future..."

"Mm, Sister Kurumi, please take care of me in the future as well..."

The small and large hands clasped again, and it was evident that genuine joy appeared in both their eyes at that moment.

Perhaps this was compatibility.

Some people, from the moment they meet, naturally feel a liking for each other.

Is it a case of "the toad eyeing the swan"? Love at first sight? ... In any case, fate is always a mysterious thing.

After their brief exchange concluded.

A single bullet hit Kurumi...

The next second, Kurumi vanished.

She disappeared right in front of Sakura.

At the entrance to the underground laboratory, seeing Kurumi suddenly disappear, Sakura naturally knew that Kurumi was going to drive away the so-called unwelcome guests for her.

Sakura had no doubt that Kurumi could successfully drive away two Servants and one Magus.

As long as Kurumi had time, her clones were infinite, and as long as there were clones, Kurumi could revive an infinite number of times through them... It was true that killing them might be difficult for Kurumi, but... it was also incredibly difficult for them to defeat Kurumi.

Moreover... the trio above ground now had a fatal weakness...

At the Matou residence above ground.

Kurumi appeared brazenly before the three, holding two flintlock pistols.

A shot rang out, and the battle immediately began.

"Hahahaha, you first, strange Magus—First Bullet!"

With the flintlock pistol pressed against his temple, followed by a gunshot, Kurumi, just as she had vanished before Sakura, instantly appeared beside Kiritsugu Emiya, inside the defensive perimeter.

"Divine Speed Movement!"

"Space Movement!"

Facing Kurumi who had suddenly appeared inside their defensive perimeter.

Artoria and Leonidas each shouted their guesses, simultaneously swinging their weapons with all their might at the phantom behind them.

Turning to swing their weapons, they were too late to react to Kurumi, who was decisive and only needed to aim at Kiritsugu's heart and pull the trigger.

The trigger was pulled directly, and the bullet flew out, propelled by spiritual power.

If nothing unexpected happened, in just an instant, Kurumi would have successfully taken Kiritsugu Emiya's life.

"Chronos Field - 4x Speed!"

With a low murmur, a miracle akin to magic was unfolding within Kiritsugu Emiya's body.

The culmination of generations of exploration by the Emiya family unfolded at this moment as a grand magecraft upon Kiritsugu Emiya...

Watching the bullet inching its way towards his heart.

Kiritsugu Emiya, whose body was screaming in pain, turned sideways in this seemingly frozen space and raised his pistol.

Time!

This was also a power that Kiritsugu Emiya possessed. Relying on half of the magic crest accumulated by the Emiya family over generations within his body, Kiritsugu Emiya could briefly interfere with time within a small range.

Through this ability, Kiritsugu Emiya, who was in mortal danger just a second ago, managed to reverse the situation in the next.

Not only did he sidestep the incoming bullet, but he also pulled the trigger towards Kurumi's collarbone, exposed outside her spiritual outfit.

Bang... bang... bang...

The magazine was emptied, and the slender Kurumi fell into a pool of blood.

"Time... this strange girl's ability is time!"

"Time..."

Hearing Kiritsugu Emiya's explanation, Artoria, who had vaguely sensed Kurumi's trajectory of movement through her intuition, suddenly widened her eyes.

"It's time... Oh no!"

However, before Artoria could finish, a dire situation unfolded exactly as she had feared.

Just like before, when they had only a vague sense, another Kurumi appeared before them... This time, however, the newly appeared Kurumi pulled the trigger right against Kiritsugu Emiya's chest.

Facing a point-blank shot.

Kiritsugu Emiya had no way to dodge this time. After all, his Chronos Field only accelerated him by interfering with time.

With a point-blank shot, Kiritsugu Emiya had absolutely no chance of escape.

With a muffled groan, Kiritsugu Emiya, hit by the point-blank shot, clutched his chest and fell to the ground in the pool of blood formed by Kurumi.

"Kiritsugu!"

"Master!"

27. General! Kiritsugu's Miscalculation...

Bulletproof vest, another bulletproof vest.

After Artoria and Leonidas escorted the fallen Kiritsugu from the complex terrain of the Matou residence to the garden.

Kiritsugu Emiya, clutching his chest with a pained expression, gradually recovered after reaching the garden.

However, this was a mistake.

In the complex indoor terrain, Kurumi, who could appear and disappear at will, was indeed a threat.

With the help of the First Bullet, Kurumi, capable of accelerating time, was difficult for them to deal with in such complicated terrain.

But... was coming to an open area, leaving enough room for reaction, the correct choice?

As more than a dozen Kurumis, with sinister grins, appeared in every corner of the garden like yanderes.

It was clear that Artoria and the others had made a wrong judgment.

Kiritsugu Emiya, clutching his chest with a slightly pale face, knowing he had at least one broken rib, looked at the Kurumis who had completely surrounded them. A rare expression of solemnity and astonishment appeared on his face.

"Arthur... can Lancer handle this?"

Shaking his head with a grave expression, both Artoria and Leonidas were confident in defeating the Kurumis appearing within the compound. After all, apart from that astonishing sudden acceleration, the power Kurumi actually displayed wasn't too strong.

Even Kiritsugu Emiya's magic-infused bullets could successfully kill a 'Kurumi'.

However, it was precisely the terrifying Divine Speed Movement displayed by the First Bullet that made Artoria and Leonidas shake their heads.

It wasn't that... they weren't afraid of Kurumi ambushing them like she ambushed Kiritsugu... nor were they lacking confidence in defeating these Kurumis... but they couldn't guarantee Kiritsugu's safety during the fight.

Seeing the expressions on his two Servants' faces, Kiritsugu seemed to understand the meaning behind Artoria and Leonidas's headshakes...

In a battle of Servant-level combatants... he, as the Master, was undoubtedly a hindrance.

Just as Kiritsugu was desperately searching for a route to escape the garden... several kilometers away from Kiritsugu, behind Hisau Maya, who was perched on the edge of a tall building with a sniper rifle, constantly providing Kiritsugu with intelligence... a 'Kurumi' had, at some unknown time, quietly appeared behind her.