Ritsuka sat on a pew in the church, her right hand gently pressing her left arm as she listened to the information Kirei Kotomine provided.
Having shed his ramen chef's clothes, Kirei Kotomine seemed to have returned to his long-lost duty of guiding the Lord's sheep. He appeared very serious, meticulously telling Emiya Ritsuka everything she needed to know about the Einzberns and the Holy Grail War.
"The Einzberns, a prestigious mage family for over a thousand years. Although they are considered failures whose magical trait is only 'Displacement Thaumaturgy,' their abilities are quite remarkable."
"As long as they are within a magical workshop they have constructed, they can use Displacement Thaumaturgy to achieve effects that transcend ordinary laws."
Kirei Kotomine tapped the blackboard, providing Ritsuka with some much-needed remedial lessons on the basics of magecraft.
Ritsuka listened intently to everything concerning the Einzberns, while also using the magical formula Kirei had given her, inscribing it on herself to test its effects.
The intense pain eased. Primarily, her mind, under the influence of magical energy, became less sensitive to the agony. This perfectly met Ritsuka's expectations, as she would have collapsed in pain while walking if her abilities severely affected her.
She didn't believe her willpower could be stronger than that of the mythical Chiron.
"The wisdom and traits of the Einzberns have remained unchanged for over a thousand years, which is quite astonishing."
At this point, a smile flickered across Kirei Kotomine's face.
In Ritsuka's eyes, his smile wasn't one of surprise at all, but rather carried a hint of sarcasm. Clearly, he knew some embarrassing secrets of the Einzbern family.
However, after a slight hesitation, Kirei Kotomine chose not to reveal that secret and continued explaining information related to the Einzberns.
"Julian Einzbern—your former classmate, Julian Ichii—is the current head of the Einzbern family."
"In their thousand-year history, they have been relentlessly pursuing a single goal. Do you know what it is?"
Kirei Kotomine handed Ritsuka a bottle of water. Ritsuka quickly thanked him and took it.
Then, to Ritsuka's astonishment, Kirei Kotomine curled his lips into a joyful, amused smile. "It is a wish that is both grand and incredibly childish, yet admirable—"
"As the adoptive daughter of Emiya Kiritsugu, you should understand... The continuation of human history. What the Einzberns seek is to save humanity, which is destined for extinction!"
Ritsuka stared blankly at Kirei Kotomine's'strange smile,' his 'joyful' voice echoing in her ears.
"—That is also Emiya Kiritsugu's justice."
The shock of this massive amount of information left Ritsuka speechless. Kirei Kotomine's words were like a blade striking her chest.
In a sense, after she had abandoned Kiritsugu's justice, it was Julian Einzbern who had inherited it instead... "Unable to create anything of value from scratch, they can only produce fakes through displacement. Thus, the Einzberns have always been mocked as the 'Counterfeiters'."
Replacing a human with a servant possessing the power of a Heroic Spirit through something called a class card—in a way, wasn't that also a kind of counterfeit?
Ritsuka clenched her hand, faint light leaking from between her fingers.
But then again, she wasn't in a position to criticize the Einzberns in that regard. She herself was likely a counterfeit using the power of a servant now. Moreover, one of her primary abilities, Projection Magic, was also a high-level technique for creating counterfeits.
The kind that could perfectly replicate a Noble Phantasm!
"Let's continue. Since over two hundred years ago, the Einzberns suddenly began pursuing the miracles existing in the world, attempting to save a humanity doomed to extinction."
"Therefore, they need a miracle that transcends humanity—the Holy Grail!"
A miracle. That was what Emiya Kiritsugu had been searching for with Ritsuka for five long years.
Sakatsuki Miyu was their ultimate find. But Ritsuka's existence led Kiritsugu to eventually give up and choose to leave everything to her, letting her make the decision.
From the very beginning, she had possessed perhaps the only miracle in this world, yet she never had any intention of using it. Because that was her sister, not some so-called omnipotent wish-granting machine.
The term "Holy Grail" comes from Christian legend, but in Ritsuka's view, the Holy Grail Kirei Kotomine spoke of was likely not the same thing as the Christian one.
"The Holy Grail War—a grand magical ritual established to seize the power of this miracle. The Einzberns collaborated with two other mage families to create this ritual, though one is now extinct and the other is nearly defunct." Kirei Kotomine narrowed his eyes. "The 'Vessel for the Grail,' the 'System for Summoning Heroic Spirits,' and the 'Land with a Vast Leyline' were provided by the three families respectively."
"Using rare Mystic Codes or physical bodies as mediums, they engrave the power of Heroic Spirits, making themselves into existences similar to Heroic Spirits."
"It has been held four times, and all failed. The outcome of the fourth was the worst, with endless darkness swallowing the town."
Kirei Kotomine's words triggered Ritsuka's memories. That was when she and Miyu first met.
That darkness was produced by the Holy Grail War; it was a product of Julian's creation. The Sakatsuki Family's magical protection was destroyed because of it, and she and Kiritsugu obtained the miracle's host... Miyu.
It was also because of that darkness that her adoptive father, Emiya Kiritsugu's bodily functions declined rapidly, eventually leading to his death.
Ritsuka fell into deep thought, her expression somewhat gloomy. Kirei Kotomine, who was watching her closely, suddenly laughed. "By the way, I should mention that the catastrophic fire that swallowed Shinto ten years ago was also a result of the Holy Grail War. Your father was a participant in that one."
"Kiritsugu? I see... So Kiritsugu was there because he participated in the Holy Grail War."
Suddenly, her heart felt a bit empty. It turned out everything in her life was connected to the Holy Grail War—everything had been taken away by it.
Damn it.
Ritsuka clenched her fists, lowering her head so her hair covered her eyes.
She didn't have many thoughts about Kiritsugu participating in the Holy Grail War; it just felt natural.
After all, the Holy Grail was a miracle. It was understandable that Kiritsugu, who had always been searching for a miracle to save humanity, would participate.
"Thus, after four Holy Grail Wars, Julian Einzbern, one of the few survivors, took up the mantle of the Holy Grail War. He has now successfully gathered the leyline, the Heroic Spirit system, and the miracle. This is all for the sake of all humanity."
"Are you prepared to bear the consequences of this, which will lead to the death of all humanity?"
Sacrificing a few to ensure the survival of humanity—if this were placed before Kiritsugu, he would surely choose the justice of'sacrificing the few to save the many'.
Ritsuka gripped the crystal dice tightly. Kirei Kotomine couldn't see it; he could only see the startling magical energy surging from Ritsuka. That vast, ocean-like magical energy, equivalent to ten thousand people, surged forward, pinning the priest of Fuyuki firmly in place.
She suddenly found a use for the crystal dice.
Under extreme conviction, it was a secret technique to burn one's own existence and completely replace one's inner self.
Kirei Kotomine's lips curled upward as he watched Ritsuka, who was enveloped in dense magical energy—a mix of crimson and chaotic black. A large bow and a long cloth appeared beside her.
The cloth was wrapped around her neck, and she shouldered the large bow. Ritsuka's eyes turned a cloudy gold.
"Kiritsugu... Father gave the choice to me. This is a choice only I can make. I promised him... I will protect Miyu."
Her own existence would surely collapse, wouldn't it?
After all, what was being replaced was her own inner self. The synchronization value for the Alcides column on the crystal dice was rising rapidly, heading toward 100%!
The intense pain within her body intensified instantly. The agony of self-collapse mixed with the pain brought by immortality. The effect of the magecraft became subtle, so Ritsuka simply increased her magical energy to suppress her pain completely.
"Whew~ Thank you for your help, Mr. Priest. If I have the chance, I will definitely come back to repay your kindness." Ritsuka smiled brightly, though her beautiful eyes were somewhat hollow. "Judging by your apron, you must be a ramen chef who likes spicy food. I'm quite skilled at cooking; I'll treat you to a meal if I get the chance."
Turning around, Ritsuka walked out of the church. The pressure she exerted began to recede, and her gaze became cold.
She was going to participate in the Holy Grail War!
As Ritsuka walked away, Kirei Kotomine came to the church entrance. Watching her leave, he suddenly remembered something and shouted:
"By the way, remember one thing: using that formula too much has side effects. It will cause hallucinations."
Ritsuka waved her hand and disappeared at the end of his vision.