Yukino Fuyumi
The dice bounced twice on the table, rolled about half a circle, and then stopped.
The side facing upwards represents the Qin.
Higashino Makoto looked at the two words, leaned back in his chair, and tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table.
Just as he reached for the dice, there was a knock on the door.
Three taps, neither too fast nor too slow, with even intervals.
"Come in."
The door was pushed open. A woman stood in the doorway.
Her long, light blue hair cascaded over her shoulders, the ends slightly curled, gleaming softly in the corridor lights.
Her eyes were deep blue, very calm, like a frozen lake, revealing little emotion.
She wore a white turtleneck sweater that hugged her body curves, with a light blue short jacket over it, and a dark gray pencil skirt that reached above her knees.
He was carrying a small, black leather suitcase with no decorations on it.
Yukino Fuyumi.
One of the twenty-four guardians of Novas Etier.
The prototype is the heroine of a doujinshi he really liked in his previous life, "The Widowed Snow Woman," and that alone made him look forward to the journey ahead.
Her gaze swept around the room before landing on Higashino Makoto, and she nodded slightly.
"Higashino."
"Come in, close the door."
She entered the room, closing the door behind her. The suitcase was placed at her feet, making a slight sound.
She stood there, waiting for him to speak.
Higashino Makoto sized her up for a few seconds, then stood up from his chair and walked over to her. She was considerably shorter than him, and she had to tilt her head slightly to see his eyes.
Where is Utaha?
"Miss Kasumigaoka has returned to her room. She said she asked me to tell you that next time there's a dangerous mission, remember to inform her in advance, and don't just send her away like last time."
"Okay, I'll talk to you next time."
He looked her up and down, his gaze lingering on her for a moment, before turning and walking towards the door.
"Let's go to the Great Qin Lostbelt. Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others should already be there."
The air in the Great Qin Lostbelt is warm.
The sky was grayish-white, as if covered by a thin veil. Sunlight shone through from behind the veil, not dazzling, but carrying a lasting warmth.
The earth was dark brown, covered with low vegetation, and in the distance, the outline of a huge city stretched out along the mountainside, with buildings in black and gold as the main colors, reaching the horizon.
The city walls stood tall, and the city gates were tightly shut.
Higashino Makoto stood on a high ground, gazing at the outline of the city.
Yukino followed closely, always staying half a step behind him.
Her footsteps were light, and her breathing was steady, just like that of a newlywed wife, the kind of woman people often refer to as a Yamato Nadeshiko.
"Higashino, there's news of battle ahead."
Higashino Makoto checked the battle situation and saw that Fujimaru Ritsuka and her team were close to winning.
"I know. Don't worry about it, just wait until they're done fighting."
A booming sound came from the city gate in the distance, and golden light exploded above the city wall before quickly fading away.
He leaned against the tree trunk, arms crossed, gazing in that direction.
Yukino stood behind him without saying a word.
About 15 minutes later, the rumbling at the city gates finally stopped.
The golden crystals on the city wall dimmed, and the city returned to calm.
Higashino Makoto stood up and walked towards the city gate.
The city gate was wide open, and there were several charred marks on the stone slabs at the entrance.
Fujimaru Ritsuka stood inside the castle gate, still holding the Command Spell in the back of her hand. Mash Kyrielight stood beside her, her shield planted in the ground, tidying up her things.
Several Servants were standing around, Chaldea's fighting force; some were checking their equipment, while others were on guard.
Fujimaru Ritsuka heard footsteps, turned around, and saw Higashino Makoto. Her expression underwent a series of changes.
First came surprise, then confusion, and finally a sense of helplessness tinged with dissatisfaction.
"Mr. Higashino! When did you arrive?"
"Just arrived, just in time to see your battle end. Well done."
Fujimaru Ritsuka's lips twitched slightly.
"You're just going to watch from the sidelines?"
"Yes, you guys played very well, I didn't need to interfere."
Qin Shi Huang has been dealt with, and this Lostbelt is also on the verge of destruction.
Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at her, her shoulders relaxed, and she sighed, as if a huge burden had finally been lifted.
"Then this Lostbelt is mine."
Higashino Makoto walked past her and entered the city gate.
The city was quieter than he had imagined, with wide streets and uniform buildings on both sides.
He left casually, not like a first-time guest, but more like a host returning to collect something.
He walked through several streets and arrived at the city center.
There was a huge square building there, made of black stone, with gold patterns inlaid on its surface.
That's Mount Li.
He stopped in front of the building, looking up at the tightly closed bronze door, which was covered with runes and gleamed dimly in the twilight.
What's inside?
Yukino walked to his side, her gaze falling on the door.
"These frozen living heroic spirits represent thousands of years of accumulated knowledge and experience. I can't just watch them go to waste like this."
After taking a quick look at the heroic spirits inside, Higashino Makoto's mood improved even more.
"A good harvest."
He raised his hand and placed it on the bronze door.
His inner world surged and extended forward, enveloping the entire Mount Li.
The tremor came from beneath my feet, but it quickly subsided. The bronze door trembled slightly during the tremor and continued to extend, enveloping the entire Great Qin Lostbelt.
It was then placed in the Wisdom world of point masses.
He lowered his hand, turned around, and dusted off his hands.
Fujimaru Ritsuka stood not far behind him, looking at the building that had been marked "Higashino Makoto's Collection," her expression somewhat complicated.
"Mr. Higashino, you've moved the entire Lostbelt again?"
"Anyway, you're useless to me, and... destroying a world isn't a pleasant experience, is it?"
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out.
Indeed, seeing the once peaceful world destroyed because of their arrival, she felt a pang of guilt and unease.
She paused for a moment, then spoke, her voice tinged with curiosity.
"How many Lostbelt have you cleared yet?"
"Russia plus South America, that makes two. Now add this, and there are three."
"The South American Lostbelt? I remember the danger level there is very high..."
"It's resolved, it's not a big deal."
Fujimaru Ritsuka fell silent. She looked at his nonchalant face, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
"Okay, let's move on to the next one."
"Okay. If you encounter any problems you can't solve, then use the communication necklace to contact me."
He turned around and walked out of the city, with Yukino following behind him.
He took a few steps, then stopped without looking back.
"Oh, by the way, I've already booked the Lostbelt for Scandinavia and Britain."
Fujimaru Ritsuka's voice came from behind him, tinged with a hint of amusement.
"Knew."