I, Ritsuka, Siscon Grand Hero

He'd lived for so many years; he still had that much discernment.

"Making such a decision for someone important is admirable. I heard you're a good cook, girl. Are you interested in entertaining an old man like me who's traveled so far?"

Kishua joked, a hint of regret in his eyes. Truthfully, with the girl's talent, she was qualified to be his disciple.

As a disciple of a Magus.

Compared to those useless fellows, this girl, who could quickly adapt to power that wasn't originally hers and wield it to its current peak, suited his taste.

At least she wasn't a coward; she had spirit.

"Of course, no problem. It's just that I don't have many ingredients... It's late now, so I probably don't have much to offer."

Ritsuka breathed a sigh of relief, knowing there was no hostility. As long as they weren't an enemy, it was fine.

If the person in front of her intended to stop her from saving Miyu, she definitely wouldn't be able to win. That one move alone was enough; she wouldn't have had any chance to resist.

Glancing at the sky, Ritsuka seemed a bit troubled.

"If you don't mind, would you like to try some Mapo Ramen?"

Kishua nodded, appearing quite interested in the so-called Mapo Ramen.

Ritsuka brought him inside, took out the remaining snacks, and placed them on the table to entertain him. Then, she went into the kitchen and put on an apron.

There weren't many usable ingredients in the refrigerator, only the tofu and the special spicy sauce bought to make Mapo Ramen. Kirei Kotomine seemed quite happy that she could eat his specially made Mapo Ramen.

He had even taught her the secret recipe...

"Phew~ Just enough for two servings. What a coincidence."

Perhaps it was the last meal, Ritsuka uncharacteristically tidied up her mood and looked for anything usable.

In the end, she only found a bit of relatively fresh meat, just enough to make minced meat.

As Ritsuka started cooking, Kishua lost interest after watching for a while. Given his status, eating more exquisite feasts was not a problem at all.

He was just acting on a whim, wanting to see the guardian of Alaya + her personal chef, and have a meal.

'Speaking of which, in this state, unless she uses the Holy Grail for a wish, she won't even have a chance to become a guardian, right?'

He stated his opinion to himself with certainty. Kishua suddenly had the urge to take her as a disciple, but he suppressed it in the end.

He had no way to save this child, Emiya Ritsuka, right now.

The way she was almost irreversibly replacing herself and burning her own existence was too bizarre, not like something that existed in this world. He had no good way to save her.

Time ticked by, and finally, before the starry sky rose, Ritsuka had finished preparing dinner.

"Old man, here's your Mapo Ramen. Be careful, it's very spicy."

"Oh! How spicy can it be?"

Two bowls of noodles were placed on the table. Seeing Ritsuka, who had already started eating with her chopsticks and showed no change in her expression, Kishua stroked his beard.

He was a Magus, after all. How could a level of spiciness that couldn't even bother a young girl possibly overwhelm him?

It was completely impossible.

Picking up the chopsticks placed flat on top of the bowl, Kishua picked up a mouthful of noodles and began to eat them with slurping sounds...

Plop—!

The next moment, to Ritsuka's silence, Kishua fell headfirst into the bowl of noodles, as if he had lost consciousness.

Ritsuka picked up another mouthful of noodles and ate them. "What is this? A way to defeat an insurmountable enemy indirectly?"

Shaking her head speechlessly, Ritsuka rescued Kishua from the spicy inferno, cleaned his face, and placed him on the sofa to rest. His expression was as peaceful as if he had passed away.

The Mapo Ramen that could defeat even a Magus didn't affect Ritsuka much. This didn't mean Ritsuka was stronger than a Magus in some sense; it was just that she was currently numb to this level of spiciness.

The pain at the soul level had caused her to lose some of her senses.

Because of Sakura, she hadn't used that Magecraft, which could suppress pain, again. Therefore, she naturally had no other means to even alleviate the suffering.

She was used to it anyway, so it didn't matter.

However, Ritsuka was somewhat impressed with Kirei Kotomine that his Mapo Ramen could defeat the old man who could easily crush her. This Mapo Ramen might even have the power of a top-tier Noble Phantasm.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and Ritsuka looked out the window. The cold aura of a warrior made her hand pause.

"..."

It was Saber.

Undoubtedly, the Servant with the highest chance of winning in the Holy Grail War had approached the Emiya residence. As for why they hadn't entered yet, she wasn't sure.

Ritsuka tidied up the bowls and washed the sink, then draped a blanket over Kishua.

"Goodbye. I'm glad I could share a meal with you, old man, at this nearing end."

"If there's a chance, I'll make you a better meal next time."

Chapter 42 Chapter 41 The Strongest Class?

The seventh Class Card, Saber, the recognized strongest class in the Holy Grail War.

Silently leaving the Emiya residence, Ritsuka walked down the broken slope and arrived at the nearest place, which was empty and devoid of people.

It had been dark for a while, and there weren't many people wandering around nearby, which was clearly another effect of the Magecraft.

"Saber..."

Ritsuka whispered.

At the other end of the clearing, a knight clad in silver-white armor approached. Their hand was positioned as if gripping a sword, yet no sword was visible. Ritsuka grew wary.

"Trace On!"

Ritsuka's attire shifted to combat gear, and the slender demonic sword named 'Muramasa' materialized at their fingertips.

The divine power emanating from Ritsuka's belt surged into the blade, enveloped by azure mana. Intricate, circuit-board-like patterns traced across every inch of the sword, filling it with a blue glow.

Ritsuka crouched low, observing the tranquil figure.

The opponent wore full silver-white plate armor, their face hidden by a helmet. Their aura was not weak, possessing a distinctly orthodox knightly presence.

Moreover, this individual felt different from the previous two puppets. Neither the hooded man who was Rider nor the lemon-headed Lancer had exuded the same level of pressure as the one standing before Ritsuka now.

The opponents were getting stronger!

The two faced each other from a distance, silently assessing one another. However, it was clear that the one holding the Saber Class Card didn't intend to waste time.

Taking a step forward, their metal boots cracked the ground as the wielder of the invisible sword charged.

Their speed was slightly less than Lancer's, but their power was clearly greater than the spearman's. After a quick assessment, Ritsuka moved to meet the charge.

Clang!

The demonic sword and the unseen sword separated on contact. Because the sword was invisible, Ritsuka couldn't gauge the optimal engagement distance.

Every weapon had its ideal range, which was why polearms could suppress shorter weapons when a sufficient distance was maintained. The greatest issue with an invisible sword was the unknown engagement distance.

Fighting while retreating, the demonic sword trailed a streak of blue light as it clashed with the invisible sword, which shimmered with faint golden dust. Sparks flew between them.

Superb swordsmanship met in opposition. The mere airflow generated by the clashing blades carved deep gouges into the surrounding ground. The storm of mana, centered on the two combatants, roared as if it would destroy the entire clearing.

They were holding nothing back!

Dong—!!

The ground seemed to be struck by a heavy hammer, and a crater over ten meters in diameter was blasted open. The Saber charged forward, unleashing such destructive power with a single swing.

Even though their strength was slightly less than Ritsuka's, they were now fighting on equal footing, or even gaining the upper hand.

'It must be some kind of skill…'

No longer hesitating, Ritsuka suppressed their body's rejection and poured the divine power from their belt into themselves.

All attributes increased by a notch. This sudden surge in power caught Saber off guard. Ritsuka's blade struck the invisible sword, and the ground beneath their metal boots exploded. A gale-like shockwave erupted from the point of impact, sweeping across the entire area.

The very air seemed to be torn apart by this blow.

Saber was forced back by the impact, their combat boots leaving two trails on the shattered ground. Ritsuka pursued relentlessly.

The long sword slashed repeatedly, a dazzling barrage of light that was impossible to parry. As the invisible sword was knocked aside, Ritsuka delivered a kick.

Bang—!

The sound of an air explosion compressed Saber's armor. The kick landed like a heavy hammer blow.

Saber was sent flying uncontrollably, crashing through countless obstacles along the way.

The projected demonic sword shattered, and Ritsuka casually discarded it. Within the azure light, another demonic sword was projected and grasped firmly.

Ritsuka had become stronger, much stronger than when fighting Lancer. This was likely a result of the increasing degree of replacement. The strength difference between Lancer and Saber wasn't that significant, so Ritsuka's own increase in power was, in a way, a reduction in the opponent's advantage.

However, the higher degree of replacement also had its drawbacks. Ritsuka's body was rejecting the divine power more intensely than ever.

Ritsuka's fingertip brushed against the blade as their eyes narrowed…

Saber climbed to their feet. The armor on their chest was largely shattered, and blood was seeping from the edge of their helmet, indicating they had sustained some injuries.

Yet, the worse their condition became, the greater the threat they posed to Ritsuka.

They definitely had some incredible Noble Phantasm as a trump card!

Ritsuka couldn't give them the chance to use it.

Moving their right hand back, the tip of the blade pointed diagonally at the ground, Ritsuka charged forward.

A cold glint swept upwards from below. The azure brilliance pierced directly through the shoulder armor, and the demonic sword embedded itself at the joint of Saber's shoulder and arm, locking them in place.

"Ughhhhh..."

With their left arm hanging uselessly, Saber took a sudden step forward and smashed the hilt of their sword into Ritsuka's face.

The sword in their hand slashed three times, wind twisting around it as it fiercely struck Ritsuka in mid-air, the storm pressing them into the ground and grinding them.

[Diomedes' Mares]

Activating Alcides' Noble Phantasm, Ritsuka punched towards their side, using the force to leap out of the storm's range.

A high-pitched neigh echoed from the center of the storm as a pack of ravenous mares with sharp teeth was summoned, tearing apart the remaining hurricane.

Immediately after, the bronze monstrous bird and the three-headed dog of the Underworld, which had appeared once before, also emerged from various corners and charged towards Saber, who had lost the use of one arm. Mythological beings now trod upon this land.

Drawing a bow and nocking an arrow, Ritsuka, having created distance with the help of the summoned creatures, targeted the one manipulating the wind.

An ultra-rapid barrage of shots, supersonic Noble Phantasm-grade arrows, unleashed the moment Ritsuka began to draw their bow, like a volly from an entire army.

Some of the arrows, imbued with Hydra's venom, were blocked by armor, but a small portion still managed to wound Saber, the poison beginning to tear at his nerves.

The summoned beasts continued their righteous beatdown, and Saber, unable to defend himself from all sides, was bitten on the rear by a Cerberus.

For a moment, Saber was completely immobilized.

His helmet cracked under the impact of arrows from a bronze strange bird, the lower half falling off. The man using the Saber Class Card grunted, "Ughhhh... Strike Air!"

The bound winds on the invisible sword were released all at once, smashing down like a hammer.

Ritsuka leaped to the side, easily dodging this attack, which was only suitable for dealing with weaklings.

'Condensing, compressing air. If it's only this level...'

Ritsuka grew more cautious. How could a Noble Phantasm of this caliber be a trump card capable of threatening them? It would have to be an anti-city Noble Phantasm at least.

The Cerberus, the bronze monster, and the mares were all caught in the blast, severely damaged by the wind pressure on the spot.

Within the storm's vortex, a golden sword appeared, exuding a pure, solemn aura that hit Ritsuka with immense force, causing their eyes to narrow.

"This is!?"

The moment they saw it, Ritsuka understood.

That knight was undoubtedly a supremely orthodox knight, and that golden sword was naturally the sword of the King of Knights, a divine blade forged by the planet that mortals could never reach.

Sword of the Lake, Sword that Cuts Steel—

That was the ultimate holy sword of the stars!