The Usurper of the Heavenly Wind

The kotatsu radiated warmth through the room. Matou Sakura stretched her legs beneath it, her face full of contentment.

Ritsuka opened the refrigerator, took out the only meat left inside, and made two bowls of Mapo Tofu noodles.

However, hers differed from Kirei Kotomine's. She had specially prepared it to focus more on the numbing sensation than the heat, making it taste far better. No normal person could eat the original version.

Only with her immortality had she barely escaped disaster.

"It looks delicious. Thank you for the meal, Senpai."

"I will eat."

With her hands pressed together, Sakura, who had not visited the Emiya Residence in a long time, looked at the bowl in her hands and smiled happily.

Picking up a large mouthful with her chopsticks, Sakura chewed slowly, her cheeks reddening from the numbing spice.

"It's so good..."

Hearing Sakura's heartfelt praise, Ritsuka smiled helplessly and silently began eating as well. Even though her own bowl was the extra-spicy version, her expression did not change in the slightest. She barely even showed any emotion.

"Senpai, I'm glad you aren't sick. I was worried about you for so long."

Sakura smiled softly, her chopsticks pausing at the edge of her bowl as her gaze shifted to Ritsuka's face.

With Miyu gone, the atmosphere in the Emiya household had indeed changed greatly—so much that she could barely recognize it anymore... Sakura's fingers clenched until they turned white.

"Sorry. Because of some personal matters, I haven't gone to school lately. I've already applied to withdraw."

Time was not abundant. No one knew when the Holy Grail War would begin. Fuyuki was so quiet now that it felt frightening. Even with her dual eyes constantly active around the clock, Ritsuka had yet to find even the slightest trace of Enzō.

To be honest, she hoped Sakura could leave this city. This city might truly disappear before long.

Thinking of a possibility, Ritsuka raised her eyes. "By the way, how has Shinji been lately?"

"...Eh, Brother? He's been pretty well lately. Just like before, he keeps hitting on girls at school. He's already changed girlfriends twice this month."

Sakura's expression was natural, though her tone carried a hint of indignation. Nothing had changed from before.

Ritsuka inwardly sighed in relief. When Miyu had been taken away, Shinji had stood at Julian's side. Just moments ago, she had suspected that the Matou family, where Sakura lived, was also part of the Holy Grail War. It seemed Shinji might have been controlled by Enzō's magic at the time.

There were not many things she cared about. Shinji was a friend she acknowledged. Though he was a bit of a scumbag, there was not much left by her side anymore.

The following time felt as though it had returned to the past. The two quietly ate, occasionally chatting about matters at school, until night gradually fell as it always had.

The snow was falling heavily, blanketing Fuyuki in silver-white.

After clearing away the chopsticks and bowls together, Ritsuka escorted Little Sakura to the door. She had tried to persuade her to stay, but Little Sakura said she had to return home tonight, so Ritsuka could not say much more.

"The snow is pretty heavy. Be careful on the way."

"Okay. Senpai should rest early too. The dark circles under your eyes are really bad."

Reaching out to tap Ritsuka's cheek, Sakura smiled and jogged out of the Emiya Residence, her figure disappearing into the darkness.

With a bitter smile, Ritsuka raised both hands and rubbed her face. Then she pulled up the hood of her coat, fastened the 'Scarf: Divine Beast's Fur' she had just taken out, and prepared to leave.

She had barely slept this past month, relying entirely on Alcides's power to support herself. Dark circles were only natural. How could she rest before finding Miyu? Even if Ritsuka lay in bed now, she would be unable to sleep.

It could only relieve a tiny bit of her fatigue...

On the street outside the residence, Sakura stopped walking. At this distance, she was already far from the Emiya Residence.

"Long time no see, Brother."

Her fingers gripped the card in her pocket as Sakura stared intently at the figure emerging from the shadows. She watched the familiar man, Matou Shinji, with wariness.

Although she called him Brother, Matou Sakura's expression was incomparably gloomy.

"Oh my, isn't this my useless little sister...? Sakura, why are you here? Don't tell me... you've already cleaned up that intruder in the Holy Grail War?!"

Covering his face with his right hand, Matou Shinji cried out exaggeratedly. The expression hidden beneath his palm was twisted to the extreme.

His manic laughter made Sakura tighten her grip on the Class Card, rage nearly spilling from her eyes. Beautiful butterflies appeared one after another around her, dyeing the night with a purple glow.

"Don't speak to me with that face, you puppet!!"

Sakura did not use the Class Card. With a flick of her hand, she cast the Butterfly Magic she was best at. Shinji's expression went blank for a moment.

Then countless tentacles surged out from behind him. Throwing knives sliced through the air and shattered every magical butterfly, scattering luminous dust across the entire street.

Class Card: Install!

The power of a Servant was completely recreated within the body, transforming oneself into the concept of a Heroic Spirit. Shinji demonstrated the core use of the Class Card.

Holding a throwing dagger, he easily tore apart Sakura's magic. His speed was so great that his entire body nearly became a black blur.

"Uwahahahahaha—!!"

Shinji laughed shrilly, the blade in his hand shooting straight for Sakura's neck as though he intended to decapitate her outright.

"You dare fight me without even using a card? You're asking to die..."

"Even without a card, you could never be my opponent. You're nothing more than a puppet."

An explosion thundered before Sakura. Countless scarlet butterflies burst forth from the flames, immediately enveloping the screaming Matou Shinji before forming a blazing red sphere.

Sakura snapped her fingers sharply, and rolling flames instantly engulfed the entire street.

Late at night, Ritsuka was about to head out when the considerable magic reaction that suddenly erupted in the distance made her expression turn stern.

But before she could rush over, an uninvited guest came to her door.

"You are..."

At her words, the red-haired young girl standing outside the gate curled her lips upward in a crazed grin, her expression becoming incomparably bloodthirsty.

"Beatrice. Remember my name, because it will be the last name you remember in your life!"

She carried an Axe Sword as she walked into the courtyard. The roughly two-meter-long weapon looked rather strange compared to its wielder's height.

In an instant, chilling killing intent flooded down upon her.

"Are you here to eliminate me...? Since you've appeared, the Holy Grail War is about to begin, isn't it?"

Ritsuka's expression remained calm, her eyelids lowered as her murky golden eyes stared at the petite girl in the distance.

Beatrice froze outright. "Hey, hey! That's all the reaction I get? Shouldn't you be more intense? Shouldn't you resist a little?"

Ignoring the person at the gate, Ritsuka instead looked in the direction where the magic had erupted in the distance.

That way led directly to the Matou family home. Sakura...

Ritsuka turned her head toward Beatrice, who had just stepped into the courtyard, and slightly raised one hand.

"Perhaps I've grown used to losing things, so your appearance doesn't stir much feeling in me either."

The corner of Beatrice's mouth twitched. Looking at Ritsuka's calm expression, as though she had seen through everything, her lowered eyelids and narrowed eyes, Beatrice felt an inexplicable sense of frustration. This appearance of having already given up resisting made her—

Feel even better!!

Her mouth suddenly split into a wide grin. Beatrice swung her Axe Sword and vanished from where she stood, snowflakes on the ground exploding backward behind her.

Ritsuka's slightly raised right hand suddenly clenched. Amid brilliant light, an identical Axe Sword appeared. At the same time, she spread her stance and swung the weapon upward from below like she was hitting a baseball.

Boom—!!

The Emiya family gate shattered from the impact. Beatrice, sent flying by that strike, shot out onto the street beyond the Emiya Residence and crashed through a wall into the neighboring courtyard.

It was an abandoned residence. Its occupants had moved away long ago, so Ritsuka did not need to worry about accidentally hurting anyone.

After sending Beatrice flying with one blow, Ritsuka strode forward. An explosive burst of air suddenly sounded ahead.

From the dense smoke, an Axe Sword tore through the air and flew toward her like a hidden weapon.

Finding the right angle, Ritsuka slightly turned her body. The weapon brushed past her shoulder. She turned her gaze back, only to see the red-haired twin-tailed girl's face twisted within her sight.

"Cough, cough... Damn it, who the hell are you?!"

"Just an ordinary person gradually becoming Alcides and Emiya Shirou. Nothing more than an ordinary person."

After putting on the War God Ares's Belt, Ritsuka was enveloped in divine energy, which she immediately directed into the Axe Sword under her control.

She stomped down hard. Amid a sonic boom, a crimson shadow swept across the street. The Axe Sword, sharper than before, slashed horizontally. Its murky arc of light sent the wall flying, launching half the courtyard into the air in a single blow.

Beatrice barely dodged the strike. Ritsuka's speed was even more absurd than hers.

And her speed had slowed down so much!

"What is going on?! That form... and my body?"

She wore a fitted top, with a blood-red Holy Shroud around her waist. Her burn-scarred left arm was covered, while her trousers and leather boots crunched against the snow. Her right hand held the Axe Sword, while her left carried the long cloak she had just removed.

Casually tossing away the cloak, Ritsuka also removed the obstructive headscarf before facing the person with Heracles's card head-on.

Regarding Beatrice's question, Ritsuka said indifferently, "This form? It's nothing much. Just a No Name Heroic Spirit and an Avenger who rebelled against the gods."

"I've finally gotten the chance to join the Holy Grail War... You're the first."

Having used Hydra Poison to lower all of Beatrice's attributes, the excruciating pain would soon manifest in her body as well. This was Ritsuka's opportunity.

"How does it feel, this pain carved into my body?"

"Uwaaaaaah...!"

Grabbing Beatrice by the head with her left hand, Ritsuka violently slammed her into the ground. Hydra's lethal poison corroded her body, and her screams echoed relentlessly through the air.

Heracles was undoubtedly Greece's greatest Demigod, but Beatrice was only a counterfeit borrowing his power. She could not withstand the poison invading her entire body. The agony was like countless wild beasts gnawing at her nerves, something that could make even Chiron suffer unbearably.

The Noble Phantasm known as Twelve Trials was adapting to Hydra Poison. Beatrice writhed on the ground, looking as though she might pass out at any moment.

Unfortunately, Ritsuka would not give her the chance to continue adapting. She activated her own Noble Phantasm—

The Noble Phantasm unique to Alcides!

Alcides was also known as Heracles, and was sometimes translated as Heracles. He was Greece's most famous Demigod.

The most famous part of his life was the twelve trials no human could possibly complete. Thus, a series of Noble Phantasms unique to him had been born, every one of them extraordinarily powerful.

Alcides's original Class was Archer, but due to unavoidable circumstances, he became an Avenger—a revenger who rebelled against the gods. He hated the gods who should have brought him glory and swore vengeance against them.

—Why was I born to suffer so many hardships?

—Why was I, who should have become a king, reduced to being a toy of the gods?

—Why were my children killed by my own hands when I suddenly went mad?

Because of the gods!

Gods who looked down on mortals, despised mortals, scorned mortals, arrogantly gazed down upon the human world, and brought down countless disasters for their own selfish desires.

Under the influence of many factors, Alcides abandoned his high divinity and the immortality granted by the Twelve Trials. His overall parameters declined somewhat.

But because of that, he obtained the complete set of Noble Phantasms corresponding to the twelve trials.

In other words, he traded the Twelve Trials for the Twelve Glories.

The 'Divine Beast's Fur' and 'War God's Belt' used by Ritsuka both came from the Twelve Glories, a powerful and versatile Noble Phantasm.

But at this moment, the Noble Phantasm taking effect was neither the Twelve Glories nor Hundred-Beast Slayer, which symbolized Alcides's unmatched martial arts.

It was the hidden Third Noble Phantasm, one that could only be activated because he had been twisted into an Avenger.

"—Reincarnation Pandora!"

In an instant... fate, hope, and everything changed. Things were exchanged, and the power within Beatrice that had continuously adapted to the poison abruptly disappeared.

"Aaaaaaaaaah—!!"

A heart-rending scream echoed through the air. Beatrice rolled around on the ground in agony, her immense strength pounding the earth and carving out one enormous crater after another.

Suddenly launching an attack, Beatrice lost control. Her eyes were bloodshot as she punched Ritsuka in the stomach, sending her flying away.

After rolling a few times, Ritsuka quickly steadied herself. Feeling the drain on her magic power, she saw that the fist mark on her abdomen had already quietly vanished. The power known as Twelve Trials had easily adapted to that punch. Beatrice would now find it difficult to injure her.

Even the pain caused by the immortality inside her had been eased for a second time.

"Stealing Noble Phantasms, even taking them away on a conceptual level... What an incredible Noble Phantasm."

As she entered the courtyard, the frenzied sounds had already stopped. The pain of the poison ravaging her body had rendered the maiden named Beatrice unconscious, while Heracles's card lay beside her.

Ritsuka casually picked up the card and dispelled Hydra Poison. She ignored the unconscious Beatrice. Whether she killed this person or not had no meaning to her.