Chapter 1
Section 1 Chapter 1: The Destined Beginning
If the world is not the only one, if different worlds have different stories and histories, and if everyone's fate is a fixed fact, then what would happen?
The world is set and unchangeable; everyone struggles in their own little world, with nothing to lean on until death, lonely resisting unchangeable fate, finally crushed cruelly.
Perhaps the world controls everything, and everyone in it is a chess piece, acting according to rules in the hands of a transcendent player, crushing other pieces or silently fading away.
Pieces cannot resist the player; their way of life is decided. Even if they want to resist, they are held firmly. Forward or backward, nothing can be resisted by a small piece.
Resisting fate is just a joke. A girl struggling in the vortex called the world, dying lonely in a storm, left her small world alone.
This is perhaps the so-called irreversible fate, destiny... A thin man swings a knife, rushing towards a soldier in military uniform, his face full of venom, "Go to hell, American dog!!"
Under the oppression of war, people resist but are ruthlessly slaughtered on the battlefield. Facing modern firearms, ordinary people have no power to resist, and the knives in their hands are like toys.
Bang bang bang—!
Rifle fire. Failing to get close to the war instigator he hated, the man fell to the ground in a pool of blood.
His breath became weak.
"Trace On."
The dagger was covered by azure patterns, like precise light circuits on a circuit board, filling this simple weapon. A small girl crouched high up.
The voice was light, as if narrating, and also deadly.
Jumping down silently, the knife sliced through the air, brushing past the soldier's neck like a phantom, blood spraying out.
"Ugh..."
A flash of cold chill and a momentary sting on the neck made the soldier instinctively raise his hand to press the wound.
With a turn of her wrist, the ten-year-old Ritsuka stabbed the soldier's thigh.
Her height was much lower than a regular soldier's, but sometimes that was an advantage. Reinforcement Magic covered her calves, and Ritsuka easily tripped the retreating American soldier.
Pressing in, the dagger suddenly pierced the man's throat from the front.
The soldier beneath her stopped moving. Stabbing his neck and chest once more to be sure, Ritsuka finally felt relieved.
Only one soldier. Using weapons enhanced by Reinforcement Magic, a successful sneak attack was expected. Although still somewhat resistant to killing, Ritsuka had adapted after walking this land for nearly a month.
Looking at the unresponsive man hit by bullets, Ritsuka looked back at the person walking slowly, "Kiritsugu, this person is dying."
"...Take him back to the church first, see if the old priest has a way. We don't have means to treat gunshot wounds."
The man who watched the whole time put away his gun and chose to carry the local man who was unconscious from the shot.
Looking indifferent and numb, Kiritsugu looked at Ritsuka's blood-stained face and asked, "Ritsuka, are you okay?"
Emiya Kiritsugu, the man who saved her from a great fire years ago. Ritsuka knew that although he acted indifferent now, if she had shown any weakness against that man, Kiritsugu's bullet would have shattered his skull.
He was a man with a very ruthless style, but that coldness was just a protective layer. Perhaps painful memories made it hard for Uncle Kiritsugu to express emotions.
Of course, he was only like that outside. When alone with Ritsuka, he was a good person.
Ritsuka wiped the blood from her cheek, a gentle smile on her lips, "I'm fine. Kiritsugu, you know my strength."
"Indeed, your talent is high, but it's better to be safe."
Kiritsugu nodded slightly. He acknowledged Ritsuka's ability. He wasn't this strong at ten, having the combat power to ambush a trained soldier.
Reinforcement Magic, perfectly used at this age without fully opening Mage Circuits, truly a natural Magus.
Moreover, she claimed to have something called 'crystal dice'... crystal dice, the name Ritsuka gave her ability. It was essentially a crystal-like 20-sided die, unimaginably exquisite.
It appeared by her side when she was about five, and she couldn't throw it away.
Known so far is that under certain conditions, images appear on the die, showing equipment from fantasy works or a character's image. She hadn't explored much of its functions.
So far, there was only one figure, extremely sparse.
The figure was a man with white hair and brown eyes, wearing black and red clothes, looking solemn, holding twin swords engraved with Yin-Yang Taiji patterns.
It only occupied one-twentieth of the capacity.
The two took a shortcut and quickly found a nearly abandoned church.
The gatekeeper saw Kiritsugu and immediately came forward. They took the injured man for treatment. Only the priest here knew medicine and was good at treating gunshot wounds.
"Kiritsugu, what do we do next?"
War. Human history is a history of war. The two who originally came for a legend were forced into the battlefield. Here, Ritsuka tried killing for the first time, and Kiritsugu taught her combat skills.
Basic magecraft studied for a long time finally came in handy.
"We can only leave. We don't have the power to influence the war."
Kiritsugu fumbled in his pocket but couldn't find a lighter or matches. He remembered he ran out and sighed.
Watching Kiritsugu, Ritsuka's expression became serious, and she pinched him hard.
"Hiss—!"
The soft flesh at the waist is very fragile. Kiritsugu took a sharp breath, trembling. Then a lighter was handed to him by Ritsuka.
"Smoking is harmful to health... just this once, don't let it happen again."
"Yes, yes, next time for sure, I'll quit next time."
Kiritsugu's attitude was extremely perfunctory.
There must be other lighters hidden on him. The subconscious action of reaching for one was because he suddenly remembered Ritsuka insisted he shouldn't smoke too much.
Even if she didn't give it to him, he would still sneak one after she fell asleep.
Lighting the cigarette, a bit of warmth appeared in his hollow eyes. Emiya Kiritsugu's rough hand rested on Ritsuka's head, gently stroking her long orange-red hair, a father's comfort for his daughter.
Their way of interacting was strange. Ritsuka refused to call Emiya Kiritsugu father, always calling him Kiritsugu.
And Emiya Kiritsugu only adopted her, not handling their relationship from a father's standpoint.
This odd combination had a touch of warmth. A little happiness filled Kiritsugu's empty and sorrowful heart.
Standing among the desolate ruins, Kiritsugu silently finished a cigarette and put away the pack. "Let's go."
"Where to?"
Ritsuka asked.
Originally searching for local legends for a chance to save the world, they were forced into war and national-level games. This ruin was recently created, bombed by a major power with no moral bottom line.
Poverty and backwardness left people unable to resist, letting the major power harm them and plunder resources under the guise of eliminating terrorists.
To save some, some must be abandoned. Kiritsugu taught Ritsuka a lot, letting the girl with a complete worldview develop her own way of thinking.
Kiritsugu's path didn't entirely suit her. Ritsuka, with two lifetimes of experience, was not optimistic about this world.
Sacrificing a few for the many seemed too inappropriate.
She was slightly used to the feeling of killing, wiping blood from her face without changing expression. Life was unexpectedly fragile.
To abandon what's in front for more, she probably couldn't do it... PS: 1. New book, please support, seeking recommendation votes, newbie rolling for everyone!
2. (Volume 1 mainly supplements settings and is for readers who haven't seen 'Prisma Illya: Oath Under Snow'. Those who have can skip as appropriate.)
Section 2 Chapter 2: The Painful Dream Recurring Every Night
Dreams vary from person to person; what you think of by day, you dream of by night.
Infinite loop dreams are mostly painful memories or unforgettable psychological shadows.
Raging flames lit up the ruins, black smoke rose into the sky, lingering over the city named Fuyuki, leaving a shadow in the hearts of those who saw and experienced it. It was a disaster.
Some buildings began to collapse in the high heat. A girl with long orange-red hair was buried underneath because she didn't escape in time.
A red-hot piece of wood fell on her left forearm, and her thick clothes were destroyed instantly.
Her tender body was torn, pain swept through her, and the choking smoke around her made five or six-year-old Ritsuka lose control of her tear ducts.
Covering her nose with her movable right hand, Ritsuka started to think. Panic is useless in such times.
Her head got dizzier. Ritsuka, feeling she might die once more, wanted to cry. She had only lived five years in this life, and only regained her memories half a year ago... Rumble!
The sound of collapse appeared again, bringing deep despair. The wall in the yard that hadn't collapsed suddenly fell backward, completely blocking her view.
Dust and black smoke were squeezed around her, and Ritsuka's eyelids grew heavier.
"Am I going to die...?"
The murmuring voice was covered by the fire and wind in the ruins.
A glimmer of light appeared by her face. It was a beautiful small toy, a crystal 20-sided die.
Having no interest in gambling and almost no knowledge of this thing, Ritsuka was deeply confused.
Perhaps survival instinct, the nearly unconscious Ritsuka reached out and held the die. The small die, only fitting in her palm, began to roll.
None of the 20 sides had numbers. As a die, it was undoubtedly unqualified.
Next moment, in her hazy vision, a 2D-style character image appeared, and some information flooded her head, telling her how to use this thing.
—White-haired, brown-eyed man, black and red clothes, solemn face, holding twin swords with Yin-Yang Taiji patterns... [Emiya Shirou (Archer)]
[synchronization value (7%)]
...Reinforcement Magic. Ritsuka's right hand was covered in blue patterns, like lines on a circuit board. The whole hand suddenly became strange.
Following an instinct, she clenched her right hand and pressed it against the burning wood on her left arm, forcefully pushing it away. Sparks fell on Ritsuka's face.
Seems... it works... Her breathing was heavy. With the reinforcement of her palm, a needle-like sting came from her body.
Because of continuously inhaling smoke, Ritsuka's consciousness became blurrier, and her eyes narrowed instinctively. She saw a person.
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