Jean reapplied her stealth, but this time it was completely different; now, even on other planes, there wouldn't be any sound.
This was the first time Jean had used her abilities with system assistance, giving her the feeling of being hand-held through a video game.
But this feeling soon faded as the Greed within the system took effect once again, causing all these techniques and abilities related to stealth to be completely absorbed by Jean herself.
Having truly mastered Presence Concealment, Jean naturally began to fulfill the contract and treat Lia's wounds.
Her wounds were not as severe as Cú Chulainn's; she could even push through them without them affecting her movements.
She didn't do something as unromantic as using a blade; instead, she used her hand to smooth over the scar while staring at her lower abdomen.
"What's wrong? Jean?"
"Nothing, you have very beautiful abs." She complimented her casually, though they really did have a Mikasa-like feel to them.
However, it wasn't that Jean was being a pervert; it was just that Lia's body looked a bit strange. Jean couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong, perhaps because she had been summoned while still alive.
Lia, on the other hand, was a bit unaccustomed to such a compliment and remained silent for a long time.
---
Since the preparations were complete, Jean bid the two farewell. Although she didn't know what Irisviel and the little white one had discussed, she kept looking sullen.
Although Jean asked what had happened, Illya just shook her head, seemingly unwilling to say anything at all.
Returning to the rented house again, Illya finally broke free from her sullen state and entered a state of shock.
"T-this, isn't this my house!"
"Huh? Is this the location of your house from your previous world?"
Hearing Jean's words, Illya confirmed her surroundings once more; this was indeed Illya's home, identical in both location and appearance.
It was no wonder Jean had felt a sense of familiarity from the start; at the time, she had just assumed it was because Japanese-style detached houses appeared so often in anime.
Pushing the door open, she saw Rin burying herself in a stack of spell formulas that looked indecipherable, while Medea gracefully held a teacup, offering guidance from time to time.
"Welcome back, Master."
"Eh, you're back. How did it go?"
"Yeah, no problem. In terms of concealment, it's no longer an issue. How about you?"
"I'm doing okay, it's going quite smoothly." Rin scratched her head and replied.
"She is very talented, and that kind of Gem Magecraft is perfectly suited for the current situation. As long as they are prepared in advance, it can save a great deal of time on learning and practice. Making them into disposable items can also save time on incantations. If there were enough time, I would really like to teach her properly."
It was clear that Medea was truly very satisfied with Rin as a student.
Next, Jean demonstrated her newly unleashed Presence Concealment; at the very least, with Medea and Rin's level of skill, they couldn't detect anything amiss.
"By the way, Master, these are Magecrafts for body reinforcement. They are all types that consume a great deal of life force but grant high-level reinforcement. However, the magical knowledge used in them is somewhat profound, but I can create them in a tattoo-like style that is easy to activate."
Looking at the stack of body reinforcement Magecrafts, some had names while others did not; they were likely just improved by Medea.
"No need, I'm a good girl even without tattoos." She casually dropped a meme that no one understood. "And it's fine, I'll be able to learn them before tonight."
Rin's gem preparations were also going smoothly, with Medea filtering the crystals into magical energy, and then Rin combining them with these formulas to infuse them into the gems.
Fortunately, Jean had brought back a large quantity of gems; otherwise, given the current financial resources of the Tohsaka Family, they wouldn't be able to afford it.
After confirming that everyone's preparations could be finished by tonight, Rin sent a message to the Saber team, setting the battle time for tonight. At the same time, both Medea and Jean released a considerable number of familiars to monitor the situation at the church.
---
"Irisviel, the battle time has been set for tonight. Illya, she..." Lia walked into the room holding the letter.
In the room, Illya was lying on the bed, her whole body burning up and looking very painful. Irisviel was holding her small hand tightly, refusing to let go for even a moment.
"That's good, Lia. We still have time."
"But not a single Servant has been eliminated from the Holy Grail War yet."
"No, as long as the Hero King dies, that is enough. Her soul holds the value of hundreds of thousands of people. Although it is not enough to open the hole, it is enough for the Holy Grail to manifest. As the previous Lesser Grail, I can guarantee this."
"I understand. Even if I must wager this life, I will surely cut her down with my sword!"
"Yes, I believe in you, Lia. And I have a premonition that this Holy Grail War is about to reach its conclusion. I fear tonight will be exceptionally long."
---
At twilight, Jean stood alone, holding the necklace gifted by Rin, waiting for someone.
This was none other than the legendary diamond filled with curses, the Hope Diamond.
[Item Appraisal]
Name: Hope Diamond
Grade: Legendary — 4 Stars
Details: Based on the legendary diamond, crafted by the girl named Tohsaka Rin with all her might under the guidance of the Age of Gods Magician, Medea.
Effects: 1. Carrying it causes Luck to decrease. 2. Destroying the gem creates a three-meter radius space of decreased Luck. 3. Neither of the above points applies to the girl named 'Jean'.
It could be said that the effects were as perfect as could be. Luck seems ethereal and elusive, but a confirmed fluctuation in Luck belongs to the level of causality manipulation.
Holding the girl's feelings in her hand, feeling her presence, she watched Lia walking toward her under the distant setting sun.
Although no Servants had been eliminated thus far, Jean had a feeling in her heart that the ease of the past two days was just like the calm before the storm, and now, the true test was about to arrive.
---
Under the twilight, inside the Fuyuki City church, the golden King sat before the broken statue, waiting for her enemy's arrival.
At the mouth of the coastal park, the smoking puppeteer finally could no longer tolerate being followed for an entire day and took out the suitcase hidden inside a shipping container.
At the other end of the city, in Ryūdō Temple, the silent priest dispersed the temple's residents in the name of the city hall, arriving alone at the empty mountain gate, as if waiting for someone to arrive.
In an ordinary neighborhood, the Age of Gods Magician took out the staff inherited from her teacher, only to be stopped by a petite girl with a sweet treat in her mouth.
And in the shopping district, on all the screens, the playful AI revealed her form, yet no one noticed.
Lia standing before the church, Jean hiding on the side, the sisters following the priest to the mountaintop—the girls known as the protagonists entered the destined battlefield.
In this Fuyuki City, where heroes rise together, only chaos and explosions are the norm.
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