"Where… exactly is this?"
As she followed Ritsuka into the shabby little hut of the Mother of Kanbuki City, Asagami Fujino was instantly overwhelmed by the bizarre, otherworldly interior—especially since she knew absolutely nothing about magecraft.
She stared at a crystal ball that glowed despite not being plugged in, then at the many tarot cards floating in midair. Her lips parted slightly.
To her, the scene looked exactly like the mysterious cottage of a fairy godmother from a children's story.
For a moment, Fujino even wondered if she was dreaming.
Had she fallen into some rabbit hole like Alice in Wonderland?
Was this strange older boy actually some humanoid "Mr. Rabbit"?
Because in less than half a day, she'd run into Ritsuka—a mysterious high schooler who felt like an ace assassin from some secret organization—and then immediately afterward she'd met a real "fairy godmother."
No normal person's life was supposed to contain a sequence like that.
On instinct, Fujino raised a hand, wanting to pinch her arm to check if this was real—
but she lowered it again.
Even if she pinched herself, it wouldn't prove anything.
She had congenital analgesia: she couldn't feel pain.
That realization stirred up a quiet, inexplicable sadness in her again.
"…"
Ritsuka noticed her mood shift, but he didn't comfort her.
He'd seen Kara no Kyoukai, so he understood—at least broadly—the kind of miserable fate this girl carried, and how her life was "supposed" to end.
But just as he'd said before: right now, he could barely protect himself.
Fujino might be living in hell, but so was he.
His own experiences were far beyond what any normal person could imagine. And the reason he'd saved her had nothing to do with her being Asagami Fujino, and nothing to do with any ulterior motive.
It was simply because he could help at that moment, so he did.
But beating up thugs and "changing her fate" were completely different things.
Because behind Fujino, Araya Souren was watching in the shadows.
And with the Fourth Holy Grail War about to begin, Ritsuka couldn't afford to get entangled in that—especially not while he was already preparing to deal with Matou Zouken.
Zouken plus Araya was not a two-front war he could manage.
So he focused on the old woman instead.
"You look as lost as that lucky little girl," the Mother of Kanbuki City said mildly. "Young man—have you come to ask this old lady for a reading?"
"And it looks like you've been searching for me on the streets for quite some time."
She'd clearly noticed his attention and spoke first, smiling.
"Yes," Ritsuka answered bluntly. "I know who you are. I know your ability—and those miraculous eyes. Otherwise I wouldn't have come looking for you. And as expected… you already knew I was searching for you."
"Correct," the old woman said without coyness. "The moment you set foot in this city, my eyes had already seen your trace—and many things about you."
"I was debating whether to meet you," she continued quietly. "Your fate-lines are incredibly complex, and every single one is dangerous. Even for an old woman like me, I'd rather not get close to you unless I must. But…"
Her gaze drifted to the purple-haired girl nearby—Fujino—who was distracted by the strange trinkets around the room.
"…From your act of saving that child without hesitation, I can tell you're not a bad person. Perhaps meeting you is a good thing. That's why I guided you here."
"So that's how it is," Ritsuka murmured, nodding. "Finding this place wasn't a coincidence after all."
He didn't add anything else.
Instead, following the posted rules of her shop, he slapped a high-denomination bill onto the fortune-telling table.
"…"
The Mother of Kanbuki City glanced at it and didn't refuse. It was her rule.
"Customer," she said, "what do you want to know?"
She stared directly into Ritsuka's eyes, asking as she always did.
"I want the true names of every Master and Servant in this Fourth Holy Grail War," Ritsuka said. "And I want you to predict everything that will happen next."
"Preferably don't just tell me—write it down. On paper."
He wasn't even trying to be polite about it—he was basically asking her to hand him the script.
"You really aren't shy, are you…?" The old woman's forehead twitched, her mouth corner jerking.
"I'd like to help you," she said, "but I can't. I can't answer those questions."
"Why?" Ritsuka pressed. "Even an absolute future sight has blind spots?"
"An 'absolute' future sight isn't truly omnipotent," she replied, shaking her head. "And for an existence burdened with heavy fate like yours, it's even harder. Even my eyes can't see through your full destiny."
"And some futures can't be spoken plainly at all," she added. "That's why diviners love to speak in circles."
"So even 'absolute' future sight isn't absolute… yeah, I figured," Ritsuka sighed, disappointed but not crushed.
"Then what can you see from me?" he asked. "If you can't say everything, at least give me the broad direction. The ending, or some 'unimportant' details—something."
"You understand the rules of divination well," the old woman sighed.
But she still answered seriously.
"Some things can't be said. And for a certain reason, I've been told not to directly tell you your concrete future—because it will lead to bad outcomes."
"So I'll give you a warning instead."
"Please," Ritsuka said, bowing.
A normal young person would treat her like a random street fortune-teller and only half-listen.
But Ritsuka knew what she was—so he gave the respect her existence demanded.
"Don't be fooled by the surface before your eyes. What lies beneath the fog is the true future."
"Sometimes fairy tales aren't as kind as the stories claim. A witch's love is heavier—if you obtain her heart, don't let go of her hand."
"…???"
A long string of question marks practically rose over Ritsuka's head.
By common sense, a "warning" should've been something like:
Stay away from gas lines for the next few days.
Avoid a certain person or place.
Be careful of Gilgamesh.
Something like that.
He could tell she "meant something" and that it sounded like a real warning, but—
Could she not just speak like a normal human being?
At least tell him whether he'd succeed in killing the old worm and getting revenge, right?
"Well," the old woman said with a smile at his baffled eyes, "that's all I can say. When the time comes, you'll understand naturally."
She adjusted her posture, making it clear the conversation was over.
"…Fine. You win," Ritsuka sighed.
He knew those riddles were his only harvest today.
So he stood and left.
But as Fujino moved to follow him out, the Mother of Kanbuki City spoke again from behind them.
"Little girl—come here."
Smiling, she beckoned Fujino closer.
"…Hm?" Fujino looked back at her, then at Ritsuka.
"Go," Ritsuka nodded.
He understood: the old woman was going to give Fujino some guidance about her fate—and that could only be good for her.
"Okay…"
Fujino walked over and leaned in.
The Mother of Kanbuki City whispered something in her ear—quiet enough that Ritsuka couldn't hear.
Fujino's expression shifted again and again as she listened.
Ritsuka was curious, but he wasn't going to stoop to eavesdropping, and he didn't plan to ask.
When Fujino finished and came back, Ritsuka only said:
"Let's go. I'll walk you out of the alleys."
"…Mm."
Fujino followed behind him as they left the maze of streets.
"So… you're taking me with you?" she asked softly.
"How could I?" Ritsuka replied instantly. "Your fate is miserable, but mine isn't any better. Following me would only drag you into a far more terrifying hell."
If Fujino had been "picked up" by a normal mage family, they would've been ecstatic—top-tier talent, a natural Mystic Eye.
But if she ended up at the Matou house…
Ritsuka could easily imagine what that old worm would do.
It would basically be Sakura Tohsaka 2.0.
For Fujino, that would be the real hell.
So—
"Go home first," Ritsuka said. "If we meet again in the future… I'll help you."
With his objective complete, it was time to head back.
But before that, he had to send this poor little "tail" home.
"By the way—where is your house?" he asked.
"My house…"
Fujino froze.
Especially once they'd exited the alleys—she realized they'd come out in the exact opposite direction from her home.
And by now, it was fully dark.
So—
she looked at Ritsuka again, wide-eyed, pitiful.
"…"
Ritsuka covered his face in pure exhaustion.
He suddenly felt that ever since the day the Matou family "adopted" him…
his luck had never once gone his way.
(An illustration followed.)
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 80)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 80)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 74)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter20)
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