From that day on, Ritsuka's entire world changed dramatically. Everything became strange and silent.
Julian, the student council president of Homurahara, never appeared at school again after that day. After all, both the miracle itself and the person who stole it had been found.
There was no longer any need to waste time blending in with ordinary people... Ritsuka took a long leave of absence from Taiga and began wandering through Fuyuki City, searching for the Einzberns' location.
Kirei Kotomine said they had always been in this city, just hiding their castle (their magical workshop) through Displacement Thaumaturgy.
Standing atop a skyscraper under construction in Shinto, Ritsuka narrowed her eyes. Her cloudy golden eyes were full of deathly stillness.
Clairvoyance.
Although it wasn't an ability Alcides explicitly possessed, Ritsuka could see everything within 20 kilometers. Her eyesight was incredibly good; she could even see the details of the snowflakes falling from the sky.
Ritsuka exhaled softly, the warm breath forming white mist in her vision. Her 'divine beast cloak,' which she wore like a scarf, fluttered freely in the cold wind.
"Miyu..."
She couldn't find them. Even though she had adjusted her state to exert most of the Avenger-class Hercules' power, she had spent nearly a month without finding any trace of Miyu.
The Einzberns seemed to have vanished from Fuyuki City as if they had evaporated.
Kirei Kotomine must know something more, but that damn joy-seeker wouldn't say a word.
He must be hiding in a corner, feeling quite joyful watching her run around like a headless fly.
Recalling the mapo tofu ramen she had occasionally tasted, that feeling of her insides burning was even more intense than burning her own existence with the crystal dice. It was truly unforgettable.
Ritsuka felt that Kirei Kotomine must be out of his mind, a complete psychopath.
Brushing the snow off her hair, Ritsuka jumped down from the high vantage point and landed smoothly in a secluded alley. She pulled her hat down over her head.
Father, sister, friends—everything around her was gone... The Einzberns had taken everything from her, turning the whole world back to its original gray. It was like the place she had stayed in since birth in her previous life, a place she couldn't forget until the day she died—a room that was like hell.
—[White Room]
Unfortunately, she would always be a defective product, no matter when.
"...Senpai?"
Eh?
Ritsuka's footsteps paused. A familiar voice sounded in her ear, and she subconsciously looked to her side, her head still lowered.
A flash of purple entered her vision. A girl smiling with surprise held an umbrella over Ritsuka's head, shielding her from the heavy snow falling from the sky.
Her slightly eerie dark golden eyes met Sakura's jewel-like purple ones. Ritsuka was a bit surprised. "Sakura, what are you doing here?"
"Because Senpai hasn't been to school for a long time, so I came to take a look."
Sakura's cheeks flushed slightly, her bashful expression quite cute.
After a moment's hesitation, Ritsuka sighed, took out her keys, and opened the door. Then, she turned her head slightly.
"...Come in first."
———
Inside the room, the kotatsu radiated warmth. Sakura Matou stretched her legs inside, her face full of comfort.
Ritsuka opened the refrigerator, took out the last bit of meat, and made two bowls of mapo tofu noodles.
However, her version was different from Kirei Kotomine's; it was specially prepared to focus more on the numbing sensation than the spiciness, so it tasted much better. The original was something no normal person could eat.
With her immortality, she had only just barely escaped that disaster.
"It looks delicious. Thank you for the treat, Senpai."
"Let's eat."
With her hands pressed together, Sakura, who hadn't been to the Emiya Residence in a long time, looked at the bowl in her hands with a happy smile.
Taking a large bite with her chopsticks, Sakura chewed slowly. Her cheeks flushed from the spicy and numbing flavor.
"So delicious..."
Hearing Sakura's exclamation, Ritsuka gave a helpless smile and began to eat silently. Even though her own bowl was the extra-spicy version, her expression didn't change at all; her face remained blank.
"Senpai, I'm glad you're not sick. I was worried about you for so long."
Sakura smiled gently, her chopsticks pausing at the edge of the bowl as her gaze shifted to Ritsuka's face.
With Miyu gone, the atmosphere of the Emiya household had indeed changed significantly—so much so that she almost didn't recognize it... Sakura's fingers gripped tight until they turned white.
"Sorry, because of some personal matters, I haven't been to school lately. I've already applied for withdrawal."
Time was tight, and no one knew when the Holy Grail War would begin. All of Fuyuki was now so quiet it was frightening. Even with her double Mind's Eye active around the clock, Ritsuka still hadn't found even a hint of Einzbern's movements.
To be honest, she really hoped Sakura could leave this city, because it was possible the city might truly disappear next.
Suddenly thinking of a possibility, Ritsuka raised her eyes. "By the way, how has Shinji been lately?"
"...Eh, Brother? He's been doing well lately. He's still hitting on girls at school just like before. He's already had two different girlfriends this month."
Sakura's expression was natural, and her tone was slightly resentful, showing no change from before.
Ritsuka felt a sense of relief. When Miyu was taken away before, Shinji had been standing by Julian's side. Just moments ago, she had suspected that the Matou Family Sakura belonged to was also a participant in the Holy Grail War. It seemed Shinji might have been controlled by Einzbern's magecraft at that time.
There weren't many things she valued; Shinji was a friend she acknowledged. Although he was a bit of a scumbag, she didn't have much left in her life.
The time that followed felt like a return to the past. The two ate quietly, occasionally chatting about school matters, as the sky gradually darkened just like any other day.
———
The snow was falling heavily, blanketing Fuyuki in silver-white.
After cleaning up the dishes together, Ritsuka saw Sakura to the door. She had tried to get her to stay, but Sakura said she had to go home tonight, so Ritsuka couldn't say much more.
"The snow is quite heavy, so be careful on the way."
"Okay. You should get some rest early too, Senpai. The dark circles under your eyes are very heavy."
Reaching out to tap Ritsuka's cheek, Sakura laughed and jogged out of the Emiya Residence, her figure vanishing into the darkness.
With a bitter smile, Ritsuka rubbed her face with both hands. She then pulled up the hood of her coat and tied the'Scarf - divine beast cloak' she had just taken out, preparing to set off.
She hadn't slept much at all this past month, relying entirely on Alcides' power to keep going. It was only natural for her to have dark circles. How could she rest before finding Miyu? In her current state, Ritsuka wouldn't be able to sleep even if she lay in bed.
It could only relieve a tiny bit of fatigue... On the street outside the residence, Sakura stopped. At this distance, she was already far from the Emiya Residence.
"Long time no see, Brother."
Her fingers gripped the card in her pocket as Sakura stared intently at the figure emerging from the shadows, warily watching the familiar man: Shinji Matou.
Although she called him brother, Sakura Matou's expression was incredibly gloomy.
"Oh my, isn't this my worthless little sister...? Sakura, what are you doing here? Could it be... you've already finished off that person who intruded into the Holy Grail War?!"
Covering his face with his right hand, Shinji Matou cried out exaggeratedly, his expression beneath his palm twisted to the extreme.
The crazed laughter made Sakura tighten her grip on her class card. Her eyes overflowed with rage. Beautiful butterflies appeared around her one by one, casting a purple glow in the dark night.
"Don't talk to me with that face, you puppet!!"
Sakura didn't use her class card; she simply cast her specialty Butterfly Magecraft with a flip of her hand. Shinji's expression went blank for a split second.
Immediately after, countless tentacles erupted from behind him, and darts sliced through the air, shattering all the magical butterflies. For a moment, glowing dust covered the entire street.
class card: Install!
Completely reproducing a servant's power within one's body, thereby transforming oneself into the concept of a Heroic Spirit—the core usage of a class card was demonstrated in Shinji's hands.
Holding a throwing dagger, he easily tore through Sakura's magecraft, his entire body becoming a black blur due to his extreme speed.
"Wuhahahaha—!!"
Shinji laughed shrilly, his knife thrusting toward Sakura's neck as if he intended to decapitate her.
"You're trying to fight me without even using a card? You're looking for death..."
"Even without a card, you're no match for me. You're nothing but a mere puppet."
An explosion roared in front of Sakura. Countless bright red butterflies surged out from the flames, directly enveloping the screaming Shinji Matou before forming a fiery red sphere.
Sakura snapped her fingers crisply, and the entire street was immediately surrounded by rolling flames.