Holding several sticky notes, Ritsuka walked down the streets of Fuyuki City, preparing to buy some things, such as a change of clothes for Miyu.
At this stage, the only things Miyu could wear were Ritsuka's old pajamas and the kimono she was wearing when they found her; she had no other clothes.
Kiritsugu was too absorbed in ancient texts to pull himself away, and Miyu herself couldn't leave the Emiya Residence at will. Her unconscious wishes as an ordinary person would cause a commotion, not to mention Ritsuka hadn't forgotten the figure that had attacked Miyu when they found her two days ago.
A girl with golden twin-tails, her waist-length hair tied with black ribbons, whose face was even colder than Kiritsugu's, and who looked to be about the same age as her.
"Who on earth was that?"
Ritsuka tapped her forehead, feeling a bit troubled.
Because those two had retreated very quickly at the time—Kiritsugu had already suppressed one of them with his superior combat experience, and Ritsuka's outburst had successfully forced them to withdraw.
Miyu's identity couldn't be revealed, and even Miyu's very existence couldn't be casually exposed, otherwise the consequences would be very troublesome—
This was a fact acknowledged by both Kiritsugu and her.
The sudden disappearance of the Sakatsuki Family's barrier and the inexplicable annihilation of the clan were definitely the result of someone's deliberate actions. Another reason was the two strange guys from that day; their goal was likely to obtain Miyu, an existence comparable to a Universal Chalice.
The ability to grant any wish indiscriminately—it was terrifying just thinking about it.
As she walked toward the commercial district, a touch of spring greenery gradually appeared in Ritsuka's line of sight. A park-like structure covered in lush green sat at the junction of the residential and commercial areas, and beyond that was Shinto.
—Fuyuki Park.
A place historically affected by a great fire, that blaze caused the greatest disaster in Fuyuki City apart from the previous black mud incident, and led to the deaths of countless people.
Ritsuka had also nearly died in that great fire.
Fuyuki Park, which had been burned bare, had now undergone renovations and seemed to have regained its former vitality.
"What is that?"
Looking at a rather out-of-place installation in the park, Ritsuka was confused.
It was a sports facility similar to a high jump bar with a large sponge mat behind it. The whole thing was strangely set up in the park, even though it wasn't certain anyone would use it.
The height looked manually adjustable; even children could try jumping without a pole. Of course, they would definitely crawl under it; jumping over it was unlikely. After all, no matter how exaggerated the children of Fuyuki were, they couldn't possibly fly over it.
After a moment's hesitation, Ritsuka stuffed all the notes into her pocket and ran into the park, azure lines slowly climbing up her legs.
She took a running start and leaped. Boosted by Reinforcement Magic, Ritsuka soared over the high bar, only to slam her head right into the plastic pole.
The pole was sent flying by her head, and Ritsuka landed face-first on the mat. The air suddenly became awkward. Ritsuka just lay there quietly, not daring to lift her head.
How embarrassing. The first time she tried to show off in her new life, she failed. Luckily, no one saw... "...Senpai?"
A soft voice sounded in her ear, like a warm breeze blowing past. It should have been a very comforting call, but at this moment, it felt like a manifestation of hell, making her heart uneasy.
"..."
An illusion. It must be an illusion. It was only because her mind and body were shrouded in complete embarrassment that she had the delusion of someone passing by and seeing her.
The voice sounded so much like Sakura; it was surely because she hadn't seen her for a while and missed her. How could it be such a coincidence... "Senpai, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
The auditory hallucination rang in her ear again, carrying a hint of anxiety. This was followed by the sound of things being placed on the ground, and someone reached out with small hands to gently shake her body.
The situation was gradually getting bad.
It had to be said, given that the Sakura beside her was very likely real, this behavior of acting like an ostrich burying its head in the grass when encountering danger looked incredibly stupid.
Supporting her body with her hands, Ritsuka lifted her head and looked beside her. Purple hair entered her vision; Sakura stood there, wearing a very serene smile.
"I'm fine, I just underestimated the height and overestimated myself."
Ritsuka stared with dead-fish eyes, feeling like she might as well just die. Being witnessed failing a show-off attempt by an acquaintance was just too embarrassing; it felt like her body and soul had been insulted.
She couldn't face anyone... Composing herself and patting down her clothes, Ritsuka stood up from the mat and looked at Sakura. "Sakura, what a coincidence. Seeing you makes my mood better."
"Hehe, I'm also very happy to see you, Senpai."
To be honest, Sakura's smile was explosively cute and full of healing vibes, even if there was a tiny hint of something else within it.
"Sakura, what are you doing out here alone? Without an adult accompanying you, it's not good if you run into danger."
A cute girl like Sakura, so small and delicate—some terrible people definitely wouldn't mind taking a risk. They might even think that rotting in jail would be worth it.
She wore a small purple jacket and a pleated skirt, with a red ribbon tying a lock of hair on one side of her head. The only drawback was that her slightly long bangs partially covered her eyes, adding a touch of gloom to the cute Sakura's appearance.
"I came out for a walk. Besides, isn't Senpai alone too?"
Not minding Ritsuka's gaze that scanned her from top to bottom, Sakura only showed a slightly troubled smile.
Being appreciated is a good thing, but being so blatant about it wasn't great either, yet she didn't have the courage to refuse... Sakura's eyes suddenly widened as Ritsuka reached out and placed a hand on her head, gently stroking it while speaking slowly in a worried tone, "You have to learn to say no. It's too silly to keep forcing yourself when you really can't stand it."
Looking at the grinning Ritsuka before her, whose movements were incredibly gentle, Sakura's body trembled. She lowered her head slightly, her eyes growing moist.
—The first time... This was the first time someone had placed a hand on her head... and her hair didn't feel pain... "Senpai, did you come out alone to do something?"
Secretly wiping the corners of her eyes, Sakura tried her best to show a truly genuine smile.
At least to Ritsuka, it looked incredibly real—a smile that could only flow from heartfelt happiness.
"My purpose? I can tell Sakura, but you can't tell anyone else~"
Ritsuka balled her right hand into a fist and brought it to her face to act cute. Her mysterious manner piqued Sakura's curiosity.
"My foster father, Uncle Kiritsugu (The Golden-Haired Lion King / strike that), adopted another child. I have a sister named Emiya Miyu now."
"I came out this time to buy some daily necessities and clothes for her."
Looking at the pensive Sakura standing close to her, Ritsuka broke into a wide smile.
"A sister? That really is an enviable word."
Sakura began to smile somewhat forlornly. There was nothing abnormal about her, but that smile was a bit heartbreaking. Ritsuka had no idea which of her words had been wrong.
Since she couldn't figure it out, Ritsuka could only take a different approach and choose to change the subject—
"By the way, Sakura, do you want to go shopping with me?"
"No."
She was rejected flat out!!
A dazed Ritsuka collapsed to her knees in a state of disbelief. Where exactly had she offended Sakura? The answer was just too decisive.
"Well, I was just playing a joke on Senpai. The feeling of refusing for the first time is quite nice."
With a smile like a blooming flower, the breeze blew aside the bangs covering Sakura's eyes. Ritsuka's figure was reflected in her sapphire-like pupils as she playfully balled her right hand into a fist by her cheek to act cute.
Meow~
Ritsuka clutched her chest, nearly fainting from happiness... The distance from Fuyuki Park to the shopping street wasn't far. After all, Fuyuki Park itself was the dividing point between the residential and commercial areas in Miyama Town.
After leaving the sparsely populated residential area, the entire atmosphere changed completely. Snack stalls were everywhere, and various shops decorated the shopping street with unique colors; it was lively without being noisy.
The two Little girls entering this area were as inconspicuous as small splashes falling into the sea, yet they could simultaneously feel the vastness of the ocean. Shopping with a companion had become interesting.
With a steady stream of street snacks like cotton candy and taiyaki, Ritsuka watched the increasing smiles on Sakura's face. Her mood, which hadn't been great because of Miyu and Kiritsugu's situation, also started to improve.