Let Posterity Judge Our Merits and Faults / There's Something Strange About My Jewel Magecraft

Saving one person meant one person saved. That was his value.

"In this World Line, you and my lord were not ruler and subject, but friends. That was why the miracle of a friend's promise bringing someone back for one night could happen. The Seven Star Lantern was merely the catalyst. You returned because of your own will."

Just as Zhuge Liang had said, Fujimaru Kyoya's brief resurrection had not relied solely on the Seven Star Lantern. It had also come from the talent known as "Last Will."

A gentleman's promise—no regrets even in the face of death nine times over.

Even in Hell, if Fujimaru Kyoya had even the slightest chance, he would return.

"The... dawn is breaking."

Zhuge Liang's vision had gone blurry. In truth, he could barely see anything anymore. Killing Sima Yi had dispersed even his final breath.

Fujimaru Kyoya's figure also began to blur.

"Take care."

Zhuge Liang struggled to his feet and clasped his hands in salute toward Fujimaru Kyoya.

"Take care."

Returning the salute, Fujimaru Kyoya turned into mist and vanished within the command tent.

That day, a star fell over Wuzhang Plains.

Later generations mourned Zhuge Liang's passing, but Zhuge Liang smiled. Even at death, he was still smiling.

Later Generations May Judge Right and Wrong, Merit and Fault

"Kyo, you actually read books? How strange."

Matou Shinji looked as though he had seen a ghost. Was the world ending tomorrow? After all, Fujimaru Kyoya appearing in a library was probably something that would only happen during a zombie apocalypse.

"Is it really that exaggerated? I'm just looking up some information."

Fujimaru Kyoya glanced at the Records of the Three Kingdoms in his hands, then at the information displayed by the simulator.

[You died.]

[You completed the ending "A Star Falls Over Wuzhang Plains." You may draw one of the Three Basic Talents.]

[Please wait. Drawing in progress... Drawing complete.]

[You obtained the talent "Ghost Brain."]

[You inherited the talent "Non-form."]

After finishing this simulation, Fujimaru Kyoya had hastily bid Kishinami Hakuno farewell and come to the Fuyuki City library almost immediately, all for this set of Records of the Three Kingdoms.

As the pages turned and Fujimaru Kyoya's eyes swept across the words, even though he was not deliberately trying to memorize them, a stream of information entered his mind and gradually became impossible to erase.

Damn, was Ghost Brain actually some kind of god-tier learning skill? Zhao Tian had never read a single book in that life. What a waste.

Fujimaru Kyoya was practically "quantum reading" right now, yet he still remembered everything he saw with remarkable clarity. Getting into the University of Tokyo in this life probably would not be a problem.

No, my first choice can only be Hogwarts.

"What kind of efficiency is that? If there's something you want to know, why not just ask me directly?"

Matou Shinji could not stand seeing Fujimaru Kyoya "waste" books like that, so he snatched the book away. He knew the Three Kingdoms story backward and forward.

"What was the outcome of the Battle of Changbanpo again?"

"You're asking that?"

Matou Shinji immediately looked at Fujimaru Kyoya as if he were an idiot.

"In Luo Guanzhong's novel, Zhao Yun charged in and out seven times to save A Dou. But in the official history, Zhao Yun alone held back five thousand Cao Army soldiers, buying Lady Gan and Lady Mi time to escape."

Even Matou Shinji could not help sighing at that point. Which one was supposed to be fiction, and which one was history?

That historical account had been so absurdly exaggerated that many people questioned whether it was true. Luo Guanzhong's novel, on the other hand, balanced the gap between both sides, and the story told through the dramatic device of "seven charges in and seven charges out" gained greater recognition.

"And what about Sima Yi?"

"He lived a long life in the novel, but in the official history, he died at Wuzhang Plains because of Zhuge Liang's final stratagem."

Matou Shinji could not help sighing again. Two great figures had died at a tiny place like Wuzhang Plains. It really made one reflect.

"I see."

Fujimaru Kyoya took back the Records of the Three Kingdoms. He naturally did not remember when the Sima Clan usurped the throne or when their dynasty ended, but when he turned to the Battle of Yiling and saw Liu Bei being rescued, he could not help sighing.

Those 129,600 men of Zhuge Liang's had probably been saved after all.

History had not changed much overall, but certain details had indeed diverged. They were proof that Zhuge Liang and he had once been there.

What an interesting simulator.

"By the way, didn't you set aside some money for me? I'm planning to take some of it out now."

"Money? You really don't plan on keeping it? I counted it as technology shareholding for you."

Matou Shinji looked at Fujimaru Kyoya. This guy had been acting strangely lately and hanging around Tohsaka Rin. Was he planning to step into the world of Magecraft?

"Kyo, you should know that once the 2008 crisis arrives, Cryptocurrency will have tremendous prospects."

Fujimaru Kyoya had first pointed out the 2008 Subprime Crisis. After Matou Shinji verified it, Fujimaru Kyoya had also explained the concept of Cryptocurrency.

Simply put, after that economic crisis, many people would lose faith in the US Dollar and seek to create a decentralized currency.

If Matou Shinji could launch such a currency immediately after the economic crisis, then whether he expanded the concept of Cryptocurrency or cashed out and left, he would make an enormous profit.

That was the "technology shareholding" Matou Shinji had proposed. Now, in order to practice Magecraft, Fujimaru Kyoya intended to withdraw some of that money.

"As far as I'm concerned, money only needs to be enough. Right now, it isn't enough anymore."

"Not enough? Don't tell me you..."

"That's right. I've been studying Magecraft with Tohsaka recently."

Magecraft was a secret that needed to be hidden, but the person before him also came from a Mage Family, so Fujimaru Kyoya did not conceal it.

"You... Sigh. I'll prepare the money for you, but don't become too much like a magus, Kyo."

"Got it. Then I'll leave it to you."

Fujimaru Kyoya left, while Matou Shinji let out a breath.

"You really are good at everything. If it had been before, I might have been driven mad with jealousy."

Matou Shinji said it with self-mockery.

Though he had been born into a Mage Family, he lacked the aptitude to become a magus. Without Magic Circuits, it was practically certain that he had no talent whatsoever for the path of Magecraft. But...

"Has she finally arrived?"

Matou Shinji looked at a woman in the distance carrying a long, narrow case. She was the person he had been waiting for all this time: a Grand Puppeteer.

"Mr. Matou? You're... unexpectedly young."

Aozaki Touko looked at Matou Shinji before her. She had not expected the person with so many strange and ingenious ideas to be such a young man.

Or was some old bastard disguising himself?

"You flatter me. I asked for Miss Aozaki this time mainly because of that matter."

"Artificial Magic Circuits? That's quite a bold idea."

Aozaki Touko drew a Rune in the air, and a Bystander-Repelling Barrier appeared.

"Not Artificial Magic Circuits, but a substitute for Magic Circuits."

Matou Shinji had searched through all the books in his home, so naturally he would not make such a basic mistake. Mana was merely one manifestation of life force. Since Matou Shinji was still alive, that meant Mana existed within him.

What he lacked now was the thing that could activate that Mana—Magic Circuits.

"Magic Circuits are ultimately just simulated nerves, filters that connect the body's Minor Source to the world's Great Source. Such things do not necessarily have to exist within the body."

An External Organ.

Aozaki Touko had heard of theories like this, but the risks were extremely high. Still, if it was something like Magic Circuits, which did not exist for ordinary people in the first place, even failure would not cause much trouble.

"The key is stability."

Aozaki Touko did not deny Matou Shinji's talent. This truly was an unexplored field.

For magi, "secrecy" was of paramount importance.

No one would waste their time researching artificial circuits that let ordinary people use Magecraft. Yet now, Aozaki Touko might be stepping into this field.

"What do I gain by accepting work that might let ordinary people learn Magecraft?"

As a magus, Aozaki Touko had no reason to take on such a thankless task.

"What do you mean?"

"The price goes up."

My Jewel Magecraft Is a Little Strange

Bang!

The sound of fighting came from the courtyard of Fuyuki Church. Kirei Kotomine and Fujimaru Kyoya briefly exchanged a direct blow. Though Kirei's face remained expressionless, his arms had actually gone numb.

"Wait."

Seeing Fujimaru Kyoya preparing to continue, Kirei Kotomine hurriedly stopped him. Otherwise, this senior uncle would make a complete fool of himself today.

"Winning through hand-to-hand combat is a method only heretics like me use. What truly determines a magus's accomplishments is their attainment in Magecraft."

"That's right. Jewel Magecraft isn't something so barbaric."

Tohsaka Rin chimed in from the side, though after watching Fujimaru Kyoya's self-created Exploding Stone Magecraft these past few days, she was admittedly a little tempted.

"Fine. I recently created a Magecraft of my own too."

Fujimaru Kyoya's words piqued Tohsaka Rin's curiosity. Altering a few minor details of a Magecraft did not count as creating a new Magecraft.

"Interesting. Show us."

Kirei Kotomine's clothes already carried the Church's blessings. Their Magic Resistance was first-rate for this era. If Fujimaru Kyoya was using Magecraft, it should be easier to deal with.

Fujimaru Kyoya took out a Cat's Eye with some reluctance. Back when he played mobile games, he had always adhered to the principle of spending nothing. He had never expected to become a Whale.

Mana was the manifestation of life force. Magic Circuits were the simulated nerves unique to magi.

Both were parts of Fujimaru Kyoya's body, and Ghost Brain gave him nearly perfect control over his body.

Fujimaru Kyoya activated his Magic Circuits, and streams of Mana began to stir. Then he exerted force through his arm and crushed the expensive Cat's Eye directly in his hand.

Jewel Shotgun.

Fujimaru Kyoya flung the crushed Cat's Eye forward. The tremendous force sent it hurtling toward Kirei Kotomine. But it was not over yet—the fine dust exploded the moment it touched Kirei Kotomine.

Boom!

A huge cloud of smoke rose. If not for the Bystander Expulsion Magecraft around the area, they would probably already have been surrounded by onlookers.

"Nice."

"Nice my ass! That isn't Jewel Magecraft at all."

Tohsaka Rin could naturally tell that this so-called "Jewel Shotgun" was nothing more than pouring a massive amount of Mana into shattered Cat's Eye fragments, destabilizing their internal structure, and causing them to explode.

Its power was not bad, but it had absolutely nothing to do with "elegance."

Tohsaka Rin began to regret it. Fujimaru Kyoya's existence would become a disgrace in the history of the Tohsaka Family. The Jewel Magecraft passed down through her family for generations was finally going to turn into "Exploding Stone Magecraft."

"Cough, cough. What an interesting Magecraft. Where did you get the inspiration for it?"

Compared to Tohsaka Rin's helpless complaints, Kirei Kotomine, who had taken the attack head-on, had more right to speak. This unconventional Magecraft indeed had nothing to do with "elegance," but its destructive power was quite impressive.

It reminded Kirei Kotomine of the man who had already died—Emiya Kiritsugu.

"Inspiration? Probably... from Imitation Fist."

What did this have to do with Imitation Fist?

Not only Tohsaka Rin, but even Kirei Kotomine silently complained in his heart.

"Imitation Fist is originally a martial art that imitates animals, but I think pistols are a lot stronger than animals, right? If so, why don't we just imitate pistols directly?"

"How can a person imitate a machine, you bastard?"