Shinji Matou At Your Service

Chapter 19: Battle

Although the main stage of the TYPE-MOON world is in the realm of mysticism, it cannot be denied that compared to magus and other mystical beings, ordinary people are the mainstream of this world. If the latter is a vast ocean, the former is a small river.

The Fourth Holy Grail War occurred in 1994. According to data released by the United Nations, the global population is over 5 billion, with Japan having a population of 125 million. Japan's land area was 378,000 square kilometers, which had a population density even more exaggerated than that of China, the world's most populous country. In such a sea of people, searching for an ordinary person is similar to finding a needle in a haystack.

Ryuunosuke Uryuu, who was targeted by Shinji, was an ordinary person, at least before becoming a master.

The area of Fuyuki City is not large, and in terms of actual calculation, it may not even be comparable to a prosperous small town in China. However, many people live and work in these areas. The information provided by Shinji was vague, and there was no connection to the Matou family, making it impossible to use magecraft for searching. Justeaze took a day and two nights to investigate every corner of Fuyuki City. At this rate, it would take Justeaze for at least half a month to search for the entire Fuyuki City.

Fortunately, Scáthach's timely intervention has changed the situation. This Queen, who stepped into the realm of gods, did not rely on powerful skills or profound magecraft, she relied solely on her instincts as a warrior.

People emit different auras because of their different experiences in various environments. Well-read individuals exude a scholarly aura, former soldiers have a military aura, and those who have been killed carry a murderous aura. The so-called murderous aura may not be perceptible to ordinary people living in peaceful times, but it can never escape Scáthach, who has experienced countless killings and reigns over the realm of death.

Unlike Justeaze, who had to inspect each person individually, Scáthach only needed to release her senses, capture the murderous aura, and then visit the source for confirmation.

Finally, two days later, in the center of an upscale residential area, they found their targets.

At this moment, Ryuunosuke was preparing the ritual to summon a "demon" based on the records he found in an ancient book.

The main material for the ritual was human blood, which was a large amount. For this purpose, Ryuunosuke broke the rule of never killing twice in the same place and committed four consecutive murders in Fuyuki City. The first three attempts failed because there was not enough human blood, but this time, he killed three people in one go, finally gathering the necessary amount of fresh blood.

The strong smell of blood makes Justeaze nauseous. She glanced at Ryuunosuke, who casually modified the incantation and confirmed that his entire body was adorned with leopard-related decorations. She then activates her communication spell.

At that moment, the breeze blew.

To prevent discovery, the room was completely sealed off, and there was no airflow.

In Ryuunosuke's astonished gaze, the airflow quickly transformed from a gentle breeze to a fierce whirlwind, causing chaos in the entire living room.

The magic circle drawn on the bed began to emit a faint phosphorescent glow.

At the same time, the airflow in the room escalated into a dangerous tornado, causing the TV and vase in the living room to be swept up and shattered by the wind.

The mist gradually rose from the center of the glowing magic circle, accompanied by faint sparks and splashes of lightning.

Facing this unseen spectacle, Ryuunosuke felt no fear. Instead, he quietly watched like a child filled with anticipation for magic tricks.

His curiosity stemmed from his fascination with the unknown.

Ryuunosuke was a person with a heavy curiosity. He became curious about death and started killing, and now he was curious about "demons" and wanted to summon one.

A glint is reflected in Ryuunosuke's eyes followed by a thunderous roar.

"I ask of you."

A delicate and inexplicably enchanting voice gently emanated from the pervading mist and the wind ceased unknowingly.

The magic circle that had previously emitted light was dimmed, and fresh blood on the bed turned black and dried up as if burned.

Within the thin mist, a person who had just spoken suddenly appears before Ryuunosuke.

It was a smooth and youthful face with large, agile eyes and smooth cheeks that complemented his brown complexion, reminiscent of Munch's paintings.

His attire was peculiar. He wore a loose robe on his slender body, adorned with a multitude of luxurious precious metal jewelry resembling a dark magician from a manga.

"Summoner who has called upon me, summon me as a Caster class and reveal your name to me. Who stands there? What kind of person are you?"

Ryuunosuke was somewhat unsure about how to respond.

To his surprise, lightning and smoke from the summoning circle made of blood unexpectedly brought forth an ordinary person. Although he didn't know what to expect, at the very least, he had anticipated the appearance of an exaggerated monster.

The current appearance of this ordinary human being made Ryuunosuke feel frustrated. Although his attire was extremely peculiar, can one judge this man as a demon based solely on that?

Ryuunosuke scratched his head slightly and prepared himself to respond.

"Well, I'm Ryuunosuke Amemori, a freelancer. I have an interest in killing, and I like children and young girls."

The man in the robe nodded, seemingly dismissing everything except the name.

"Very well. The contract is established. I also have a long-standing desire for the Holy Grail. The key to paradise will undoubtedly fall into our hands, right?"

"Huh?"

He did not seem to know what was going on immediately. Ryuunosuke is confused. Indeed, there was a record of such things in the ancient book he found in the warehouse, but he only skimmed over the boring rules and skipped them.

The ancient book was related to the Holy Grail War, but due to its poor preservation and the passage of time, many parts were illegible. Ryuunosuke did not read it completely; he only read and practiced parts that interested him.

With a distorted ritual, a distorted summoning chant, and possessing only inherited magic factors, Ryuunosuke, a complete outsider, was able to complete the summoning ritual. It can only be said that he was an exception.

"Ah, let's put aside these troublesome topics for now. Come."

Ryuunosuke waved his hand lightly and pointed with his chin at the child in the corner of the room, the final member of this family.

Anyway as a greeting, what about that one over there? Should we eat him?"

The strange man showed no expression. He did not look at Ryuunosuke or the child, but silently took out a book from his robe.

The book looked heavy and exquisitely bound, instantly recognizable as a valuable antique, and the kind of small prop often used by demons.

Ryuunosuke could tell at a glance the material used to bind the book's cover.

"Ah, amazing! Is this made of human skin?"

Because Ryuunosuke had once flayed a victim's skin to make a lampshade. However, because of his clumsiness in handicrafts, he faced too many setbacks and ultimately gave up. Now, seeing someone with the same intention, but who had produced a perfectly finished product, he could not help but greatly respect this man.

The man merely glanced at Ryuunosuke in response to his praise without making any statements. He slowly opened the book in his hand and agilely flipped through its pages, occasionally muttering a few words with unclear meaning.

After completing this, the man lifted his head and a mist formed by magic filled the entire room.

In the next second, the front door split into four or five pieces, and the Queen of the Shadow Realm emerged from the shadows.

Their gaze met.