Before dawn, Kiritsugu returned to the church to rest, while Ritsuka went to a high point of the church, sitting there to enjoy the night view.
Since she woke up early from the dream, she had no desire to go back to sleep. It was better to use this time to train herself. After all, running around with Kiritsugu left her little time to get stronger, and she always had to find her own time to practice.
Pulling a Pocky out of the box, blue lines extended across it as Ritsuka narrowed her eyes.
Reinforcement Magic. This was the magic she had used once before meeting Kiritsugu, and it was the first magic she mastered under Kiritsugu's guidance.
The technical requirement wasn't low, but its practicality wasn't high because the operational details were very troublesome. Unless one was highly talented, it was easy for the magical energy output to go out of control, leading to physical problems.
Therefore, Kiritsugu had initially suggested she only learn the basics.
After all, she was a first-generation Magician. None of her elders had ever come into contact with mystery. It was understandable that Kiritsugu thought her talent wasn't anything special.
Taking a light bite of the Pocky in her hand, the hard sensation made Ritsuka's eyes widen.
My teeth hurt... Ritsuka casually canceled the Reinforcement Magic and swallowed the biscuit stick in small bites, then clenched her hand.
A faint crystalline glow seeped through the gaps in her fingers. Opening her palm, Ritsuka watched a small crystal die float up. She gripped this thing she called the 'crystal dice'... [Emiya Shirou (Archer)]
[synchronization value (16%)]
...The strange value was at 16%. Its specific function was unknown, but she speculated that the higher the value, the more comprehensive the abilities of the corresponding character in the 'crystal dice' would be.
At her current stage, the only abilities she could use were Reinforcement Magic, a half-baked Projection Magic, a skill called 'Minds Eye (True)', and an extremely special talent for housework.
Whether it was cooking a meal or cleaning, she could quickly master all sorts of household chores and reach a very high level. In terms of cooking, at only ten years old, she could already defeat Kiritsugu.
It was practically magical.
She didn't know the specific abilities of the 'Emiya Shirou' corresponding to the card.
Maybe the synchronization value wasn't high enough, or perhaps there was some other reason. All she knew was the information provided by the crystal dice; she knew almost nothing else.
Calling it a cheat felt a bit too shabby.
Having only read some web novels in her previous life and then spending her time working everywhere once she got older, Ritsuka was somewhat speechless. Other people's systems could be lolis or mature women, and could even destroy heaven and earth at a whim. Hers didn't even come with an instruction manual.
If she couldn't figure it out, even if she were given a transformation item, she still wouldn't be able to use it.
Looking at the moon above, Ritsuka pursed her lips and began her daily magical energy cultivation. She still couldn't completely master the method of opening her Mage Circuits.
The ability to activate magic anytime and anywhere, like breathing, was something she currently lacked.
Mage Circuits, open!
As for how to train magical energy, using magic was the simplest and most direct method. Ritsuka clenched her fist, and lines appeared on the back of her hand.
"Haa... haa..."
While adjusting her breathing rhythm, she worked hard to drive the magical energy bursting within her body. Her clenched fingers slowly relaxed as the night wind blew her hair.
———
———
Some people in the hall had already woken up. Led by the priest, the clergy in the church were distributing water and food, and everyone expressed their gratitude.
Ritsuka quietly bypassed them and walked into a small room in the side hall.
Pushing the door open, Ritsuka found that Kiritsugu was already up. His expression was somewhat solemn as he wiped his Mystic Code—a handgun—with a cloth.
With a "heave-ho," she hopped over to Kiritsugu's side and sat down to rest. "Kiritsugu, you're already awake."
"Didn't you go back to sleep? Traveling later will be very tiring."
He finished the cigarette in his hand with a series of puffs and tucked the handgun Mystic Code into his pocket. Kiritsugu glanced at Ritsuka, then, defeated by her intense stare, he silently turned his head away.
Ritsuka sighed. Quitting smoking was hard; she felt like she couldn't even nag him into it anymore. "I'm not very sleepy. I was mainly thinking about how to get back. We probably can't take a plane at this stage."
Although the U.S. military said they were preparing to withdraw from the battlefield, they were still surrounding several nearby cities. It wasn't realistic to try to leave by plane, and the only airport in the area had already been destroyed in the war.
And even if they returned to Fuyuki City, the two of them would likely have nothing to do. She was still young and had no special skills, while Kiritsugu, as a 'hero of justice', probably didn't know how to do anything except kill people. To be honest, Ritsuka felt this fact was quite ironic.
"Then we'll take a boat. I spoke with the priest earlier; he'll arrange a cargo ship to take us and the refugees away together."
Kiritsugu felt the remaining bullets in his pocket. With these things called 'Origin Bullets', he had ended countless Magicians. This was his most effective tool against Magicians.
He turned his head and looked at the quiet Ritsuka, remaining silent.
Sometimes he also wondered, what if there were no miracle in the world sufficient to save it? When should he let everything go and return to a normal life?
Maybe being an ordinary office worker wouldn't be bad.
Provided that any company would be willing to hire a Magus Killer like him... Boom—!!
Suddenly, like a meteor streaking across the sky, a piercing whistle appeared outside the church and pierced their ears, followed by a violent explosion.
Ritsuka's brow furrowed immediately, while Kiritsugu's expression changed drastically.
Decisively, this man who hadn't yet retired from his post as a 'hero of justice' pulled out his Calico submachine gun. He pressed his body against the wall to observe the movement outside, as the thunderous sound of explosions continued incessantly.
Lying prone on the ground, with the roof above trembling and shaking, Ritsuka also pressed her body against the wall and looked outside through a crack.
A group of soldiers in camouflage were launching a raid on a ruin. It was only one or two hundred meters away—the base of a local armed organization.
Essentially, this organization was formed by locals to resist the invasion, but it seemed they had been discovered and were being nipped in the bud.
However, logically speaking, these soldiers should have already begun withdrawing from the battlefield. The national level had already declared the end of the war. This raid was unimaginable; those guys even used heavy-duty, high-lethality weapons to storm the ruins.
"Kiritsugu, what should we do?"
Ritsuka's expression didn't look good.
Given the United States' past behavior, going back on their word wasn't a surprise, but the sight of flesh and blood flying was still a bit too intense.
Should they find a way to save people?
Emiya Kiritsugu fell into silence. The enemies were too numerous and their weapons advanced. He didn't know any large-scale destructive magic, so even if he went, he would be turned into a sieve.
Emiya Kiritsugu, the 'Magus Killer' who excelled at using modern weapons to make up for his lack of combat power and whose fighting style pushed craftiness to the extreme, couldn't help but feel a headache now. He was a Spellcaster, but not an all-powerful Doraemon. There weren't many means he could use when suddenly facing an army.
In fact, there was almost nothing he could do.
After a moment's hesitation, Kiritsugu did not take any rescue action. Instead, he pulled Ritsuka up to leave and headed for the confession room inside the church.
Because of the battle nearby, the entire church was now in a state of panic. Fear had spread among the crowd. If the army discovered this place, they could carry out a massacre at any time.
Decisively finding the priest, Kiritsugu made a suggestion—
"Father, please mobilize the clergy immediately and lead everyone to evacuate."