Chapter 3
Reality, however, delivered a harsh slap to his face in the form of a military raid.
This was merely a small border city of the nation; the military forces deployed here by the two conflicting countries weren't substantial, making the current intensity of the battle quite unexpected.
What could this small country possibly possess that would make a major power cast aside its dignity?
Kiritsugu could feel his body reaching its limit and felt a pang of melancholy. He instinctively glanced at Ritsuka beside him, confirming she had fallen asleep from exhaustion.
Staying up late was still a heavy burden for a child to bear.
He pulled out a cigarette, preparing to put it in his mouth as cautiously as a thief. However, a sudden surge of pain through his body made his hand slip, and it fell to the ground with a soft thud.
Phew... pick it up within three seconds and it's not dirty... He picked it up and lit it, then checked the time. There was still a long while before the ship that would take them away arrived; he could rest for a bit.
Parking the car by the side of the road, Kiritsugu hesitated before reaching into his trench coat pocket. He pulled out something resembling a notebook, his expression filled with inner conflict.
Last night, Ritsuka's reaction upon hearing he planned to retire and stop being a hero of justice—that joy and relief—stayed in his heart, even making him feel a bit apprehensive. The contents of this notebook might very well cause him to pick up his ideals once again.
This small notebook was something he had obtained by chance years ago when he saved Ritsuka; it contained legends regarding a mysterious family.
Closing his eyes, he recalled the days spent with his foster mother. His resolve gradually solidified. That was the wish he had made when he was still twenty, a wish he had followed for nearly his entire life.
"..."
In the silent stillness of everything, the cigarette in Kiritsugu's hand burned out and fell to the ground, where it was promptly crushed underfoot.
"Sorry, Ritsuka. Definitely next time." Kiritsugu patted Ritsuka's head and then opened the rare volume in his hand, where crooked characters appeared before his eyes.
The 'New Moon' clan, a mysterious family living in Fuyuki City.
———
"Kiritsugu?"
While Kiritsugu was contemplating life, a faint voice sounded beside him. The brief rest had allowed Ritsuka to regain some energy, and she opened her eyes.
Her gaze swept across the ruins and the wilderness. Seeing her observing the surroundings, Kiritsugu nonchalantly tossed away the half-smoked cigarette, showing no sign of weakness. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay now, it's just that my head is buzzing. I probably need a good rest."
Ritsuka gave a silly smile.
"Then let's stay here a bit longer. There's still quite a bit of time before the ship the priest mentioned arrives."
He settled on the rest plan immediately. Worried that Ritsuka's body wouldn't be able to take it, Kiritsugu abandoned the idea of continuing the journey for now; his own body likely needed more rest as well.
After using Magecraft, the sense of exhaustion from the inside out hadn't faded for a moment. He was getting older, after all; his physical condition was far from the vigor he had at twenty.
Time is a butcher's knife; even if it's not killing a pig but a person, the blade goes in clean and comes out red... Of course, the biggest problem stemmed from Kiritsugu's Magecraft. This kind of Great Magecraft, which used the body to endure the backlash of time displacement, came at a truly heavy price.
Time Alter, Innate Time Control—this was Kiritsugu's specialty Magecraft and core ability. It was a powerful Magecraft that could manipulate his own flow of time. According to the research of his father, Emiya Noritaka, it even had the potential to reach the Root.
What is the Root? It is the cause of all things, the existence from which all phenomena flow, the truth of the world.
The end point containing all knowledge, the Akashic Records.
Because it is the cause of all things, it can lead to all results. It is the sole research topic for the species known as Magicians.
Conversely, Magecraft is merely a means to research the method of reaching the Root.
It is for this reason that most Magicians are cold-blooded. Their logic differs greatly from that of ordinary people, to the point where they commit unacceptable and atrocious acts.
Although some have reached it in the past, they disappear from this world at that very moment and can never return.
Therefore, it can only be pursued through one's own power and cannot be taught.
Emiya Noritaka's Magecraft could theoretically reach the Root, and the man himself was the most common type of cold-blooded Magician, having committed countless misdeeds.
Of course, regardless of the method, reaching the Root requires a very long path and a very long time for research. A human lifespan cannot support this.
Ultimately, Kiritsugu's father turned to the dangerous subject of Dead Apostles—creatures similar to the vampires of myth. He was eventually shot dead by an enraged Kiritsugu. The Magus Killer hunted the first Magician he ever encountered in his life.
On the day of Boy's Day, he killed his biological father who possessed the essence of a Magician... Leaning back against the comfortable seat, Ritsuka breathed slightly, her rosy lips pursed. The soreness in her eyes gradually eased with the rest. She looked at Kiritsugu, who had his head tilted to one side, and a certain scent made the corner of her eye twitch.
As someone with a good sense of smell, how could she not notice him secretly smoking from such a short distance? Kiritsugu was treating her like a child... Wait, she was ten years old this year, so she actually was a child, wasn't she?
Ritsuka fell into silence.
"By the way, Kiritsugu, why didn't you go save those people?"
Ritsuka shifted her gaze to the calm Emiya Kiritsugu beside her. 'Those people' referred, of course, to the local armed groups raided by the army.
Those guys weren't bad people; after forming, they often took in those who were homeless—all poor souls affected by the war.
"It was a necessary sacrifice."
The cigarette butt quietly fell to the ground.
"We don't have the power to influence the war. Without prior preparation, we can't even stand against a well-equipped squad." Kiritsugu started the car. "Under a surprise attack with that kind of firepower, even if the opponent is a makeshift irregular army, not many people would survive over in those ruins. The reason is the completely unexpected nature of the attack."
"Compared to regular US soldiers, those mercenary soldiers recruited from Africa, the Middle East, and elsewhere likely won't participate in large-scale frontal battlefields. Instead, they'll search for survivors to massacre. After all, they were originally oppressed people themselves, and they'll be quite happy to find the pleasure of revenge in others."
"And by sacrificing only those who were destined to die, it's possible to exchange them for the lives of more survivors. There's no reason not to do it, right?"
Kiritsugu spoke nonchalantly, lightly biting off a biscuit stick in his mouth.
Chewing softly, he reached out his hand to take another one.
"As I thought, I still can't become a 'hero of justice'." Ritsuka lowered her eyes and slapped Kiritsugu's hand away. "I might not lend a hand to someone in trouble right in front of me, but I also can't deliberately abandon them."
When successful, help the world; when poor, maintain one's own integrity. Ritsuka didn't have the personality of a saint either.
Having confirmed the justice in Kiritsugu's heart once again, Ritsuka's expression wasn't great. The atmosphere between the two was exceptionally stiff as they both fell into silence.
Ritsuka didn't consider herself a particularly kind person, but she ultimately couldn't achieve complete cruelty. That would be too unfriendly to both herself and others; what could one gain in a lifetime doing that?
A reputation for infamy?
"Let's go, we have to keep moving."
The car started. Without waiting for Ritsuka to answer, the off-road vehicle set off in a predetermined direction. At the end of the road, at the end of their vision, was the ocean.
Having lost the conversation, Kiritsugu actually felt a bit happy in his heart. He had understood long ago where the flaws in his ideals lay, during that one unforgettable failure.
To be honest, Ritsuka's answer didn't leave him feeling lonely or resentful, only the relief that his daughter had grown up and her thoughts had matured... even if this daughter was only ten years old.
Speaking of which, for a ten-year-old daughter to have a level of thinking comparable to his own at around forty was truly a bit frustrating. As expected—
He still had to work harder.
PS: The broadcast on Japanese Boy's Day is a play on a broadcast time meme.
The broadcast time for the content of this episode was May 5, 2012, which happened to be Japanese Boy's Day, and it's linked to two subsequent instances of official malice.
The second time was May 12, 2012, which was Mother's Day at the time, when Emiya Kiritsugu killed Natalia, whom he regarded as a mother.
The third time was June 17, 2012, on Father's Day, when in the vision shown by the Holy Grail, Emiya Kiritsugu shot his own father.
(The above is taken from Moegirlpedia)
Section 5, Chapter 5: Legends Concerning the New Moon
The ship docked. After tossing and turning at sea for a long time, Ritsuka let out a yawn and looked up at the sky, which was just beginning to brighten; the moon hadn't completely disappeared yet.
It was probably around four or five o'clock... she muttered to herself. Feeling the cool breeze blowing against her cheeks and neck, Ritsuka silently turned up the collar of her coat.
The climate in Fuyuki City was slightly on the warm side, and given that the current season hadn't entered summer yet, it shouldn't have been cold enough for her to feel it. After all, she was someone who had rolled around near battlefields several times; the issue likely stemmed from the cool night sea breeze.
Standing to the side rubbing her hands for warmth, Ritsuka kept her eyes on the ship's exit, waiting for Kiritsugu, who had gone to get the luggage, to come out. She didn't know the specific location of the Fuyuki Emiya Residence.
After standing in the wind like a fool for a while, seeing Kiritsugu, clad in his black trench coat, slowly walking out of the ship's exit, Ritsuka decisively moved toward him.
"Kiritsugu."
"Let's go, we're going home."
His stiff face rarely showed a hint of a smile. Kiritsugu, carrying the luggage in one hand, patted Ritsuka's head.
Leaving the Fuyuki Harbor Area, since it was still too early, there was no transportation available. The two chose to proceed on foot; their excellent physical condition provided the most crucial requirement.
After all, they were an old man and a child who could wander near battlefields. If they didn't even have the stamina to walk a long distance, it would be too ridiculous.
Cherry blossoms bloomed along the road. The scenery, completely different from the Middle East, brought a pleasant surprise to Ritsuka's eyes, and the nausea from being on the ship for too long was washed away by the novelty.
They had changed ships along the way. The sea voyage, lasting over ten to twenty days, was not only monotonous and tasteless, but constantly swaying on the surface of the sea also made one feel very nauseous—at least Ritsuka felt a bit sick.
If possible, she probably wouldn't take a ship again in this lifetime; this time counted as having enough for once... With nothing to do, Ritsuka pulled a box of Pocky from her pocket, took out a stick and chewed it slowly, while also taking out another and handing it to Kiritsugu.
An old man and a youngster walked side by side along the road, both with an identical Pocky stick in their mouths to alleviate the slight hunger in their stomachs, filled with an inexplicable sense of parent-child bonding.
Even though they weren't blood-related by nature, having lived together for so long, Ritsuka already regarded Kiritsugu as a father.
In a slight comparison, that original biological one from before was nothing at all... "Kiritsugu, are you really going to give up?"
Ritsuka's sudden, out-of-the-blue question made Kiritsugu's brow twitch slightly, his black pupils flickering as if he were thinking about something.
After careful consideration, he pulled a small notebook from his coat and tossed it to Ritsuka beside him. "Take a look."
"For real?"
Ritsuka immediately gave Kiritsugu a suspicious look, then opened the small notebook.
The legend of the Divine Child, a local myth of Fuyuki City, contained descriptions of the bizarre circumstances surrounding the Divine Child.
After glancing at the contents, Ritsuka's expression didn't change at all. Because of the talk about gods and ghosts, having traveled far and wide with Kiritsugu over the years, she had seen far more strange things than what was recorded in the notebook.
"What is this stuff?"
"A local legend of Fuyuki City. It's most likely fake."
Kiritsugu carried the luggage, his expression serious.
Because, according to his initial investigation of this legend, there were suspicious points, and this might be his chance to realize his long-held wish.
"The New Moon, an ancient family that established itself in Fuyuki since the Tensho Era. On the surface, they seem to have nothing besides a long history, but there are suspicious points."
"The children born in that house... specifically, girls under the age of seven, never appear before outsiders."
This was the biggest suspicion. Based on some rumors, Kiritsugu had an extremely bold theory in his heart.
Of course, Ritsuka following him running all over the world was also based on such rumors. Unfortunately, they almost always turned out to be fake. The two of them had been busy for nearly five years without any results.
It was only a very low possibility.
However, before seeing it for himself, all conjectures were just conjectures. He wouldn't directly barge into the New Moon clan to investigate for a wish he had already half-abandoned.
"Not seeing girls under seven, why is that?"
Ritsuka flipped through the notebook in her hand.
Divine Child, Child of Man—the flowery language made her head feel a bit uncomfortable, as if the aftereffects of just finishing the sea voyage were about to flare up.
In short, her head hurt.
"The girls of the New Moon family only show their faces after they turn seven, and use reasons like 'a frail constitution has been cured' or 'was adopted by relatives' to bury it and make people not care."
"But even if it's a hereditary family illness, it shouldn't be to the point where they can only be seen after the fixed time of seven years old, right?" Kiritsugu's gaze narrowed slightly. "And it's only like this for girls; the situation for boys is different."
All the clues and conjectures came together, sketching a complete picture in his heart. The secret of the New Moon family might be very interesting.
Combined with the customs passed down through the local Divine Child faith, he could clearly feel that this family had a huge problem, and this problem was related to the Divine Child.
Kiritsugu said 'with certainty,' "Divine Child. The children of the New Moon family might be natural Divine Children, comparable to the Holy Grail in myth."
"Divine Child? That's... young children under the protection of a god, more like spirits or incarnations of deities than humans?"
She wasn't well-read herself, but through the notebook in her hand, Ritsuka still reached her own conclusion. "Could it be that all the children of the New Moon family are Divine Children? Kiritsugu, has your head gone bad? The credibility of this kind of thing is too low. Local myths have multiple versions, and it's not the first time the two of us have been tricked."