Chapter 43: I Am Very Greedy
Scathach was also full of curiosity regarding Rin's past.
"Oh~ Master, I didn't expect you to have such an interesting past~"
"I can't hear you, I can't hear you, I can't hear you!!!"
Rin covered her ears with both hands, completely resorting to acting like an ostrich. Even the usually strong Rin couldn't contend with the pain of an onslaught of "social death" memories.
Even so, the magic wand continued to reveal even more of Rin's past.
"Rin, who had transformed into a magical girl, was singing very happily back then, even though everyone who tried to run away was caught by her and forced to listen to her sing for the entire night."
"I don't know what happened either! Anyway, after the transformation, I don't remember anything; when I woke up, I was already at home," Rin said, shaking her head.
"And from then on, everyone at school started looking at me with strange eyes, and then they started to distance themselves from me. That feeling was truly unbearable!"
How could Rin, who was always at the center of the crowd, endure such treatment? After that, she simply discarded the magic wand.
"Hiya, Rin was clearly very happy at the time. Even if she was a little shy when shouting the transformation lines, she was still very happy after the transformation was complete."
"No, no! The children present at the time were all terrified! You crude, shoddy magic wand, give me back all my friends right now—!!!"
Rin waved her arms in a fit of rage, but in the end, it was all in vain.
"Alright, alright, hurry up and sign a contract with me. Rin, you must also miss the feeling of being a magical girl!"
The magic wand shook and produced a voice similar to a little girl's, but it always gave off an evil vibe.
"I DON'T!!"
Rin shouted at a decibel level she had never used before.
"Is that so... what a pity. I originally wanted to play with Master a bit more. It seems that humans, once grown up, all want to forget their past selves."
As it spoke, the magic wand's small pair of wings flapped, and after circling Rin once, it continued.
"The current Rin has already become a powerful magus, and in the future, you will surely become a Magician; you no longer need me. Since that is the case, my existence has no
meaning. From here on, you must work hard on your own, Rin. Who knows, perhaps on the day you reach the Root, we might meet again."
After saying these words, the artificial spirit's presence grew weaker and weaker, until finally, the glow atop the magic wand gradually dissipated, and it fell to the floor.
Seeing this scene, Rin finally found the courage to pick up the wand. After confirming that the spirit within had fallen into a deep slumber, she said with some emotion:
"Although that artificial spirit didn't bring me many beautiful memories, now that it's really gone, I oddly miss it a little."
"To miss something you disliked after losing it—humans truly are such mysterious creatures," Ayako Mitsuzuri lamented.
However, after she finished speaking, she received no response from Rin for a long while. She looked at the other with some confusion.
"Eh? Rin, what's wrong?"
Rin's expression had become somewhat blank. Along with her, Illya and Sakura were both turning their gazes toward Ayako Mitsuzuri at this moment.
It seemed that Ayako Mitsuzuri's lack of surprise in the face of such an event had left them all stunned.
Shirou spoke up at the appropriate time to explain everything to them.
"Mitsuzuri ran into me and Saber last night, so she basically understands the situation regarding the Holy Grail War now."
Hearing Shirou's explanation, Rin let out a long cry of disbelief.
"A-Are? Eh... Ehh——!!!?"
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After returning home, Shirou took out the ingredients he had bought on the way and began preparing dinner.
Sakura helped at his side, while Saber and Medea were watching TV—apparently, they were watching horse racing.
Just as Shirou was wondering where Illya had gone, the girl came trotting over from Sakura's room, looking a bit dejected.
"Shirou~ The magic wand you gave me stopped glowing..."
Shirou followed her to Sakura's room to check the status of the wand.
"It has just fallen into a deep sleep; it's not a lack of magical energy. It's not difficult to wake it up."
Although it was a toy-like item created by the Wizard Marshall, its magical performance was not something modern magecraft could compare to.
"Is it fixed?" Illya asked somewhat anxiously.
"Of course, look."
Shirou smiled and waved the magic wand, and a pink glow of magical energy immediately lit up on it.
"Wow!"
Illya's eyes widened instantly, her star-bright eyes filled with excitement.
Perhaps out of joy, Illya—who had total trust in Shirou—leaped into his arms while cheering.
"Shirou is so amazing~!"
The girl's enthusiasm was making it a bit hard for Shirou to handle.
"Alright, alright, Illya, it's about time to..."
Shirou paused. He did not push Illya away; instead, he took this opportunity to check her physical condition.
While in her mother's womb, Illya had undergone numerous abnormal magical adjustments. Not only did she grow quite slowly, but her growth had even stopped before the preliminary stage of secondary sexual characteristics, which was why her physique and appearance were so petite.
Her body had been subjected to countless magical treatments, and her physical structure had been completely replaced by components even less human than those of her mother. From the moment she was born, her purpose had been restricted; her flesh could already be called a crystallization of Magic Circuits.
Because of this, Illya's magical aptitude was the highest in the history of the Holy Grail Wars. The number of her Magic Circuits overwhelmed ordinary magi; she essentially existed solely to allow the Einzbern family to win the Holy Grail War.
Illya's magecraft was such that she could achieve results just by running "theory." As a small-scale Holy Grail, as long as Illya willed it and had enough magical energy, she could bring it to fruition even if she didn't understand the process herself. As long as she was on the land of Fuyuki (the Greater Grail), she was a top-tier magus.
The price for this, however, was that if her condition were not improved, she wouldn't even survive until the end of this Holy Grail War.
Illya naturally understood her own body. After Shirou finished his examination, she still smiled at him and said:
"It's okay, Shirou. As long as I can spend time happily like this with everyone in these final moments, it's enough for Illya."
"You're not allowed to think that way, Illya. I am very greedy."
Saying this, Shirou informed Illya about the power of the "Youth," one of the ten incarnations of his Authority, Verethragna.
"If it's Shirou... it's okay."
Upon receiving this answer, Shirou stroked Illya's hair and then gradually lowered his head. At the same time, the girl slowly closed her eyes.
"Shirou... mmm..."
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