A Person in Type-Moon, Now Offline

Sakura Matou hesitated slightly. It was a child's nature to miss their mother, regardless of whether their living environment was superior or not. But wasn't her brother fighting in the Holy Grail War? Grandpa had said the Holy Grail War was a dangerous thing, so bringing her to see their mother and sister at this time would cause a lot of trouble for her brother.

"This is a trade," the boy said, winking at the visibly wavering Sakura.

Sakura Matou understood his gaze. It was a look of intimacy, tinged with a hint of pleading.

"I want to ask Tohsaka-senpai for advice," Li Zihan said. Who was he? A transmigrator, or perhaps a Mage, he lied without any pressure. "I really want to learn gem Magecraft, but I don't have a master to guide me. If Sakura goes to see her family, I can also take the opportunity to meet Tohsaka-senpai."

The above statement was pure nonsense. When it came to gem Magecraft, there were enough people stronger than Tokiomi Tohsaka in the Clock Tower to fill the entire El-Melloi classroom.

So that's how it is. Sakura Matou seemed to understand. Indeed, her father was a very capable person, so it was normal for her brother to want to learn from him.

"Before that, let's go play for a while," the boy said, stating the true purpose of their outing without hesitation. Fuyuki was the prototype of Kobe from his previous life. Kobe was a great place, with beautiful scenery and a rich cultural atmosphere. Thinking about it, Fuyuki wouldn't be too bad either. "Sakura, don't you want to go out and play?"

Sakura nodded. Since it wouldn't cause her brother trouble, she naturally wanted to go play. Even the most well-behaved child had a playful heart.

"Today's destinations are Rokko Mountain Ranch, the Herb Garden, the Kobe Animal Kingdom, and Sannomiya Center Gai," the boy exclaimed, completely at odds with his quiet demeanor. "I am the man who will surpass Yasuo!"

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ps: Caught up with time.

I didn't flake!

Chapter 10: Kiritsugu Emiya's Worries

Unlike the boy who was aiming to compete with the happy wind-man, the person based at Einsbern Castle on the outskirts of Fuyuki City was certainly not as happy as Yasuo.

The pale-faced middle-aged man limped back and forth in front of the forest, his expression melancholic, like a philosopher contemplating the three fundamental questions of life. Beside him, a beautiful woman with white hair and red eyes, and a capable assistant, repeatedly tried to step forward to support the man who was temporarily unable to move, but they stopped at his gesture. They could only look at the man they admired with concern, hoping he wouldn't be too dejected by yesterday's defeat.

He reached into his pocket, took out a pack of cigarettes, and lit one. The man named Kiritsugu Emiya drew on his cigarette while recalling yesterday's operation.

Calling it an operation might be a bit inappropriate. A more fitting word would be a crushing defeat, a defeat on both sides.

First, on the Master's side, Kiritsugu Emiya, through the intelligence he obtained by risking half his life yesterday, had confirmed the identity of that intergalactic Mage: the Lord of the Mineralogy Department of the Clock Tower's Twelve Departments, Kaineth El-Melloi Archibald, a man who could utterly crush all Masters in Fuyuki City in terms of Magecraft.

Logically, such a person should disdain the use of technology, as they could simulate most technological creations with their masterful Magecraft. However, this noble Lord, for some unknown reason, had researched methods specifically targeting modern weapons. For example, using Magecraft to apply body heat to Mercury Dolls to deceive night vision goggles, or constantly surrounding himself with the strongest Mystic Codes to prevent surprise attacks. He had also simulated pulse bombs with lightning-type Magecraft, directly disabling all high-precision instruments present.

These were still minor issues; there were even more infuriating things for Mr. Kiritsugu below.

This guy, a Lord of the Clock Tower, was actually wearing a bulletproof vest reinforced with Magecraft! Thinking of this, even Kiritsugu Emiya, who had seen his fair share of storms, twitched at the corner of his mouth. This guy was more of an anomaly in the hidden world than himself.

Last night, Kiritsugu Emiya used his severe injuries as bait to lure out Lancer's Master. Then, after the Lord appeared, he feigned desperation and madly fired useless shots at the enemy. As expected, Kiritsugu Emiya received Kaineth's contempt. Then, under the enemy's disappointed and contemptuous gaze, Kiritsugu Emiya squeezed out his life force to convert it into Magic Power, replacing the brass bullets with Origin Bullets. Subsequently, he activated Time Alter to five times the speed in an instant, striking Kaineth, whose Magic Circuits were fully open, at the fastest speed of his life.

The plan was excellent, reflecting Mr. Emiya's tenacious willpower, steely endurance, and calm, reliable thinking. He was like a lone wolf waiting for its moment, ready to tear at the target's throat regardless of danger the moment it revealed the slightest flaw.

Unfortunately, the enemy's bulletproof vest material was too good; it failed to penetrate.

Taking a deep drag of his cigarette, Kiritsugu Emiya's expression grew even more melancholic. If Assassin hadn't suddenly appeared to attack Kaineth and draw his fire last night, he would have been finished.

As the saying goes, good fortune never comes singly, and misfortune never comes alone. In the Servant battle, Saber showed perfect synchronization with her Master. The King of Knights had always thought that Lancer's twin guns only had one Noble Phantasm. However, she was ambushed by a short spear that had been discarded in the ruins beforehand, resulting in an unhealable injury to one hand. Now, she couldn't even unleash her Noble Phantasm.

Then came the appearance of the Rider pair. The Rider named Iskandar forcibly separated the two and introduced himself, asking Saber and Lancer if they were willing to join his team. He was as passionate as a protagonist in a hot-blooded anime.

Next was the appearance of Archer, that arrogant golden flash with "I am the best in the world" practically written on his face. He even seemed inclined to challenge all the pairs present single-handedly.

Such arrogant behavior, if he hadn't been quickly killed off in history, and could still leave behind great achievements, he must have had extraordinary qualities, perhaps even being a transcendent powerhouse.

What happened next confirmed this. Archer discovered Assassin, who should have retreated the night before yesterday, and became furious. Although Kiritsugu Emiya didn't understand why he was furious, he saw dozens of Noble Phantasms descend from the sky, reducing Assassin to "Assassin-chan," and realized that Saber definitely couldn't defeat Archer.