Don't use Type-Moon references in Oregairu!

Yukinoshita Haruno was prepared and handed over a document: "I have limited the number of people that each person can invite to stay, excluding immediate family members. Currently, there is still a vacancy rate of over 50%."

“Well, I remember there are a few shrines around Sunshine. Contact them immediately. They've cooperated with us a few times, so theoretically they know we're not likely to lie. Offer them some of the spots in exchange for security for the new apartments.”

"Hmm...that's a good idea!"

Fujimaru Ritsuka held up the first finger: "This is just the first step. First, we need to ensure the safety of our Chaldea headquarters and the families of some of our loyal allies in Chiba City."

He then held up a second finger: "Issue an unofficial announcement to all territories under our control, including Chiba City, informing all supernatural beings that we are about to face a large-scale outbreak of paranormal events. Ask everyone to spontaneously band together to prepare for the event and to consider taking refuge."

"Wait a minute, isn't this taking too big a step? Won't it lead to a large-scale exodus of superhumans or a desire to avoid war?" Yang interrupted Fujimaru Ritsuka anxiously.

Fujimaru Ritsuka took a deep breath: "Of course I understand. So before issuing the announcement, we need to communicate with the major temples and shrines to try to settle them down. As the beneficiaries of the local system, they can't just cower in fear after being informed, right? Even if they do, there's nothing we can do about it. But as long as most of them stay and actively take action, then the other idle superhumans will naturally feel that someone is taking the lead."

He held up his third finger: "The third step is to release a large amount of resources. Extraordinary materials and bizarre missions will be used as points, which will be opened to other extraordinary individuals. Non-Gayo members will be allowed to exchange points for extraordinary knowledge, opportunities for adaptation and fusion of extraordinary materials, and extraordinary potions at a certain loss."

"It's very attractive... but I'm a little worried that the members of the Kansai Spells Association might blow it up."

“No, they won’t blow it up.” Fujimaru Ritsuka said with a bit more certainty. “Have you forgotten? The Tsuchimikado family, who have been closest to us recently, just produced a Grand Onmyoji who has broken through the limits, right? Even if we don’t say anything, those old foxes should have sensed something. It’s just that as the leaders of a first-tier power, they haven’t fully confirmed it yet, so naturally they won’t make a decision to make things difficult for us.”

"In this way, as long as there is something that can attract them, those who are stationed in the surrounding area and whose hometowns are here will naturally consider staying to fight for us, I mean, for humanity."

Yukinoshita Haruno understood his meaning a little better.

The Tosa complex is arguably a characteristic of people from the Japanese countryside. In a sense, even when venturing into big cities like Tokyo or Kyoto, they still yearn for their hometown. If these extraordinary individuals were assigned to battles related to their hometown, with generous rewards and support from local traditional forces... perhaps it would work!

Yang Nai patted his cheeks, half-laughing and half-crying, and said, "Sure enough, every time you come here you're just trying to cause me trouble. Have you ever thought about how many resources this whole thing will cost in dealing with all those scattered superhumans?"

"Tsk, don't think I don't know. After you heard this news, you must have taken out a lot of cash or supernatural materials to buy things that will definitely be in short supply in the future... I even guess you will bring Senjougahara Hitagi along to do this hoarding business together."

Fujimaru Ritsuka gave her a sidelong glance with a snort, her face full of a guilty expression, so it seemed she was right.

"Besides, who said we're the only ones doing this?"

"what?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka was exasperated: "You really think we're the ones providing all the resources? Go extort some well-known local capitalists, try to get some influence outside of Chiba City... In short, figure out a way to raise some joint funds. Don't expect us to pay for everything. Our goal is simple: to find a way to build the Maginot Line with other people's money—after all, the enemy doesn't know the leapfrog tactic."

"I guess so... I've been overthinking lately, and I'm a little slow to process things. Let me think about how to proceed." Yang Nai tapped her head and shook it. Incidentally, she also took out a box, opened it, and pushed it towards Fujimaru Ritsuka: "Don't forget to take the Holy Grail Drops you wanted."

"Oh dear, I almost forgot. Okay, this time I can go to my master and the others and get two things done at once."

Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at the small, golden fragment with satisfaction, filled with anticipation.

He closed the small box, then carried one box in each hand, and saluted Yang Nai: "Keep going! Our battlefields may be different, but our goals are the same. We will definitely win."

"Okay, okay, stop with that ridiculously chuunibyou proposal." Yukinoshita Haruno shoved him out in annoyance, then sat down in a chair and thought for a while before finally deciding to make a phone call: "My dear Senjougahara~~ are you free? Interested in robbing someone?"

"Such a good thing?"

206. Forge it! Once everything is tempered...

After dumping all the troublesome matters on Haruno, Fujimaru Ritsuka hummed a song, picked up two suitcases, and went straight into her bedroom.

Everything is ready. This is probably the last preparation we can make before facing Shirohime.

Only now did Fujimaru Ritsuka feel her heart beating faster and faster, as if a drum was being pounded.

Even before directly confronting Hakuhime, they had already witnessed the impact she had on the world.

A country that, in order to create opportunities, experiences a nationwide surge in its development.

Another of the most powerful nations on Earth was torn apart by a poisoned bait and has yet to recover.

What will happen next, and how much power will it take to stand before Hakuhime?

Fujimaru Ritsuka gave a wry smile and decided to stop thinking about it.

In reality, all the arrangements are ultimately just about preparing bargaining chips. And the last few chips ended up in the hands of Senji Muramasa and Edmond Dantès.

Well then, let me give it a try.

He gripped the handles of the two boxes, lay down on his back on the soft bed, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that familiar landscape: a desolate plain strewn with swords, a mental landscape created by the swordsmith.

The heavy feeling in his hands told him that he had indeed brought the Drop of the Holy Grail and the artificial spirit core with him.

At first, he was a little worried that the box wouldn't be brought over. After all, the Holy Grail Drops and the artificial spirit origin could be considered to be somewhere between matter and non-matter, possessing characteristics of spirituality. He was even prepared to simply scatter these things on the ground and pick them up one by one.

It's even possible that because it was packed in a box and couldn't be brought in, they might ask Rohan Kishibe to help them use it as a transport plane.

But thinking about it this way, could this dreamlike, inherent barrier actually be a product of my own perception? So, I "thought" I should bring the box and the extraordinary object inside along with it, and that's why I brought the box in? Is the box here actually not the same as a box in reality?

Fujimaru Ritsuka narrowed his eyes. The reason his thoughts had wandered to this point was because he had sensed some strange signs.

The desolate graveyard of swords and blades before us has begun to change.

Even without activating his Eye of Karma, he could vaguely sense the strange emotions emanating from those broken swords and blades.

It was as if we were mourning something, as if we were celebrating something, as if we were saying goodbye to something.

Their broken and rusty blades, still reflecting the crimson flames on the wasteland, seem to be murmuring faintly, as if reflecting the current state of mind of the wasteland's master.

Reluctance, excitement, and relief.

Just like the swordsmith's understanding, it began to emerge, revealing someone's secret that he had been keeping hidden.

Fujimaru Ritsuka pursed her lips, tightened her grip on the suitcase slightly, and restrained her emotions.

"Yo~~ Fujimaru, you're here? Last time you were rushing around like your butt was on fire, but now you're just standing there without moving~~ I'm really looking forward to you bringing your stuff."

High in the wasteland, the red-haired swordsman, wearing a white cloak, crossed his arms and laughed heartily, as always.

"Stop laughing, Master. Every time you laugh like that, I feel like something bad is going to happen."

Her voice was unexpectedly hoarse, like someone who had stayed up for several nights in a row, and even Fujimaru Ritsuka wondered if it was her own voice.

Senji Muramasa stopped laughing, but didn't react to his strange tone. He just spread his hands helplessly: "Sigh, you always look at me like that, it's really frustrating. Don't just stand there, come here!"

Edmond Dantès appeared, wearing his ever-present heavy green trench coat: "Yes, my Master, come here."

What else can we do? We should just listen to the advice of our two friends who are both teachers and friends.

Fujimaru Ritsuka took heavy steps, walking step by step towards the high platform where the sword was forged.

Then, he slammed the two boxes down on the materials room and said, almost irritably, "The stuff is all here. Who wants to go first?"

Senjimura sighed and ruffled the defiant red hair that pointed to the sky, shaking his head with a sigh: "Let Count Edmund go first. I need to heat up the stove first, then prepare the materials you gave me earlier, and get myself ready."

“Then I’ll go first.” The Count of Monte Cristo, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, casually opened the box and looked at the drops of the Holy Grail inside. “Hmm, not bad. Although some of it was used as a magical aggregator, it’s still enough to fill two Command Seals with a little left over.”

He picked up the golden object, which resembled a water droplet, and examined it for a while: "Although it is essentially just a magic ball, the technology used is quite powerful. It is said that a certain family in the Far East improved some of the fur and turned it into a family heirloom gem magic."

"What, you've even studied the Tohsaka family's jewel magic? But I think that's just hearsay. Which family's magic is inherited from some magic family with an incredibly long name?"

"Huh? Is that so? Then it seems you were joking before." Edmond Dantès glanced at him, his usually fierce eyes now full of mockery.

"...Tsk. Stop with the nonsense." Fujimaru Ritsuka suppressed her growing annoyance. "Just get on with the teaching! Stop with all the fuss."

"Alright. I'll do as you say today. The Holy Grail Drops... well, it's said they've rarely appeared before. Perhaps it was just a little joke played by some great magus. But essentially, as fragments, they are functionally compatible with the Command Seals system. Actually, all it takes is this..."

Edmund gestured for Fujimaru Ritsuka to extend his hand so that he could grasp the Holy Grail Drop, and began to instruct him on how to utilize the power within it.

There's nothing profound about the technique; the difficulty lies in sensing the magic within the Holy Grail Drop and connecting it with the Command Seals on the back of your hand.

The Command Seals on the back of my hand have no interface with the magic power within me; they seem to have been designed from the outset to draw magic power from the environment or external sources to recharge. The ports involved require authentication or intentional contact to activate.

But with the Earl's guidance, Fujimaru Ritsuka tried several times and finally managed to open the interface that draws magic power.

The charging speed of magic doesn't seem to be fast. At this rate, it would take at least 5 to 10 minutes to light up a single stroke of the Command Seal mark that has completely dimmed.

"Okay, try stopping it, and then try charging it again. Yes, that's it, try repeatedly turning the charging on and off."

Edmund patiently made Fujimaru Ritsuka repeat the experiment several times before finally ensuring that she had learned the trick.

Then, as if he were rushing to another event, he taught Fujimaru Ritsuka another new technique.

If you still have drops of the Holy Grail, there are ways to temporarily utilize this stable mana.

"...The frequency and operation of magic power are roughly like this. Hmm, you learn very quickly indeed. If you encounter a dangerous situation where you need to continuously deplete the Command Seals on the back of your hand, you can use this method to draw out the magic power in the Holy Grail Drops that you haven't had time to charge in this wasteful way. Conservatively speaking, charging one Command Seal's magic power could potentially increase the power of my Noble Phantasm by 50% to 80%."

Edmund breathed a sigh of relief and nodded with satisfaction, as if he had accomplished a task.

Fujimaru Ritsuka stopped drawing out the Holy Grail Drops with magical power. Theoretically, the magical power inside could only fill two Command Seals now; the rest could only maintain the empty shell of the thing for a short while.

He wiped the sweat from his brow, not wanting to waste time on charging his Command Seals, but impatiently tossing them aside. He then stood silently beside Edmund, gazing at the vast wasteland with him.

He had witnessed this desolate landscape for over a decade, yet had only seen it for less than six months. It was like a massive boulder, stirring up enormous waves in the river of Fujimaru Ritsuka's life.

Without warning, he asked in a muffled voice, "How much time do we have left?"

"Not much left. There might have been another month or two, but I estimate it'll be over by today..."

"Hey, hey, hey, what's that seaweed-haired guy in the trench coat trying to say?" Senji Muramasa angrily slammed his hammer, creating a clanging sound on the anvil.

Edmund glanced at him and said dismissively, "Old man, you clearly look like a twisted justice fanatic, so why are you acting like a gentle old man doting on his grandson?"

"Ugh! Can't I feel sorry for my apprentice? Even if he noticed, is it something you should say? You should just stand there looking cool and laugh like crazy."

"Tch. I just can't stand people who treat their Master like a grandson. If it weren't for this time, I'd love to have a good fight with you."

"No, are we already struggling to keep up with the costs of combat?" Fujimaru Ritsuka abruptly interjected, casting a death stare at the two of them. "No, shouldn't we say that both combat and forging are inherently draining resources?"

Senji Muramasa sighed, put the hammer aside, and said helplessly, "Fujimaru...we're long dead."

His eyes were calm and serene, like a mirrored lake in the dead of winter, reflecting Fujimaru Ritsuka and Toukazuka: "You should have understood by now. Of all the Spirit Origins that have ever appeared in this world, apart from Artoria who is a survivor and Abigail who is an uninvited guest, everyone else has been wiped out."

"Is it me? Is it me, the idiot who failed to save the project?"

"Ah, not exactly..." Senji Muramasa looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka's excited expression and scratched his cheek with his finger, embarrassed. "Aren't Servants supposed to be dead? Artoria's was an accidental possession, it's not the same thing, is it?"

"Give me back my tragic and moving feelings, you bastard."

"Alright, alright, calm down." Senjimura was trying to comfort Fujimaru Ritsuka, who was a little agitated after uttering some ridiculously cheesy lines. "You're so thick-skinned, don't act like that, pfft."

"Kuhahaha, as expected of my Master, even your self-reproach seems so dark."

"...If it weren't for the fact that you two are barely clinging to life, I would have used you two as a sacrifice! What exactly happened? Can't the Riddler just go to Gotham City himself?"

Chizuru shook his head: "I always feel that Gotham City, which you described, is truly a place of outstanding people and all sorts of oddballs. Anyway, don't worry about it. I'm sure that you and we both didn't miss the path to a happy ending. But why the final result is like this, and where we and the extraordinary materials that exist in this world came from, I have no idea."

"All I know is that we can't exist for much longer as broken spirit origins. As fragments, it's time for us to rest."

Senji Muramasa smiled and gave him a thumbs up: "Come on, open your eyes wide and prepare to witness my greatest moment. As my only disciple in the world, you can't miss my spectacular performance! This is my most treasured skill!"

Fujimaru Ritsuka stared at him for a long time before finally slumping her shoulders in resignation: "I understand."