Most of the shopping street didn't consist of Japanese-style buildings but was instead a cluster of mostly Western-style buildings, making the whole of Fuyuki City look a bit different.
With the Mion River as the boundary, the east side was the highly developed and modernized Shinto, while the west side, Miyama Town, was still a cluster of Japanese-style buildings as always—including the Emiya Residence, which followed a very Japanese architectural style.
Shinto always gave off a feeling of developing too quickly; since the great fire several years ago, it had completely transformed.
Looking at Shinto near the shopping street, which looked vastly different from her blurred memories, Ritsuka felt some emotion. "It really is... a bit incredible."
The area she used to live in was Shinto. It had changed from a style identical to Miyama Town into a very advanced city. Time is a truly magical thing; it can always smooth over some pains unknowingly.
"Senpai?"
Sakura tilted her head, not quite understanding the meaning behind Ritsuka's words.
Not knowing Ritsuka's past, she naturally couldn't hear the reason for her sentiment. No one would imagine that the place they once lived could completely change its appearance in just a few years after a disaster.
"Sakura, actually, I lived in Fuyuki for a while when I was little. Those are very beautiful memories, even if they were too ordinary and plain."
She used to live alone in the world, in a rented basement that cost a few hundred a month, and until her final departure, no one cared. After all, she was just one person in a vast sea of people.
Being able to gain a complete family again after that was also an unimaginably satisfying thing.
Ritsuka gave a free-spirited smile and looked sideways at Sakura.
"Do you know about the great fire in Fuyuki City about four or five years ago?"
Sakura nodded. That fire, which burned nearly half the city, was still very terrifying. Almost no local in Fuyuki City would forget it—though, of course, there weren't many locals left.
Many of the current population of Fuyuki City were outsiders who had moved in over the last few years; that major fire was something only a few had heard of.
And with the towns near Miyama Town being swallowed by the black mist a few days ago, the population of Fuyuki City had decreased significantly again. Now, walking on the streets, one couldn't see any bustling scenes; it was quietly desolate.
"Back then, I lost my family in that fire, and I was severely injured myself. I only managed to survive thanks to Uncle Kiritsugu."
"Do you want to feel it?"
Ritsuka chuckled and rolled up her sleeve, exposing a hideous scar on her forearm to the air.
The injury that had nearly crippled her left arm and the hideous, twisted scar made Sakura's eyes widen. Those marks, which looked painful at a glance, covered her entire forearm like a dragon—except this dragon was a bit too ugly.
"Senpai... does it still hurt?"
Sakura reached out and gently tapped it, while also observing the changes in Ritsuka's expression. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw no change.
These old wounds happened too long ago. Even if they were very painful at the time, she had long since forgotten. After all, time is a truly magical thing; it can always smooth over many pains unknowingly.
Perhaps still a bit worried, Sakura held Ritsuka's arm suspended there, then gently pressed both hands onto it before slowly spreading them toward the sides.
"Pain, pain, fly away~"
"...Pfft, Sakura is so cute."
It was clearly a strange practice, but it became vivid because of Sakura's cute performance. With her cheeks flushed pink, little Sakura pouted at Ritsuka's laughter but still insisted on reciting the 'incantation' once more.
After completing the mysterious ritual, she let go of Ritsuka's arm. Sakura crossed her arms and turned away, putting on an act of ignoring Ritsuka.
"Hmph, Sakura was clearly trying to help Senpai, yet she was laughed at... I hate you, I'm not talking to you anymore."
"Sakura, don't be angry, it's my fault."
Ritsuka pressed her hands together and lowered her head slightly. Seeing Sakura secretly peeking over, she couldn't help but grin.
In this situation, she definitely had to coax her. Changing the subject after an apology was a good choice. Ritsuka's eyes darted around, and she immediately thought of a good idea. "Sakura, what were you doing just now? Can you tell me?"
"I can. It's my original 'Pain-Pain-Fly-Away Magic.' It's very practical."
She hurriedly introduced it like showing off a treasure. In truth, it was hard for Sakura to express anger toward someone; she only did that because she wanted Senpai to apologize and see what her apology looked like.
To be honest, a sincerely apologizing Senpai was super cute... "Pain-Pain-Fly-Away Magic, huh... Is the incantation 'Pain, pain, fly away'? Hmm... I've learned it."
Ritsuka gave Sakura a thumbs-up. This 'magic' Sakura created was very similar to what she used to hear her mother mutter. It really should be effective, right?
Nodding with satisfaction, Sakura turned and took the lead in walking toward the other side of the street, and Ritsuka quickly caught up.
———
The shopping street was livelier than the Miyama Town residential area. With customers coming and going in front of the shops, Ritsuka and Sakura were completely lost in the crowd, happily enjoying their first outing with a peer.
Darts, goldfish scooping, eating takoyaki... the two of them tried almost everything along the way. The smiles on their faces increased, and Sakura, who was initially a bit reserved, laughed much more.
Although there were times when the two were utterly defeated by the entertainment—for example, the net for goldfish scooping was so thin it broke upon use—in the end, they were no match for Ritsuka's [Minds Eye (True): B] plus Reinforcement Magic.
They scooped up all the goldfish at once, but seeing the shopkeeper's tearful and sorrowful expression, the two kind girls returned the goldfish to him.
Bidding farewell to the teary-eyed shop owner, Ritsuka and Sakura finally arrived at the clothing mall on the shopping street. At this point, Ritsuka took out the notes she had prepared earlier, which listed the sizes for the clothes Miyu needed to wear.
The wide array of various Japanese-style and Western-style clothing was dazzling. Sakura was also at a loss in this situation and looked at Ritsuka, who was looking down and sorting through her notes.
"Senpai, what is our goal?"
"Emmm, wait a moment, Sakura. Let me see."
Ritsuka pushed aside the notes about toothbrushes and shampoo and found the one with Miyu's body measurements, which she had personally measured under less-than-ideal conditions.
Because Miyu had already become her family, things had to be prepared thoroughly. The list of notes looked a bit exaggerated.
After a rough calculation, Ritsuka looked around and said, "We need a change of clothes for all four seasons, as well as pajamas and such. We can just buy daily necessities at the department store in a bit."
Ritsuka clapped her right hand into her left palm and then took out the note she had made after consulting Miyu about her preferences, placing it in Sakura's hand.
"I'm counting on you, Sakura. Could you help a weak, helpless, and pitiful person like me?"
"Of course, Senpai."
———
After spending most of the afternoon picking things out, the two of them finally finished buying the clothes and began to head back the way they came. The setting sun cast its final glow across the sky, painting the roadside in deep, somber tones.
Ritsuka, who had originally wanted to buy daily necessities as well, couldn't help but sigh as she looked at the bags filling both her hands and those in Sakura's. She would have to find time to come out again another day.
Then again, this work should have been Kiritsugu's to begin with. After all, he was the adult in the house. Leaving such things to children made him quite a terrible guy... "By the way, Sakura, I think we can be considered friends now, right?"
With a voice that sounded somewhat anxious, Ritsuka came to a stop at the corner of the street. The Emiya Residence was already visible in the distance.
Sakura handed the things she was carrying to Ritsuka and gave a quiet smile. "Friends? I suppose so, even though I haven't given Senpai a gift yet."
"Sakura, I've told you so many times, you don't need to call me Senpai, even if I am a year older than you."
While being called'Senpai' sounded nice, it still felt a bit off. It always gave Ritsuka the feeling that she was taking advantage of Sakura, especially since they had only just met.
Remembering the preparations she had made earlier, Ritsuka first carefully set the shopping bags on the ground. Then, she reached out and decisively took hold of Sakura, keeping eye contact to prevent her from looking away.
Quietly getting ready, Ritsuka parted her pink lips and said, "Sakura, I have something I want to give you. Can you close your eyes first?"
"Okay."
Though she didn't know what Ritsuka was up to, Sakura obediently closed her eyes. She knew that Senpai would never harm her.
Only Ritsuka would never harm her... Gently taking Sakura's hand, Ritsuka took a deep breath and took out the crystal dice, but then she hesitated for a moment. Little girls should prefer plushies, right?
In her previous life, limited by circumstances, she had never experienced the psychology of a young girl, and this life went without saying.
Black ears and eye circles, an orange-yellow bow tie—a simple panda plushie in the extreme... Ritsuka looked up at Sakura, whose eyelashes were trembling slightly, and spoke slowly.
"You can open your eyes now."
"Hmm? This, this is..."
Sakura let out a very pleasantly surprised sound as she looked at the item in Ritsuka's hand. Ritsuka had noticed this earlier; while she was picking out clothes, Sakura had stopped and stared at it for quite a while.
Ritsuka was quite an observant girl.
"This is a gift, a testament to us becoming friends. You were there when I got it, so it's not anything expensive. You can't look down on it, Sakura~"
In Ritsuka's playful tone, she saw tears welling up in the corners of Sakura's eyes, along with a smile that was beautiful beyond her years.
"I definitely won't look down on it. This is... the best gift I've ever received in my life!"