The [Enhancement] function was, quite literally, a reality-altering tool.
Whenever an Ex-Machina replicates a weapon or an ability, the final product is heavily constrained by our own racial limitations.
We copy the mechanics, the energy output, and the physical shape. But we cannot copy the "concept" or the "soul" of an item. That is why my replicated Angels were always designated as Pseudo-Endo.
They were highly advanced forgeries that required massive amounts of my own processing power to maintain.
[Enhancement] erased that limitation.
It took a "flawed fake" and overwrote its code, elevating it into a "perfect original." A Pseudo-Endo armament would shed its prefix, becoming a True Endo armament. It would gain the conceptual weight of the genuine article, operating flawlessly with a fraction of the processing cost.
However, a power that defies the laws of physics to such a degree cannot be used infinitely.
The System granted one [Enhancement]charge each time I successfully recorded and assimilated a completely new energy system.
Since my arrival in the multiverse, I had integrated three distinct foundations: Spirit Energy from my first jump, Mana from Frieren's world, and now Ether/Prana from this current reality.
Three worlds. Three energy systems. Three charges.
It was reminiscent of earning achievement rewards in a video game. I felt a faint, nostalgic hum in my circuits.
As for how I would allocate these three precious charges, my decision was already made. I locked the selections in my database and turned my attention back to the physical world.
…
Dusk. Sighişoara, Romania.
The Holy Grail War is supposed to be a clandestine ritual, a battle of mages hidden entirely from the eyes of ordinary humans. The participants fight under the cover of darkness, bound by a strict code of secrecy.
Usually, no sane Master or Servant would do anything to draw the attention of the mortal authorities.
Unless, of course, they were insane.
Sighişoara was a picturesque, medieval-style town famous for its preserved architecture and tourism. Today, however, its cobblestone streets were completely deserted. Doors were locked, shutters were drawn, and a heavy, suffocating fear hung over the town.
The reason was simple: "The Sighişoara Slasher."
That was the nickname the local media had given the culprit behind a recent string of gruesome serial murders. The victims were found butchered in the streets, their bodies mutilated beyond recognition. And every single corpse shared one chilling detail, their hearts had been surgically removed.
In this modern era, information traveled at the speed of light. I didn't even need to use my magic to find this out; I simply connected my internal receiver to the local Wi-Fi and browsed the internet.
The moment I read the news reports and cross-referenced the locations of the murders with the epicenter of the Grail War, a hypothesis formed.
I engaged Rasiel, spending a fraction of a second to query the truth.
The result was an unexpected, but highly welcome, jackpot.
[Target Identified: Assassin of Black. True Name: Jack the Ripper.]
[Master Identified: Reika Rikudou.]
It was the work of a Servant.
I was genuinely baffled by the strategic incompetence of the Black Faction. Why would they allow their Assassin to roam free, committing high-profile murders miles away from their fortified stronghold? It was a tactical blunder that isolated a valuable asset and painted a massive target on her back.
But their mistake was my opportunity.
Hunting down a lone Servant in a deserted town was far more efficient than launching a frontal assault on an entrenched fortress. And because the town's residents were too terrified to leave their homes, the risk of collateral damage was practically zero.
It was time to hunt.
I stopped in the middle of an empty intersection. Two sleek, metallic cables slipped out from beneath my cloak and plunged deep into the cobblestone street, anchoring directly into the town's ley lines.
"Endo Armament: Activate"
"Bounded Field: Spatial Lock"
A pulse of invisible energy swept outward, forming an impenetrable dome over the entire town.
"Bounded Field: Mana Suppression"
With the cage locked, I applied a second layer. This field acted as a heavy, suffocating blanket, designed to choke the ambient mana in the air and restrict the magical output of anyone caught inside.
The preparations were complete.
...
"Mommy..."
A young girl with striking white hair tugged gently on the hand of the woman walking beside her. She wore a pristine white summer dress, looking every bit like an innocent, angelic child out for an evening stroll.
"What is it, sweetie?" the woman, Reika, asked. She stopped and looked down at the girl, her eyes filled with a deep, maternal warmth.
The girl looked up. Her delicate face bore a harsh, jagged scar across her cheek, but her green eyes were wide and clear.
"Could you go back inside the house for a little bit?"
"Oh my," Reika smiled gently, brushing a stray lock of white hair from the girl's face. "Is little Jack not hungry for dinner tonight?"
Jack shook her head, a sweet, childlike smile on her face.
"There are enemies coming for us."
As she spoke, a dense, purple mist of magical energy washed over her small body. The innocent white dress dissolved, instantly replaced by a highly revealing, dark leather assassin's outfit adorned with throwing knives and pouches.
This little girl was no ordinary child. She was the manifestation of London's darkest terror, the Servant Assassin of Black, Jack the Ripper.
And the woman beside her was not her biological mother, but Reika Rikudou, her Master.
Seeing her Servant shift into her combat attire, Reika immediately understood the gravity of the situation. She could feel the heavy, oppressive weight of the Mana Suppression field pressing down on them.
"Are they strong?" Reika asked. She didn't question Jack's judgment or panic. Her trust in the little assassin was absolute.
"I don't know," Jack said, her eyes scanning the dark, foggy street. "But to keep Mommy safe, it's best if you hide inside."
"Alright. I'll head back 'home' right now," Reika said softly, leaning down to kiss the top of Jack's head. "I'll make your favorite hamburger steak. I'll have it ready for when you get back."
"Okay!" Jack beamed happily.
Reika turned and hurried back toward their safehouse.
Once her Master was safely out of sight, the childlike innocence vanished from Jack's face. Her green eyes sharpened into the cold, calculating glare of a seasoned killer.
She crouched low to the ground, her small frame blending seamlessly into the creeping fog, and leaped into the shadows of a nearby alleyway, vanishing into the night.
….
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