Chapter Three: Training and an Accident / Chapter Four: The Different Ideas of Justice in Everyone's Heart

Her cheeks were a little damp. Ritsuka, sleeping soundly on a pile of straw, trembled slightly. The next moment, her tightly shut eyes suddenly flew open, carrying a trace of fear.

Ritsuka abruptly sat up from the ground, still gasping deeply as she struggled to force out a sound from her throat.

Cold sweat had soaked her body. Ritsuka hurriedly pulled her clothes tighter around herself to avoid catching a cold from the cold wind blowing through the dilapidated church.

She rubbed her hands together in front of her for warmth as moonlight spilled across the floor through the broken window.

It seemed she had had another nightmare.

The massive Fuyuki City fire several years ago, caused by unknown reasons, had taken the lives of Ritsuka's entire family. She had also been buried beneath the ruins, her body scorched by flames.

The shadow of death had lingered around her ever since. It was hardly the first time she had had nightmares, but there was never anything new about them. They were honestly rather boring.

Since it had been autumn and the weather was turning cold, she had been wearing thick clothes. Her lower body, which had been pinned beneath the rubble, had received timely treatment and suffered no lasting damage. The scar on her left forearm, however, could not be healed. It was hideous, and every time she saw it, Ritsuka felt a stabbing pain in her heart.

This was awful...

Fortunately, Kiritsugu had saved her in time back then. Otherwise, given her condition, she would have certainly died in that fire.

The Crystal Dice she had now could not have saved her back then. Even now, she had not managed to fully understand the thing.

Wiping the cold sweat from her forehead, Ritsuka lifted the blanket off herself and hugged it to her chest before turning toward the church entrance. Kiritsugu seemed to have gotten up during the night, so he was not here.

After rounding the corner, she found the hall crowded with people sleeping in all sorts of sprawled-out positions. Ritsuka carefully stepped over them without disturbing their pleasant dreams.

There were many kind clergymen in this church, taking in refugees who had lost their homes because of the war. The priest here was an exceptionally good-hearted man. Ritsuka and Kiritsugu were currently helping out as well, their purpose having shifted from searching for mysteries to rescuing people.

Of course, it was unrealistic for just the two of them to end a war. They could only do everything they could to save people and wait for the war to end, helplessly choosing to remain bystanders.

Walking out of the church, Ritsuka spotted a familiar figure around the corner. "Kiritsugu."

Under the bright moonlight, on the steps in front of the church, Kiritsugu froze with a cigarette hanging from his mouth.

Instinctively, he spat out the cigarette, caught it in his palm, and crushed the lit end against his hand. Amid a faint sizzling sound, a bead of cold sweat slid down his cheek.

Hot!

Taking a deep breath, Kiritsugu's face returned to its usual indifference. He glanced back at Ritsuka, who was hugging her blanket. "It's not dawn yet. Aren't you going to rest a little longer?"

The moon hung in the pitch-black night sky, with countless stars scattered across it like a river of light. It was clearly still the latter half of the night.

Ritsuka had not woken naturally, and a hint of exhaustion remained on her face. Forced awake by a nightmare, the young Ritsuka squinted from lack of sleep.

"I'm fine. I just don't really want to sleep anymore."

Ritsuka sat beside Kiritsugu on the edge of the steps. Her nose twitched slightly, and the pungent smell of smoke made her narrow her eyes as she silently stared at him.

Ding!

Kiritsugu silently looked away.

With a sigh, Ritsuka pulled out a box of chocolate biscuit sticks from her pocket. They were one of her favorite snacks—Pocky.

She put one between her lips and chewed it with relish, then casually took out another and handed it to Kiritsugu. "Want one?"

Apparently thinking of something, Ritsuka broke into a radiant smile. Before Kiritsugu could answer, she suddenly reached out and shoved the biscuit stick into his mouth.

Kiritsugu's gaze swept over Ritsuka's cheeks. There was a hint of helplessness in his lifeless eyes. As if he knew he could not outlast her, he finally opened his mouth and slowly held the biscuit stick between his lips.

Whenever Ritsuka did not want him smoking in the past, she did this—making him replace cigarettes with biscuit sticks, saying smoking was harmful to health. Kiritsugu only wanted to brush her off with some foolish line like, "If it's harmful to health, why doesn't the world ban tobacco production?"

If there was profit to be made, people would do it. This world was ultimately driven by that single word: profit. No individual or nation could escape it.

Yet before that innocent, brilliant smile, he could not bring himself to utter his rotten excuses. Ultimately, that smile was simply too sweet. Of course, it was not because he was lusting after her body. He was merely comforted as a father.

"The war is ending."

Crunching up the biscuit stick and swallowing it, Kiritsugu sighed, his voice full of helplessness.

The two of them had come here to seek out the mysteries passed down in this land, in order to save the world.

They had stayed here for nearly half a year. Then, recently, war had broken out. A capitalist superpower had found an excuse to launch an invasion, and tragedy had unfolded before their eyes.

Ritsuka understood what Kiritsugu meant. They had accomplished nothing in this war. Individual strength could never influence a nation, much less the world. All they could do was pray for a miracle, yet they had failed to find one as well.

Kiritsugu had set out again carrying the wish to save others and save the world, burdened by old wounds in his heart. Perhaps this was a different kind of blow for him.

Ritsuka wore her usual smile. "Then what are you going to do, Kiritsugu?"

"Go back. Back to Fuyuki City. Maybe my personal journey ends here."

Justice's Partner—the phrase that had always existed in Kiritsugu's heart—finally went out at this moment. His hand trembled.

Training and an Accident

Before dawn, Kiritsugu returned to the church to rest, while Ritsuka simply went up to a high point in the church and sat there admiring the night scenery.

Having woken early because of the dream, she no longer had any desire to go back to sleep. She might as well train herself. She did not have much time to grow stronger while following Kiritsugu around, so she always had to find time to practice on her own.

Pulling a Pocky stick from the box, Ritsuka watched blue patterns spread across its surface and narrowed her eyes.

Reinforcement Magic. It was a spell she had used once before meeting Kiritsugu, and the first spell she had mastered after receiving his instruction.

It was not low-tech, but it was not very practical either. The details of its operation were troublesome, and unless someone was highly talented, it was easy for their mana output to lose control and cause problems in their body.

So, from the beginning, Kiritsugu had suggested she only learn the basics.

After all, she had become a Magus by chance. None of her family elders had ever come into contact with mysteries, so it was understandable that Kiritsugu thought she was not especially talented.

Ritsuka lightly bit into the Pocky in her hand, then widened her eyes at its hard texture.

My teeth hurt...

Ritsuka casually canceled the Reinforcement Magic and slowly ate the biscuit stick in small bites before clenching her hand.

A crystalline glow faintly shone through her fingers. Ritsuka opened her palm and watched a small Crystal Dice float above it. She clenched the object she called the Crystal Dice.

...

Emiya Shirou (Archer)

Synchronization Value (16%)

...

The strange value stood at 16%. Its exact purpose was unknown, but she guessed that the higher the value, the more completely she could use the abilities of the corresponding character within the Crystal Dice.

At her current stage, the only abilities she could use were Reinforcement Magic, half-baked Projection Magic, a skill called Mind's Eye (True), and an exceptionally special talent for housework.

Whether it was preparing a meal, cleaning, or all sorts of household tasks, she could quickly learn them and reach a very high level. When it came to cooking, she could already defeat Kiritsugu despite being only ten years old.

It was practically magical.

She did not know what abilities the "Emiya Shirou" corresponding to the card actually possessed.

Perhaps her Synchronization Value was still too low, or perhaps there was some other reason. The only information she knew was what the Crystal Dice gave her. She knew almost nothing else.

Calling this a Golden Finger felt a little too shabby.

Ritsuka, who had only read a few web novels in her previous life before she became old enough to run around doing part-time work, was truly speechless. Other people's systems could be cute lolis or elegant older sisters, and sometimes they could even destroy heaven and earth with a flick of the hand. Hers did not even come with an instruction manual.

If she could not figure it out, then even if someone gave her a magic light stick, she still would not know how to use it.

Looking up at the moon, Ritsuka pressed her lips together and began her daily mana training. She still could not fully master the method of opening her Magic Circuits.

The ability to cast magecraft anytime and anywhere, as naturally as breathing, was something she did not yet possess.

Magic Circuits, open!

The simplest and crudest way to train mana was to use magecraft. Ritsuka clenched her fist, and patterns appeared across the back of her hand.

"Haah... haah..."

As she adjusted her breathing rhythm, she desperately drove the mana surging from within her body. Her clenched fingers slowly relaxed as the night wind lifted her hair.

Some people in the hall had already awakened. The church's clergymen, led by the priest, were distributing water and food, and everyone expressed their thanks.

Ritsuka quietly went around them and entered a side chapel nearby, into a cramped little room.

Pushing open the door, Ritsuka found that Kiritsugu was already awake. His expression carried a grave air as he wiped his Noble Phantasm with a cloth. It was a handgun.

With a little "Hup," she jumped beside Kiritsugu and sat down to rest. "Kiritsugu, you're already awake."

"You didn't keep sleeping? The journey will be difficult later."

Kiritsugu finished the cigarette in his hand with a few puffs, slipped the handgun Noble Phantasm into his coat pocket, and glanced at Ritsuka. Then he was defeated by her unblinking stare and silently turned away.

Ritsuka sighed. Quitting smoking was difficult. She felt like she could hardly keep pushing him anymore. "I'm not that sleepy. I'm mainly thinking about how we're going to get back. We probably can't fly at the moment."

Although the American military was preparing to withdraw from the battlefield, it still surrounded several nearby cities. Leaving by plane was unrealistic, since the only airport in the area had been destroyed during the war.

Besides, even if they returned to Fuyuki City, the two of them would probably become idle. She was still young and had no special skills, while Kiritsugu, as Justice's Partner, probably could not do anything except kill people. Honestly, Ritsuka found that fact rather ironic.

"Then we'll take a ship. I spoke with the priest earlier. He'll arrange a cargo ship to take us away with the refugees."

Kiritsugu touched the remaining bullets in his pocket. He had ended countless Magi with the things called Origin Bullets. They were his most effective tools against Magi.

Turning his head to look at the quiet Ritsuka, Kiritsugu fell silent.

Sometimes, he wondered what he should do if there truly was no miracle capable of saving the world. When should he let everything go and return to an ordinary life?

Maybe being an ordinary office worker would not be so bad.

That was assuming any company would be willing to hire a Magus Killer like him...

Boom—!!

Suddenly, a piercing shriek like a meteor tearing through the sky sounded outside the church and drilled into their ears, followed by a violent explosion.

Ritsuka immediately frowned, but Kiritsugu's expression changed dramatically.

Making a swift decision, the man who had not yet retired from his role as Justice's Partner pulled out the Colt M1911 he carried with him. He pressed himself against the wall and observed the situation outside as the rumbling explosions continued without end.

Lying flat on the ground beneath a roof that trembled precariously with every blast, Ritsuka pressed herself against the wall as well and peered outside through a crack.

A group of soldiers dressed in camouflage were launching an assault on a ruin. It was only one or two hundred meters away, the base of a local armed organization.

At its core, the organization had been formed by locals to resist the invasion. But it seemed they had been discovered and crushed before they could grow.

Yet the soldiers should have already begun withdrawing from the battlefield. The nation had declared the war over, making this raid difficult to comprehend. Those people had even deployed devastating weapons meant for breaching fortifications against the ruins.

"Kiritsugu, what do we do?"

Ritsuka's expression was unpleasant.

Given America's behavior over the years, going back on its word was not unexpected. But the sight of flesh and blood flying everywhere was still far too shocking.

Should they find a way to save people?

Kiritsugu Emiya fell silent. There were too many enemies, and their weapons were advanced. Without large-scale destructive magecraft, he would be riddled with bullets even if he went over there.

The Magus Killer, Kiritsugu Emiya, who made good use of modern weapons to make up for his lack of combat ability and took underhanded fighting styles to the extreme, could not help feeling a headache at this moment. He was a magecraft user, not an all-powerful Doraemon. There were not many methods he could use against an army that suddenly appeared before him.

In fact, there were almost none.

After hesitating for a moment, Kiritsugu did not attempt a rescue. Instead, he pulled Ritsuka to her feet and led her toward the church's confessional.

Because of the battle nearby, everyone in the church was now panicking. Fear had spread through the crowd. If the army discovered this place, a massacre could happen at any time.

After decisively finding the priest, Kiritsugu made a suggestion—

"Father, please gather the clergymen immediately and lead everyone out of here."

A Different Justice in Every Heart

The church's secret passage opened, and several dozen people began evacuating in an orderly manner. The priest's prestige still managed to suppress everyone's fear at this moment.

Once everyone had left, Ritsuka followed Kiritsugu through the narrow passage. When they emerged from the exit, it was concealed beneath a patch of weeds, several kilometers away from the church.

After discussing matters with the priest, Kiritsugu led Ritsuka away from the main group. He said they needed to investigate the situation and would regroup at the place where the cargo ship was docked. Thus, only the two of them walked through the forest now, and the surroundings were unnaturally quiet.

After running for several minutes, Kiritsugu found the off-road vehicle he had hidden in the wilderness. He started it in one smooth motion, then took off his filthy coat and tossed it aside.

Ritsuka climbed into the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt. Kiritsugu drove the off-road vehicle around the ruins and sped across the wilderness.

They had stayed in this city for about a month and a half. Aside from the large-scale war and bombardment at the beginning, things had been much more peaceful afterward. Coupled with the ceasefire declaration at the national level, he had thought it was a sign that the troops were about to withdraw.