Following the trail of magical energy left behind by Zouken Matou, Shirou Emiya and the others arrived at an attic tucked away in a corner of the Matou Family estate. The attic was extremely dilapidated, looking as though it had been abandoned for a long time.
When Shirou pushed open the door, it even let out a creak.
The interior was filled with assorted clutter. It was damp, with a moldy stench that was exceptionally pungent.
A dark passage leading underground lay conspicuously before them.
Shirou, katana in hand, took the lead.
Close behind him, Rin Tohsaka gripped a jewel radiating an intense crimson light, using it to illuminate the dim surroundings.
Like the jewel she had used in the courtyard earlier, this was the Tohsaka Family's Jewel Magecraft.
Jewels readily accumulated the intentions of their holders and could easily house magical energy.
Natural spirits were especially likely to form in minerals that had lain buried underground for long periods. Attribute-bearing jewels themselves were simple Magic Crests.
A jewel housing a fire natural spirit could be easily ignited with a supply of magical energy, and the same applied to other attributes.
Whenever she had the time, Rin transferred her magical energy into jewels. It was a very convenient form of magecraft.
But Jewel Magecraft was single-use.
Once Rin used the magical energy stored in a jewel, the jewel serving as its vessel would shatter.
Since jewels used to store magical energy were far from cheap, Rin normally never used Jewel Magecraft.
Good steel had to be used on the blade's edge—like now.
After traversing the dark tunnel, the group arrived beneath the Matou Family estate.
The underground space was unimaginably vast, as though they had stepped into another world.
Only, this place resembled hell itself, with constant rustling sounds coming