#happy shirou day everyone

[hasarjunadoneanythingwrong]

unlimited arjuna works

[incorrecttamersquotes]

Ruki: When will Ryou use the Shirou avi again

Ruki: What if...

Takato: You can’t handle its power, it’s like the Heaven’s Feel arm transplant!

Ryou: Only I’m compatible enough to handle it Ruki you fool!

Ruki: Step aside, old man. Only I can handle these ideals.

Ryou: You’ll drown in them and die!

Ruki: AIGHT LET’S GO

Ruki: I LIKE SWORDS!

[nasuversekinkmeme]

Weekly Roundup: Prompts

FSN

My most cringe prompt: Instead of modern age, the FSN Servants (somehow) got summoned in the Paleothilic, where their Masters are "UNGA BUNGA" people. Like imagine if Saber can't understand what Shirog (Caveboy Shirou) saying. Only Heracles understands caveman language.

(WARNING: MAJOR FSN SPOILERS for people just reading it now) So according to Nasu & Co., Shirou has a very low chance of becoming Archer in any route, the least in HF, with future installments implying that he could become EMIYA Alter instead via Mind of Steel ending in that route. But that does mean it's theoretically possible somewhere in the multiverse. Therefore, I'd like to see an UBW "Bad Ending" where Shirou, after years in spite of Rin at his side, becomes Archer. (Saber can be there too if you want but please keep emphasis on Shirou and Rin's dynamic.) Shirou: Become everything you swore to never be. Question if destiny can truly not be overcome. Your girlfriend begins to recognize parts of the man you never wanted to be in you and her treatment of you shifts accordingly. How do you handle any of that? How do you live with yourself and with knowing what fate awaits you? How does Rin cope with everything? What are the first signs, how well does she handle seeing Shirou slowly turn into her former servant? Knowing Archer asked her to help him and she failed? Is maybe a part of her even happy about it because she misses Archer? Just... Post-UBW Shirou turning into Archer.

(Kinda take in the HF route) Shirou Emiya just arrives at the Gate of Hell after his death due to destroy the Grail. His body was the same as the day he was born (no clothes). Shirou, like many other naked souls just arrived at Lake Acheron, waiting for Charon the ferryman to ferry them. While Shirou has ignore the cries of the souls from the Vestibule of Hell and the ones on the same boat with him. There is one cry that he heard: It was Shinji, who was punished in the 3rd ring of the 7th Circle. (Basically a Shirou meets Shinji again in Hell). Kirei Kotomine is Hell's tour guide, and Shirou gets to beat Shinji up for what he did to Sakura.

EXTRAVERSE

M!Hakuno/Nameless (EMIYA, Archer, insert your name of choice here) Something. Please. (If NSFW, bonus points for Top Hakuno, but I'm not picky)

APOCRYPHA

Fate Apocrypha but everyone has a mustache.

FGO

Achilles and Odysseus having a very romantic day at an amusement park.

Gudako/Mashu cuddle?

Woodwose and Boggart screams because they're slept together on the same bed at the morning. (Mainly due to the wines they drank last night)

Middle school Guda and Mori Nagayoshi meeting for the first time in an All Boys' Only MIddle School. (OC2 prompt)

smut, yakudou cnc/ntr play. One of them gets tied up in a corner and is forced to watch while the other "assault" the third one, bragging about how good it feels to fuck them, how the other clearly WISHES they could partake, making fun of both the "assaulted" and the rope bunny for getting turned on by the situation, ect. No preference as to who plays which part.

age gap, mash/roman as a ship. can be anything from "mash has a one-sided crush that roman gently turns down" to "roman being the only person to show affection to this homunculus is taken to its logical grooming extreme." All I ask of you is to not make it a sweet unproblematic ship. It's a fucked up dynamic I wanna see the fucked up dynamic.

nsfw, Ritsuka sandwiched between both Dantes (NSFW) (preferred if ritsuka was gender neutral)

I reaaally want to see a fic where gudao and mash end up in a romantic relationship... because that's the natural course of action, right? A boy and a girl, as close as they are, surely it HAS to be for romance reasons, right? What they're feeling for each other MUST be romantic love, right??? (you get an extra kiss on the forehead if you make one/both of them realize they're queer along the way. Could be they're both gays. Could be that Mash is straight but Gudao realizes she's a trans girl. Could be that one of them is aro. Whatever you want!)

age gap, Mash and Goredolf. Stuck in a room you can't leave unless you have sex. (You don't actually have to include sex if you don't want to, mostly I REALLY want to see those two grappling with the whole "I wouldn't in a million year consider you a romantic option and yet here we are.")

Olga Marie going through the Grand Order with Ritsuka and Mash and getting hit on by at least one Servant per Singularity. Yes that includes the events.

SAMREM

Iori realizes theyre trans. I dunno what this would change, if anything, but it happens and at the very least it results in a thumbs up from Rogue Berserker.

ANY

Nasuversekinkmeme as a Master. (The entire blog, obviosuly)

The nasukinkmeme mod as a fate servant

My request is... self inserts!! I want you guys to draw/write yourselves as servants. What's your class ? Whose servant would be your homies? How well would you fair in a holy grail war? Cringe culture is dead, go buckwild!!

[maskyish]

ZOOL - Shuffle Talk 2022 (Episode 3)

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3

Please note: I am NOT a professional and my level of JP is very, very basic. I do this for practice and to share with other fans for fun. Please take my translations with a grain of salt as there may be mistakes. If you see any, please let me know and I can correct them. If anyone else has this card and wants to translate this at any time then please feel free to do so!

Haruka: Whoa! Look, look! The night illumination started! 

Touma: Wow, it’s really magical compared to during the day…! The view from the suspension bridge is remarkable! (1) 

Touma: Until the shoot starts back up, we’re free to walk around as we’d like, right?! 

Minami: Yes. Utsugi-san will call us when it’s time. 

Touma: Is it alright that Haru didn’t take a nap? He looked a little sleepy. 

Minami: Yesterday after dinner we swam in the pool at Sentosa Island, and went to the night safari at night, so we stayed up late sight-seeing. 

Haruka: I won’t get tired over that much. You’re exaggerating over a yawn. 

Haruka: Rather, wouldn’t that be Touma? He’s been half asleep since this morning, not to mention the bedhead. It was like a chicken comb. 

Minami: Fufu. He had an impressive antenna on his head. It was cute. 

Torao: I took a picture of it too, I’ll put it in the group chat later. 

Touma: Haha! You even took a picture! Hasn’t the amount of photos in the group chat’s album increased quite a lot the last 2 days? 

Touma: It was really tough to pick out which photo to send to Utsugi-san yesterday. 

Minami: Everyone took a lot of pictures. But thanks to that, we were able to get the OK from Utsugi-san who said, “A wonderful, lovely ZOOL!”

Haruka: ….. Just checking, wasn’t our original concept madness and destruction?  

Touma: A lovely ZOOL is good. An idol who combines both madness and lovely, could you find it elsewhere? 

Minami: Well, I suppose not. And besides, I also think it’s a lovely photo. 

Torao: Yeah, I thought you were out of your mind wearing the deformed merlion headgear, but it was lovely. 

Minami: Combined with the t-shirts bought from Isumi-san’s suggestion, we had the feel of happy tourists. 

Haruka: Something like that shows closeness better. Plus it’ll be a memento. I also like the photo quite a bit. 

Touma: I know right! That feeling of being in high spirits is nice! 

Torao: That photo is nice, but I like this one. Haruka and Touma having fun on the gondola. 

Touma: Woah, when did you take this?! 

Haruka: We’re both sticking to the window like children. It’s too embarrassing…. 

Minami: Fufu. You were both so captivated by the scenery outside.

Haruka: That’s because if the weather is good, you can see as far as Indonesia…. 

Torao: Haha. It’s a nice photo, huh? 

Touma: Then, I won’t lose either. It’s Mina and Tora looking at Merlion plushies. They were choosing so earnestly. 

Torao: Oh, at the souvenir shop Minami said that if I put it in my room then it would raise my good fortune, so I wanted to choose a worthy plush. 

Haruka: Huh? A plush in Torao’s room…? 

Minami: Yes, but it didn’t have to be a plush, anything white would have been fine since Midou-san doesn’t have many belongings. I just thought it would be nice to have one cute item. 

Touma: Haha, that’s true! Tora’s room is so clean that I get a little nervous when I go, so maybe this is just what he needs! 

Torao: Minami, I thought you were seriously choosing, but that was the reason? 

Torao: Well, it’s fine if it’s just one. I’ll leave it there so you guys don’t get nervous. 

Minami: Fufu, thank you. 

Minami: If it’s a picture taken at a souvenir shop, I recommend the one where Isumi-san is giving it his best effort to pick one, it’s very cute. 

Haruka: If you say that, then it’s the one with Minami’s happy face while eating dinner! 

Torao: There’s also a photo of Touma having fun on a swimming tube. 

Haruka: Ahaha! The one with his duck floatie! It really suited you! 

Touma: I-– I just rented the child one by mistake…!!!

          *click*

ZOOL: Huh?! 

Shirou Utsugi: Oh, did I surprise you? 

Shirou Utsugi: Apologies. Everyone just had such good expressions. 

Touma: Ooh, you’re right! It’s a great photo!

Minami: Yes, today the 4 of us might just have the biggest smiles. 

Shirou Utsugi: The staff was also very pleased with the photoshoot from earlier. They were able to take good photos since your expressions were soft and relaxed. 

Haruka: That’s good, but…. ….. Now that you mention it, what about the first request? About wanting to show how close we are. 

Minami: Certainly, the director didn’t say anything of the sort during the shoot earlier. 

Torao: Will we shoot those situations after this? 

Shirou Utsugi: Regarding today’s rehearsal… I lied. 

ZOOL: You lied….?! 

Minami: What do you mean? 

Shirou Utsugi: Even if it’s for work, since it’s overseas I wanted everyone to enjoy their time off. 

Shirou Utsugi: I wanted you to go to various places, take many photos, and leave with many memories. 

Shirou Utsugi: If I didn’t say that, everyone wouldn’t have been able to take pictures together since you’re shy. (2)

Torao: It’s because we’re shy that it was a mission for us? 

Shirou Utsugi: Correct. However, due to this I did such deceptive behavior. I’m very sorry. 

Minami: Oh my. None of us felt deceived. 

Haruka: Yeah. It was fun to take pictures, too. Actually, if Utsugi-san hadn’t told us that, then I would’ve just taken some for social media. 

Touma: Rather, we’re grateful. Thanks to you, we have a lot of memories! 

Torao: Yeah, if there wasn’t a mission, we wouldn’t have been to so many tourist spots. 

Shirou Utsugi: I’m glad you think so. Thanks to everyone’s photos, it felt like I was traveling with you. 

Touma: Then, let’s take a photo with the 5 of us! 

Minami / Haruka /Torao / Shirou Utsugi: Eh?! 

Touma: Utsugi-san, you haven’t taken any photos since we came here, right? We took a lot of photos, so you should take at least one too. 

Shirou Utsugi: That’s true. If that’s the case, then by all means! 

Shirou Utsugi: Do you have a specific pose? 

Torao: What’s up? You look rather happy. 

Shirou Utsugi: As a fan, a picture with the “Lovely ZOOL, Enjoy ZOOL” at its current peak could make one faint. 

Haruka: What are you even saying? You’re also one of us!! 

Shirou Utsugi: Hahaha, thank you very much. I’m honored. Inumaru-san, please send me the picture later. 

Touma: Of course I will! Then, I’ll hold the camera, so gather up. 

Haruka: Utsugi-san, only half of your face will be in the photo. Come a little closer to Touma. 

Shirou Utsugi: Like this? 

Touma: Oh, looks good! 

Torao: So, what about the pose? 

Haruka: Huh, isn’t a peace sign normally fine? 

Touma: Crap, my arm is shaking. Please decide quickly. 

Minami: Then, let’s do a crab pose. 

Touma: Alright, let’s take it. 

Touma: 3, 2, 1, crabby crab! 

Shirou Utsugi: Crabby crab! 

          *click*

Torao: (He went along with it….)

Minami: (Didn’t he go along with it too well….?) 

Haruka: (Maybe I just don’t know, but is it actually normal to call out “crabby crab”?!)

Touma: ….Haha! Utsugi-san, your crab pose is perfect! 

Shirou Utsugi: Everyone’s pictures made me happy, so I wanted to try it too. The crab pose. 

Torao: Aren’t you also in high spirits…. Well, as long as you’re happy. 

Shirou Utsugi: I am, thank you very much. 

Shirou Utsugi: ….. Oh! Since the staff is calling, I’ll be going for a bit. I’ll give a call for you again when shooting starts back up. 

ZOOL: Right. 

Haruka: So, the picture? Did it have any blur? 

Touma: It’s not blurry, but…. 

Torao: Everyone has complicated expressions.

Minami: We’re smiling, but…. It looks like the first promotional photo I took. 

Touma: It’s true that we all look stiff…. 

Haruka: Isn’t it because we got distracted by the crab just before it? 

Touma: Ahaha, there was a bit of that. 

Haruka: But, we don’t often take pictures with Utsugi-san, so I might have been a bit nervous…. 

Minami: This is good, right? I like this photo, you know. 

Minami: As Utsugi-san said, it’s a photo together that will remain a good memory. 

Torao: Yeah, and this is just how it is now. We never thought in the past that we’d be such close friends. 

Haruka: Mhm. If you told our past selves, they’d be surprised. 

Touma: If it was like how it was back then, we might have acted separately this time too. 

Minami: I agree. I don’t think I would’ve gone to the trouble of going to Sentosa Island or a night safari. 

Haruka: ….I’m glad we went. I had a lot of fun…. because I got to go with everyone. 

Minami: Me too. I’m happy we all went. 

Touma: Ahaha, me too! I’d like to go on another trip with all of you, either in Japan or overseas. 

Torao: It’s not bad to spend a trip with only men every now and then. 

Haruka: It’s fine! If we get a mission like this again then we got this! 

Shirou Utsugi: The friendly ZOOOOL~~! (3) The photoshoot will resuuume~! 

ZOOL: Wha–?! 

Minami: What is that person saying out loud… 

Haruka: W-what an embarrassing guy…! It’ll be hard to go back! 

Torao: I can imagine the warm looks from the staff…

Touma: Haha! A friendly ZOOL is nice! 

Touma: Right now, at this moment, this is the best ZOOL. Throughout Japan… no, throughout the whole world. Let’s show it to them! 

Minami / Haruka / Torao: Yeah! 

[End of Rabbitv]

TL Notes:

1.  The word Touma uses here that I translated as “remarkable” is more like having an intense impact.

2. Sorry, I’m not 100% sure on this one >< 

>> ああでも言わないと、 揃って写真を撮ることもないでしょう みなさん、 奥手ですし。

3. The word Shirou uses here is 仲良し which pops up a lot in this rabbittv and I normally translated it as “close” or similarly, but it’s like saying “ZOOL who are good friends”

[comfy-nezt]

happy Shirou day, everyone! aint nothing like a boy and his dog and his sword ⚔️

[sevenboarproductions]

[IDOLiSH7] [Part 6] Chapter 2: New Project

6.2.1. - Deep below the surface

Takanashi Tsumugi: Uhm, a “private talk”…

Utsugi Shirou: Ah, I apologize. This information has not been published yet, so I had to handle it like this. A big project is underway.

Takanashi Tsumugi: A big project…

Utsugi Shirou: Yes. The working title is ‘New Black or White’.

Takanashi Tsumugi: New… Black or White… Black Or White as in, the one at the end of the year…?

Utsugi Shirou: That’s correct. This Black or White will have a wide-reaching impact on the industry and with that on the new era.

Takanashi Tsumugi: ……. Black or White is…

(Flashback of IDOLiSH7 winning Black or White in Part 1)

(Flashback of IDOLiSH7 winning Black or White in Part 4)

Takanashi Tsumugi: The idea of Black or White changing is…

Utsugi Shirou: We at Tsukumo, as well as several other parties, are involved and are holding meeting after meeting regarding this.

Utsugi Shirou: Perhaps, even more than now, it will start to feel more like a live.

Utsugi Shirou: Once I really got into it, I decided to ask for your help once more. Since you are a promising stage director, I wanted to hear your opinion, Takanashi-san.

Takanashi Tsumugi: ‘Promising’, that sort of phrasing is scary. But if I can help, that’s fine.

Utsugi Shirou: Do you like lives?

Takanashi Tsumugi: Of course, I love them.

Utsugi Shirou: Why.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Why… You can see the guests’ smiles up close and you can see the coolest idols.

Utsugi Shirou: Why are you happy about that?

Takanashi Tsumugi: Uhm…

Utsugi Shirou: Don’t misunderstand me, please. I relate to this, too. But I want to be able to put it into words.

Utsugi Shirou: Why do we love lives? What is it that you can only obtain from a live?

Takanashi Tsumugi: Something that can only be obtained from a live…

Takanashi Tsumugi: What could it be… When you’re asking me like that, I can’t put it into words right away.

Utsugi Shirou: I’m fine with just your opinion, Takanashi-san. Lives aren’t just about fun, are they?

Takanashi Tsumugi: That’s true… A big number of people, including the staff and the audience, are involved.

Takanashi Tsumugi: In order to avoid accidents or trouble, it is necessary to communicate and convey information in detail.

Takanashi Tsumugi: No matter how much you prepare— the weather, current events, as well as the staff and the idols’ physical condition are easily influenced.

Takanashi Tsumugi: From preparation to cleanup, I cannot relax. It’s a big job, but…

Takanashi Tsumugi: I want to deliver that sparkly, bright, happy atmosphere to our guests and enjoy it together with them.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Working together with a lot of people, spending time and care to create a single event… and then seeing the smiles of the happy people.

Takanashi Tsumugi: ‘Ah, I’m glad. I’m glad everyone liked it. I’m glad we safely made it succeed.’

Takanashi Tsumugi: An excitement and satisfaction that cannot be explained in words.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Every time, there are lots of  things to reflect on; there’s times where I feel down, too, but… Soon after, I want to do lives again.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Things like, ‘let’s try those stage directions next time’, ‘I want you to stand on a stage like this’, ‘how about this kind of costume’...

Takanashi Tsumugi: The fun never ends.

Utsugi Shirou: Just from listening, I can tell how much you love lives.

Utsugi Shirou: Taking the time to carefully create them. Do you think the audience is the same?

Takanashi Tsumugi: ….I think so.

Utsugi Shirou: Why?

Takanashi Tsumugi: Because they spend just as much time looking forward to the lives as we do towards creating them.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Until the day of the live comes, they prepare a lot of things and hold on until then….

Takanashi Tsumugi: While their hearts shake with anxiety and expectations, they looking forward to it….

Takanashi Tsumugi: At least that’s what I feel it is.

Takanashi Tsumugi: During that period, the fans are not just waiting, it’s like something is being created among them, too….

Utsugi Shirou: The feeling of waiting together… like for a carnival?

Takanashi Tsumugi: I think so, yes.

Utsugi Shirou: I see. I feel like I understand.

Utsugi Shirou: While we are spending different kinds of days, we look forward to the same festivities.

Utsugi Shirou: A live might be a festival between like-minded people. If that is the case…

Utsugi Shirou: What is the greatest live?

Takanashi Tsumugi: The greatest live…

Utsugi Shirou: That’s right. An unprecedented live that hasn’t been seen on earth before. If that existed, what would it be like?

Takanashi Tsumugi: I… I don’t know. I can’t even imagine…

Utsugi Shirou: Is that so? But…

Utsugi Shirou: I think your father means to entrust it to you.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Eh…?

Nanase Riku: Manager!

Takanashi Tsumugi: Ah…

Utsugi Shirou: Ah, you’re being called. I’m sorry, I took up your time.

Takanashi Tsumugi: No, likewise…

Utsugi Shirou: One last thing. If you had the opportunity to create the greatest live, would you do it, Takanashi-san?

Takanashi Tsumugi: ……

Takanashi Tsumugi: I would love to do it.

Takanashi Tsumugi: I want to create the greatest live.

Utsugi Shirou: Haha. I’m glad to hear a positive response.

Utsugi Shirou: I’ll be going then.

~ to be continued ~

6.2.2. - Chance for a great return

Yuki: Ah, is that Kaoru-chan? Did TRIGGER already go back?

Momo: After this, it’s probably going to be that. Look, it’s a lucky day today, after all.

Yuki: Does that have to do anything with it being a lucky day?

Momo: He knows these things precisely. Yaotome Papa, that is.

Yuki: Ah, speak of the devil. Isn’t that Kaoru-chan’s car over there?

Momo: It’s a quiet parade, isn’t it?

Momo: Congratulations on your triumphant return, TRIGGER.

--

Woman A: “Zero” was so much fun! I wanna see it again!

Woman B: There’s no tickets left! Additional performances sell out really fast, too! Even on SNS, it’s going viral!

Woman A: That’s right, isn’t it. I was told that even the relay broadcasting tickets in cinemas are all sold out.

Woman B: Even my boss who usually doesn’t care about these things would be envious if I told them I went to see it!

Woman A: Right! The Zero Generation, the TRIGGER Generation, everyone wants to see it!

Woman B: From theme parks to traveling, right now, I think  there’s more people who prefer seeing “Zero” over that!

Woman A: It’s more popular than expected! That’s TRIGGER for you! But it’s a bit complicated…

Woman A: Even though everything turned on them, now all of TV is about “Zero” and TRIGGER…

Woman B: Because TRIGGER has the ability to do it! It’s frustrating, but if TRIGGER are smiling, we should also smile and cheer them on.

Woman B: We overcame a hard time together with TRIGGER, after all!

Woman B: I might be overthinking it, but TRIGGER, who were kind of like princes out of reach…

Woman B: To be able to support them in a place so close to me makes me happy!

Woman A: Right... During the nationwide tour, too, TRIGGER was so close to us and it was the best!

Woman B: During MOP, I cried while voting, but that sounds like a joke now! It was really good…

Woman A: I’m glad that these wonderful people finally are being recognized again…

--

Passerby A: Oh, it’s the venue for “Zero”. Can I buy a ticket on the day of?

Passerby B: It’s impossible unless you get in line in the early morning. Ah, look, it’s sold out.

Passerby C: It’s a “Zero” poster!

Passerby D: It’s Tenn-kun! Let’s take a picture.

Passerby C: I just want a pamphlet! I wanna see more of Gaku-san!

Passerby D: I wanted to see Ryuunosuke-san live! Because "Backyard MAGIC" showed me the backstage side every week, I wanted to see the stage performance, too!

Passerby D: Let’s go ask the theater staff whether more performances are planned.

--

Woman A: “Zero” is really popular, isn’t it…

--

Announcer: Today’s trending feature is the third installment of our special feature on the popular musical “Zero”!

Announcer: What is this? It only was published recently, but the soundtrack reached first place in the ranking!

Announcer: Zero’s Best of album, which was released on the same day, stays in second place!

Commentator: I know it’ll sell. After watching “Zero”, I couldn’t get the songs out of my head.

Commentator: The line-up is filled with famous songs. Surprisingly, I got used to TRIGGER’s voices with Zero’s songs.

Announcer: After all, Zero’s producer, Kujou-shi, strictly oversaw it! 

Commentator: It’s truly wonderful. Even the people who couldn’t get tickets, please listen to at least one song.

Announcer: A lot of people say that! The soundtrack has a good ranking, too.

Announcer: Today we are looking at the previous musical works of TRIGGER, who acted in the musical “Zero”.

Announcer: We are presenting “Crescent Wolf” and “Last Dimension ~ who will pull the trigger ~”!

Commentator: The theme songs have been in the single ranking for the past week, haven’t they?

Announcer: That’s correct! I think TRIGGER’s past masterpieces are being re-evaluated.

Announcer: Whether it’s a drama or a movie, TRIGGER has been highly rated in their acting performances— I am looking forward to what they will do in the future!

--

Kujou Aya: Ah… there it is, a flower shop.

Flower Shop Clerk: Welcome.

Kujou Aya: I’d like to send congratulatory flowers. The sender is Kujou Takamasa and the address is the office of Yaotome Productions.

Flower Shop Clerk: If that is the case, how about these flowers? Elegant and beautiful, they’re perfect for celebrating.

Kujou Aya: Waaah, that’s wonderful. Then please give me these flowers.

Flower Shop Clerk: Understood.

Kujou Aya: Also… what flowers do you have for proposing to someone?

Flower Shop Clerk: Proposing… The standard would be roses, right? Tulips are also popular.

Flower Shop Clerk: This Blue Star, too. It’s a flower that’s used for proposals. It means “blessed love”.

Kujou Aya: Blue Star… Blessed love… It’s so beautiful…

Kujou Aya: If it’s a star, I’m sure he will be happy. Please make this flower into a bouquet.

Flower Shop Clerk: Thank you. Do you want it to look like a proposal?

Kujou Aya: Not ‘like’ a proposal, I want it to be a bouquet that can be used for a real proposal.

Kujou Aya: I’ll do it tonight.

Flower Shop Clerk: Eh?

Kujou Aya: Proposing. I’m serious.

Flower Shop Clerk: Uhm… Understood. Please do your best.

Kujou Aya: Yes!! I’ll do my best!!

Flower Shop Clerk: The baby’s breath flowers and the ribbons are a bonus.

Kujou Aya: Thank you!!

~ to be continued ~

6.2.3. Promised sign(ature)

Yaotome Gaku: …….

Yaotome Gaku: This place is nostalgic, too.

Yaotome Gaku: …….

--

Anesagi Kaoru: I brought the contract with me.

Yaotome Gaku: Ah.

Anesagi Kaoru: You guys, take this.

Kujou Tenn: Thank you very much.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: It’s kind of nostalgic, isn’t it?

Yaotome Gaku: Thank you. Can we sign it here?

--

Yaotome Sousuke: Wait.

Yaotome Gaku: What?

Yaotome Sousuke: Is it really okay like this?

Yaotome Gaku: …………….

Yaotome Sousuke: The way you are right now, you will be held in high esteem no matter where you go.

Yaotome Sousuke: Even if we stay at the current office, it should be fine as long as we increase the number of staff.

Yaotome Sousuke: If you come back here, you might be subjected to unnecessary scrutiny again. Even so…

Kujou Tenn: I don’t mind.

Yaotome Sousuke: Tenn….

Kujou Tenn: You told us you had a dream, President.

Kujou Tenn: I was happy. As an artist, there couldn’t be a bigger honor.

Kujou Tenn: Please let me follow that feeling of mine. I want to continue that dream once more.

Yaotome Sousuke: …Thank you.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: I feel the same way. If you hadn’t spoken to me back then, President, I wouldn’t be here the way I am right now.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: At the start, I was confused, but… For the interesting life you have given me, I am sincerely grateful.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: I think of you as something like a second father, President Yaotome.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Please watch where we go from here together with us. 

Yaotome Sousuke: That modest Ryuunosuke… you’ve become a hungry-eyed person.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Ehehe… If you say it like that, it’s a bit embarrassing. 

Yaotome Sousuke: Thank you. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Haha… Come on, Gaku.

Yaotome Gaku: Mhm… stop nagging me.

Anesagi Kaoru: What? You’re embarrassed?

Kujou Tenn: Even though he is happy.

Yaotome Gaku: Shut up…

Yaotome Gaku: Lend me your pen. I told you we would come back.

Yaotome Gaku: I just kept my promise.

Yaotome Sousuke: ….Gaku….

Yaotome Gaku: You did well, too. You didn’t let go of this building. I don’t know much about this, but it must’ve been hard, right?

Yaotome Sousuke: Hm… It’s the place you guys were going to return to, after all.

Yaotome Sousuke: I wanted to greet you here once more. ….Thank you for coming back.

Yaotome Gaku: Sure.

--

Yaotome Gaku: Let’s continue to get along well from now on.

Kujou Tenn & Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Yeah, let’s!

Anesagi Kaoru: (crying) Thank goodness… With this, the days of your long trials are finally over…

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Anesagi-san…

--

Yaotome Sousuke: Anesagi… I made it hard for you, didn’t I?

Anesagi Kaoru: No, not at all! I believed in TRIGGER and in you, president Yaotome.

Anesagi Kaoru: For those kids, it may have been a difficult, hard and unnecessary experience, but…

Anesagi Kaoru: If Yaotome Productions had continued to protect them, they wouldn’t have learnt a lot of things.

Anesagi Kaoru: A star who knows both the highs and the lows. There’s not a second one like that in the world. Isn’t that cool?

--

Yaotome Gaku: That’s right.

Kujou Tenn: Thank you very much.

Anesagi Kaoru: Well then! Today, we celebrate! That’s fine, right, President?

Yaotome Sousuke: That’s right. I made a reservation in a restaurant for later.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Is a luxury like this alright…?

Yaotome Sousuke: It’s a day to celebrate, so it doesn’t matter! I’ll pay for it from my own funds.

Yaotome Gaku: Seriously, you’re so vain.

Anesagi Kaoru: It’s because it’s your special day.

Kujou Tenn: Haha, this will be a treat. 

Kujou Tenn: It feels like a long time ago, but it was really not that long ago, was it? The day we left here.

Kujou Tenn: “MOP”, “Crescent Wolf”, “Zero”... A lot of things happened.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Right… I thought we’d fallen into the abyss, but together with everyone’s power we made it back out.

Yaotome Gaku: Is it alright to think that there will be no second-guessing from now on?

Yaotome Sousuke: Of course. 

Yaotome Gaku: Let’s give it our all and continue, then! We’ll do it!

Yaotome Sousuke: Yeah, do it to your heart’s content. There’s no one who could be your enemy anymore.

TRIGGER: Yes!

Yaotome Sousuke: Ah, right… Tenn. A congratulatory flower came from Kujou-san. Tell him my thanks.

Kujou Tenn: Of course, I will. Thank you very much. 

Yaotome Sousuke: Do you know anything about Kujou-san’s plans from here on out?

Kujou Tenn: No… After “Zero”, there is nothing on his schedule.

Yaotome Sousuke: Is that so… I was hoping he would continue doing the stage direction for TRIGGER.

Yaotome Sousuke: At least until the end of the year…

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: There will be Black or White at the end of the year, too. I don’t know whether we will be invited, though.

Yaotome Gaku: Why are you saying weak words like that? Of course we’ll be at the Black or White.

Kujou Tenn: I will be talking to Kujou-san regarding his future plans.

Yaotome Sousuke: Please do.

~ to be continued ~

6.2.4. Restart

Yaotome Gaku: Well then!

Everyone: Cheers!

Anesagi Kaoru: Ah~ it’s delicious! Ah, it’s delicious! Ah, it’s so delicious…!

Yaotome Gaku: Haha! You don’t have to say it three times.

Yaotome Sousuke: You haven’t had good alcohol in a while, have you?

Anesagi Kaoru: Well, that’s true too. And I was worried this entire time. But tonight, we can drink without worrying, right?

Yaotome Sousuke: There’s no drinking without worrying. Who’s going to take care of you?

Yaotome Gaku: Isn’t it fine, just for tonight? I’ll look after you, Anesagi.

Anesagi Kaoru: You’re a good guy… Ryuu, I’ll be drinking with you tonight!

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Uhm, but…

Kujou Tenn: Well, once in a while it’s fine, isn’t it? I’ll look after Ryuu.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Really?

Kujou Tenn: Yeah.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: You’re a good guy, Tenn… Well then, once more, cheers!

Kujou Tenn & Yaotome Gaku & Yaotome Sousuke & Anesagi Kaoru: Cheers!

--

Yaotome Gaku: Let’s win Black or White this year!

Kujou Tenn: JIMA and MOP, too. Everything.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Let’s do it! This is just the beginning!

Yaotome Sousuke: Haha… that’s right. You guys are only just starting.

Yaotome Sousuke: We’re planning a restart of the TRIGGER namesake show next semester.

Yaotome Gaku: Our namesake show… this early?

Kujou Tenn: What kind of show will it be?

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: I wonder if there will be backlash if we suddenly get more media exposure…

Yaotome Sousuke: No, it’s the exact opposite. Everyone wants to see TRIGGER right now.

Yaotome Sousuke: One of the reasons is the massive success of “Zero”, but there are other things that had a hand in this too.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Maybe “Backyard MAGIC”?

Yaotome Sousuke: You got it, Ryuunosuke. That’s correct.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: A lot of the people who saw the show called out to us, saying they’d misunderstood before.

Anesagi Kaoru: “Backyard MAGIC“… I hadn’t liked the idea of that sort of documentary show.

Anesagi Kaoru: But actually, because of this show, I feel like more people have positive opinions about TRIGGER.

Anesagi Kaoru: Through the camera, they saw the way you guys earnestly go about your daily lives.

Yaotome Sousuke: I wanted to protect your brand through flawless promotion, but…

Yaotome Sousuke: That way, I might have ended up hiding your strong points, too.

Yaotome Sousuke: TRIGGER is first-rate. But it isn’t a flawless, unconcerned-looking or pretentious idol group.

Yaotome Sousuke: You’re a group with a steady and earnest attitude in everyday life, but also a result-oriented, highly professional mindset.

Yaotome Sousuke: By conveying the right image, your past scandals become little more than overly heated media coverage, and the perception of them will probably change.

Yaotome Sousuke: Aside from taking this seriously, I also want to make a decision regarding your future stance on your image, also including on the namesake show.

Kujou Tenn: …So that’s what it is…

Yaotome Gaku: Are you against it?

Kujou Tenn: I am not against it, but…

Yaotome Gaku: If you’re against it, just say so. It might be irresponsible to just change your image like that.

Yaotome Gaku: I don’t want to tell you to stop doing something you took pride in doing.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: That’s right, Tenn.

Kujou Tenn: …

Kujou Tenn: I am not against it. Because of my experience during “Zero”, I also had things to think about…

Kujou Tenn: I thought I should fix my habit of taking everything upon myself.

Kujou Tenn: I wanted to protect my fans. I wanted them to have no heartbreak, and just wanted them to enjoy seeing me.

Kujou Tenn: As if I was keeping them tightly wrapped in my hand, I wanted to protect them and show them a beautiful dream.

Kujou Tenn: But our fans aren’t scared of pain, they’re not just there to be protected.

Kujou Tenn: They’re our equals. That’s why this time, we should show them the respect they deserve.

Kujou Tenn: But it’s a bit…

Yaotome Gaku: It’s a bit what? Don’t hold back and tell me.

Kujou Tenn: Usually… It’s embarrassing. It’s because I’m not that used to showing my true face.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Not in front of us, either!?

Kujou Tenn: In front of you guys, I guess I am showing it a bit more…?

Yaotome Gaku: You were with Nanase when he was sick, after all. You were on edge all this time, unconsciously.

Yaotome Gaku: But there is no need for that anymore. Because we are here.

Kujou Tenn: ……..

Kujou Tenn: It’s kind of embarrassing…

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Eeeh? Cute!

Kujou Tenn: Calling it cute is…

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: I get it now. You were always on edge. But the thing with Kujou-san is over now.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: From now on, you can depend on us and let us spoil you!

Kujou Tenn: Thank you very much.

Yaotome Gaku: You’re being so stiff.

Kujou Tenn: …No, I think maybe I can’t do it… I might not come across as natural.

Anesagi Kaoru: It’s fine! Right now, you’re super natural!

Kujou Tenn: Is that so…? I don’t know how to relax.

Yaotome Gaku: It’s easy. Laugh when you wanna laugh, be angry when you wanna be angry.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Not for someone else, but for yourself.

Kujou Tenn: …Ah, that’s right. Thank you.

--

Kujou Tenn: That being said, I think I can get used to it, step by step.

Yaotome Sousuke: I am glad to hear that. In the previous namesake show, we invited guests and the focus was on the talks in the studio, but…

Yaotome Sousuke: In the next namesake show, as long as your schedule allows it, we want to do variety-style shoots at different locations.

Yaotome Gaku: Variety-style shoots at different locations…?

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Like a casual trip…?

Kujou Tenn: If we go to a teahouse together, I’ll definitely end up doing fanservice, though…

Anesagi Kaoru: President, don’t you think this is too sudden of a change?

Anesagi Kaoru: TRIGGER are already fully recognized as hard-working and earnest artists who made “Zero” a big success.

Anesagi Kaoru: They don’t have to try too hard to appear friendly…

Yaotome Sousuke: Of course, I don’t intend to pander to the masses. You guys don’t make compromises regarding your work, and you’re popular for your reliable attitude.

Yaotome Sousuke: I don’t intend to sell the other side of TRIGGER as idols bit by bit anymore. It’s a lot to bear for you guys, too.

Yaotome Sousuke: So this is what the show producer suggested.

Yaotome Gaku: Don’t put your files everywhere on the dinner table!

Yaotome Sousuke: Just look at them quickly and then put them away!

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Don’t fight!

Yaotome Gaku: Geez… huh?

Yaotome Gaku: Experience as a waiter at the nation’s best hidden famous coffee shops….

Yaotome Sousuke: Right. There’s a stoicness and gorgeousness in historic coffee shops and cafés.

Yaotome Sousuke: You will have the work experience as a waiter, while talking to the locals, and bring out the charm of the store.

Yaotome Sousuke: Japanese people are capable and diligent people. They like to watch something be steadily accomplished and get a sense of accomplishment from it themselves.

Yaotome Sousuke: I’m sure people will accept the sight of you guys working on something positively.

Yaotome Gaku: You’re saying that with such confidence? Well, it's fine, but…

Yaotome Sousuke: It will be fine. Believe me.

Yaotome Gaku: Tenn, Ryuu, what about you?

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: I like coffee, and it sounds interesting! I am worried about talking freely, but I’m good at things when there’s something to do.

Kujou Tenn: I feel the same. It isn’t that hard of a job for us, to the point where I wonder if that’s okay…

Yaotome Sousuke: Of course, we’re going to make other corners, too. But this will be the main focus of the project.

Yaotome Sousuke: I had my doubts at the start, too, but as I was being persuaded, I became convinced. This show will become a national hit.

Yaotome Gaku: Is that so…?

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: To go that far…

Yaotome Sousuke: It will. Trust me!

Kujou Tenn: Understood. I am looking forward to it.

~ to be continued ~

----

Translator's notes:

Aaaah, finally done with this! Anyway, hello, I'm Riku, and I TL'd this thing. Haruka did the proofreading this time, but I will absolutely shirk my responsibilities as soon as possible. You might notice that the title of 6.2.1. was not translated literally, but that's mostly because it's a weird metaphor.

As for Re:vale's conversation at the start of 6.2.2., they are talking about 大安, lit. "auspicious day", which is like... a thing in the old Japanese calendars.

[effectivelyweird]

So I just watched B.N.A. and the first few episodes showed so much promise and then it just got SO problematic like holy shit.

If you're going to have a character literally in a Nazi experiment camp, explicitly saying they were there with Jews and others, you absolutely NEED to do it right.

Having the main issue of the Beastmen be their inbuilt genetic barbarity is not fucking cool when that rhetoric is still used to this day against Jewish people and people of colour.

I had hoped it would do a Zootopia and have the syndrome be man made but NOPE it's "just how they are"

Who the hell thought this was okay??

There's also the whole "cure" which is literally turning them human, erasing what makes them THEM which is deeply disturbing to see as an autist with orgs like Autism Speaks trying to find a "cure" and "fix" us. The only person who has an appropriate response to this is Shirou who goes nuts and tries to destroy the lab. Like YEAH fucking do it mate.

There are so many ways to identify and relate to the Beastmen in this show and I can't speak for everyone but I really think they fucked it up in all regards.

It could have been a brilliant show that raised discussions and said something about these difficult issues of otherness, poverty and corruption among other things and it just doesn't.

The ending is all happy smiles like "yay everything's going to be okay now! We can make this city good!" like the humans werent watching and waiting for any excuse to wipe them out. Like bitch yeah you survived this incident but don't think the bombs aren't on their way from the humans, y'all are fucked.

It started so strong but these issues plus more general inconsistencies and meh writing made it a real disappointment in the second half.

[sweetie-skulls]

Happy Shirou day everyone

[tonguetiedraven]

Raven what kind of trouble do you think the twins would've got in if both their powers awoke at the same time or Yukio's awakening a little after Rin's?

If we're playing in the first anime world where Rin has the same sort of powers as Rin:

If Yukio awoke from the same Satan fight that got Rin awakened and Shirou killed, I can't see a ton changing at the beginning. I think Yukio's self-loathing would come on a lot stronger and his mental state would devolve far more quickly, but for the first few days making certain Rin was still Rin would take his priority, and he'd still be a bit stressed/distracted by all his new duties as the teacher.

I also think he would have used his new powers to try and stop Rin from revealing himself in the forest. Regardless of the version, Yukio has always tried to play the role of Rin's keeper, and had he been able to get himself between Rin and Amaimon, or Rin and the students, I think he would have.

(Now if that power was awakened when they were still kids, god help everyone because Rin might have been mischievous and bold, but Yukio was smart, and chaos would not even begin to describe what that duo could cause.)

Anyone else have any thoughts on how that might have changed? Yukio's not the character I always have the strongest grasp on, so I'm always happy to hear other opinions ^^

[votestaynight]

7th day "Sword and Magic"/8th day "Sword and Magic II" (scene 1)

…Before she became a Servant. I wonder what Saber was like when she was alive as a human.

Saber is so beautiful, and I bet everyone liked her. Though one might misunderstand from the name Saber, she might have been a normal girl who didn't even use a sword.

"…Yeah. I wonder what Saber was like before." I get curious, and I accidentally speak my mind.

"――Yes? Did you say something, Shirou?" "Huh? No, I was just imagining what you were like before. I don't want to know your true name, but I was wondering what kind of a life you led."

"What kind of a person I was like…? You are interested in strange matters, Shirou."

"Ignore it if it's a problem. It just popped in my head. You're the Servant Saber, but I thought you might have been different before you became a Servant."

――Yes. I think that she might have led a calm life suitable for a lovely girl.

"――I do not think that is possible. People do not change their personality when they become a Servant, and I was a knight who was given a sword at birth. Any different self that you talk of never existed."

"Whoa, so you always had such a tense personality? …That's terrible. I sympathize with the people who were around you."

"…What do you mean by that? I am strict, but I do not coerce the people around me."

"Don't lie. I know from today's training that you're pitiless and have no mercy. Look at this welt. You're happy to come pounding on me when I make a mistake, you devilish instructor."

"I-I was not happy about it! I-I feel sorry for Shirou, but it would not be training if I was not strict!"

"―――――" …How unusual. It's really surprising for Saber to make that kind of an expression.

"W-What is with that expression? I think it is unfair to suddenly go silent."

"Oh――I wasn't expecting you to get angry like that, so I was surprised."

"Eh――i-is that so? I only emphasized what I was thinking." "That might be why. You don't talk much with your emotions. So that was new."

"I-Is that so? I believe I act based on my beliefs." "I'm saying that it's your thinking, not your feeling. No, not that. It's that you don't say what you really feel."

"That is only natural. What is demanded from me is not an opinion as an individual but an opinion from my position. That does not change even now. I will protect you as the Servant Saber. I should not say anything that does not relate to that purpose, and there is no need to even think about such things."

"――That may be true, but that'll be boring for you, Saber. You have a role, but I don't think you need to devote yourself to it. You have things you want to do too."

"As I said, protecting you is what I must do. In addition to being inexperienced as a Master, you do not listen to me and try to fight. That is why I am training you right now!"

"――No, that's not it, but… well, I guess it's fine if you say so." It seems Saber is softer and cheerful right now, so I don't want to ruin this calm mood by continuing this conversation.

…Well. Talking has cooled me down, so let's continue with the training. I'm skipping school, so I should acquaint my body with fighting as much as time allows.

"Saber, let's start. I've rested enough." "…Is that so? It looks as if you have cooled down, but your pain has not yet gone away, right?"

"I don't care. They're just bruises, so I'll bear a little pain. I can heal automatically now." "But there is no point in training if it worsens. I believe we should wait a bit longer and see."

"Don't worry. I want to finish this before Tohsaka gets home. We can't have her see me like this, right?"

"…Sigh. I understand. It is certainly not good to have Rin, our eventual enemy, find out your powers. I believe it is a bit excessive, but if that is the case, let us bring the pace up a little."

Saber picks up the shinai. And then. A strange sound echoes through the dojo.

"Saber…?" Um, I think that was Saber's stomach. "I believe I am hungry. I did not notice since I was so engrossed in training."

"Oh――yeah. Now that you mention it, it's lunchtime already." No wonder her stomach has started growling. I'm not that hungry yet, but if Saber's hungry, let's have lunch. It'll be good if my body heals in that time as well.

"All right. It's a good time, so let's have lunch. I'll go buy some groceries, so you can rest in the living room." "Shirou, I shall escort you if you are going outside."

"It's fine, I'm only going to the shopping district nearby. There's no one who would attack me in the daytime, and we'd rather stand out if you were with me." "…There is really no danger?" "No. I'll come back right away, so please wait here."

I take my wallet and go outside. It won't take even ten minutes on a bicycle to get to the shopping district from here. By the way, the bicycle I just took from the garage is bicycle number two. Number one is still out in front of the Ryudou Temple.

I descend the hill. I don't think I've been to the shopping district in the daytime on a weekday since I was running errands as a child.

Because it's daytime, there are lots of housewives at the intersection, on their way home from shopping. They're coming from the shopping district that Sakura and I go to regularly.

I finish buying all the groceries. Ingredients for lunch for two, and a light Japanese snack. Dinner tonight is fine since Tohsaka's in charge of that, but I buy enough bread for four people for tomorrow's breakfast. I don't know how to make strawberry jam, so I buy the cheapest… no that'll probably get me some criticism, so I buy a rather expensive one.

"…Damn, it's really expensive. Why do I have to pay a thousand yen for something so sweet?" I complain as I put the groceries into the bicycle cart. ――And then. I feel something tugging at my clothes from behind.

"…?" I turn around, wondering what it could be. There. Is a young girl with silver hair.

"What, you're――!?" I back off, knocking the bicycle over.

I stand ready at once while the girl just smiles at me.

"…?" I don't feel any murderous intent nor even enmity from that girl. In addition, the girl says, "I'm glad. You're alive, Onii-chan." And she smiles happily.

"―――!" …This girl is definitely Berserker's Master. The master of the monster that slashed me in one blow that night. Who would expect to meet someone like this in a shopping district near their house, especially in daytime?

"Don't tell me… you intend to fight me here?" "…? You're saying strange things. We can't fight while the sun's up." She frowns in displeasure. That is definitely the behavior of a young girl, suitable for her age.

"―――――" I don't know her intentions. I don't know her intentions, but even I can tell that the girl in front of me is harmless.

"Y-You're――if I remember correctly, uh…" "Ilyasviel von Einzbern. It's long, so you can call me Ilya. So what's Onii-chan's name?"

"Me…? I'm Emiya Shirou." "Emiyashiro? That's hard to say."

"…It's the first time I've heard it pronounced like that too. No, if you have trouble remembering it, you can call me Shirou. That's my name."

"Shirou? Oh, so it's an easier name than I thought. I see, Shirou. …Yeah, that sounds good. It's simple, but it sounds aloof." Ilyasviel looks at me with suggestive eyes.

"…!" My body unintentionally moves and lowers its waist down so it can move more freely. …Because she is Berserker's Master. If she felt like it, she probably could blow me away along with the flower shop next to me.

"Oh, you don't have to be so careful. I left Berserker at home today. Onii-chan left Saber behind too, so we're equal." Ilyasviel looks up at my face happily.

"…Well, what do you mean equal?" "Hey, let's talk. I have lots of things I want to talk to you about."

"Wha―――!?" The girl clings to my arm as naturally as if she were holding her father's.

"H-Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on…! What are you doing all of a sudden!? Is this some new scheme!?" "We're just gonna talk. Normal children talk friendly, right?"

"Well, that's true, but we're different! We're both Masters and we've already fought! We're more like enemies!"

"That's not right. I don't have any enemies. Other Masters are just harmful bugs, but I can let you go if you behave yourself."

She's saying terrible things so casually too! "Geez, just get off of me! You're being absurd!" I swing my hand and throw Ilyasviel off.

"Kya…!" She topples. As I tried to make her let go, the girl almost falls to the ground.

"Oh no, Ilya――!" …Why the hell did I do something like that right then? When I notice, I instantly reached out for Ilyasviel――geez, this is too long――Ilya's waist, and caught her as she fell.

I silently lower Ilya to the ground. "……" Ilya is silent. I don't know what to say either, so I stand still looking down at Ilya.

…This is awkward. This is awkward, so the instant I try to leave to go home…

"――What? Do you not like me, Onii-chan?" That night. She says this with the same glowing red eyes she had when Berserker was with her.

"――!" A chill runs down my spine. Her gestures up to now were so child-like that my sense of danger had faded, but she's definitely Berserker's Master.

I'll die if I disobey her. I can't show my face to Saber if I die in vain here, and most of all, I'll involve all the people here in the shopping district. …Yes, I can bet on it. This girl would mercilessly use her power as a Master no matter where she is.

"…All right. We'll talk. I'll keep calm, so is that okay, Ilya?"

"Yup! Then let's go to the park over there. I just went to look at it, but there wasn't anyone there." Ilya starts to run with dancing steps.

"Hurry, hurry! I'll leave you behind if you don't hurry, Shirou――!" Ilya runs through the shopping district, spinning in circles.

"…She really went on ahead." Beyond amazement, I'm a bit moved. For this girl Ilya, any promise is an absolute truth.

That's why she ran off so happily. She doesn't think I'll run away thinking it's a chance to do so when I'm alone. I told her I'll talk to her, so she ran off trusting me to do so.

"…What's with her?" She's really unbalanced. …But, well… I'm not yet grown-up enough to betray such a pure trust.

Ilya and I are alone in the small park a little way from the shopping district. Maybe all the children are at school or maybe such a small park isn't popular anymore. Anyways, we start to talk in the empty winter park, bathed in a strangely tense atmosphere.

"…Wait, so what are we going to talk about? Do you want to know about Saber?" "Huh? Why would we talk about Saber?"

"Because we're Masters. We'd want to gain information on enemy Servants, right?" "I don't wanna talk about that. It's boring if we don't talk about something more fun."

"Well, you say boring, but… Then what's fun for you, Ilya?" "I don't know. I haven't talked to other people much, so I don't know what I should talk about."

"…Hey, you brought me here to talk in spite of that? Didn't you get taught not to act on something until you think it through? I bet you didn't. So be a thoughtful adult from now on."

"…Hm. It's fine. I'll let you do that sort of thing. It's the man's responsibility to escort the lady, right? So all I have to do is follow you."

She smiles and leans on my shoulder. She's not just being over-familiar, but it's as natural as a small animal snuggling because it's cold. …Wait. Looking closely at her, she does actually look cold.

"Ilya. Are you cold?" "Huh? Yeah, I'm cold. I don't like the cold."

She breathes out a white puff. Even though she said she doesn't like it, she looks at her breath happily.

"I see. It's not always like this, but it's strangely cold today. It would be pretty bad if you don't like the cold… um, where are you from, Ilya? Your name sounds kind of noble."

"It's not 'kind of noble', I am a noble. I was born in the old Einzbern castle. It was always cold and snowing. So I'm fine with this cold."

"…? You were born in a cold country, right? Then shouldn't you be used to the cold?"

"I'm used to it, but I don't like it. I like warm more than cold. Don't you like warm too?" "Yeah, of course. I like it warm rather than cold."

"Yeah! So I stay warm in my room when it's cold. But I like the snow. It's so white and my dad said it's just like my hair."

"――" I clap my hands together. She's right now that she's mentioned it. I was trying to work out what I associated with Ilya. If there was such a thing as a snow fairy, wouldn't it look like her?

"Your father says clever things. Your hair is certainly like snow. It's white and it looks soft."

"Ehehe, right? This hair is something I can brag about. It comes from my mom, and it's the only girlish thing about me."

Ilya laughs happily. Seeing such gestures really numbs me. I couldn't have believed she was really Berserker's Master if I hadn't seen it.

"How about you, Shirou? Do you have something you got from your dad? Oh, don't say the Magic Crest. I'm talking about what you got from him as your dad, not as a Master."

"Huh, me? …Hmmm… I guess my house in the end. Before that, I got my last name. And the thing I got first was…" My life when I was about to die. Because I was the only one saved by Kiritsugu in that fire ten years ago.

"…Let's see, I don't have any physical features like you that I got from my parents. But I think I got a lot of things as good as that."

Ilya is delighted as if it concerned her. I bet no one could stay unhappy if they were smiled at like this.

"But from what you said, you didn't get the Magic Crest, right? That's strange. Then you're not a Master?"

"…? No, I'm an amateur magus with no Magic Crest, but I'm still a Master. How about you, Ilya? Um――you're a Master, so you're a magus, right?"

"Huh? I'm not a magus, but just a Master. I was never taught any normal magic."

"Huh…!? Then you didn't get a Magic Crest from your parents? …Um, your family is a noble family that even has a castle, right?" "That's right… but isn't a Magic Crest what you need to become a Master? That's why I'm a Master."

Ilya tilts her head in confusion. "…?" I too tilt my head in confusion. It seems like Ilya's words are slightly off, and we're not having a real conversation.

"…Hey Ilya. I'll ask you something, but where are you living right now? It seems you came here just for the Holy Grail War, so are you living in a hotel or something?"

No, first of all, it'll be terrible if she doesn't have a guardian. It's unheard of to let a child like this come to Japan by herself.

"Hotel…? Do you mean the villa?" "Yeah, something like that. It's a place you can stay, but it's not your house."

"Then I have one! See, there's a forest over there, right? Deep in it is a Western-style mansion my grandfather's grandfather built. They say the Master of Einzbern lives there during the Holy Grail War."

Ilya is pointing to the west. …Certainly, there's a deep undeveloped mountain forest in that direction….

"It takes about an hour to get there even with a car, right? Are you coming here from there alone?"

"Yeah, I snuck out today. Sella and Leysritt are my maids, but they're annoying. I came to Japan, so I think I can go outside just while I'm here. I always got what I wanted, but I was always shut away in my room, so this is a reward."

"…? You mean you were locked up in your room?" "Yeah. When it snowed, they didn't let me outside because it was bad for my body. So I was playing inside most of the time. Oh, but I'm fine. It's not as cold here as the castle, so I'm fine by myself."

Ilya says so with a full smile. She swings her legs and it seems she's having fun just doing so.

"……" Without knowing why, I put my hand into the grocery bag. I take out the dora-yaki I was supposed to eat with Saber and again, without knowing why, hand it to Ilya.

"Do you want this? It's cheap, though." "Huh? What is that? Food?" "That's right. I don't like sweets, but this is an exception. This is the snack my father and I always have with tea."

"…Um. …So, I can have it?" Ilya looks up at me timidly.

"Yeah. It's no good if I eat by myself, so let's eat together." I hand her the dora-yaki. Ilya hesitates, and then takes the Japanese snack that I'm sure she's never seen before.

"Ehe. Yeah, thanks!" She eats it happily. Her gestures are so enthusiastic that the expression 'stuffing her cheeks' fits perfectly.

"―――――" I eat my dora-yaki as well and endure the shock that attacked the back of my head. …Geez. Why was I thinking it might be nice to have a smaller sister like this?

"…But, really…" I think Ilya is too innocent. This girl might really be a child who doesn't yet know the difference between good and evil. I can barely imagine how a child born in a family of magi is raised. But still――I can tell that the environment Ilya was raised in wasn't normal.

Tohsaka is like that, but she's a magus by nature from the core. She has accepted the Holy Grail War and the killings between Masters as "murder".

But maybe this girl became a Master without knowing what it means to kill someone. I've only talked a bit with her, but I don't think Ilya is a girl that would want to kill others. So――

"Ilya. This is a serious subject, but…" Then. Ilya suddenly raises her head as if called by someone.

"…Ilya? What's wrong?" "Yeah. I have to go home. Berserker woke up."

She jumps off the bench. Ilya runs out of the park without saying goodbye and disappears in a blink of an eye.

I get back to the house. I decide to keep it a secret that I met Ilya. I know it's something that I should tell her about right away, but I still don't want to tell her about it.

The Ilya I met at the park wasn't a Master. I talked with Ilya about trifling matters and we parted in a trifling manner as well. So I'm hesitant to tell others about what happened today. …I feel guilty since it's like I'm hiding something from them, but it's because I don't want to think of the Ilya I met today as my enemy.

After eating lunch with Saber, we continue to train at the dojo. And before I know it, it's time for dinner already. I rest my tired body and take a bath to wash my sweat off. And when I go to the living room, dinner is prepared.

"―――――" I'm a bit moved. It's nice having dinner ready without me doing anything when I come out of the bath.

"Emiya-kun, it's dinnertime――what are you doing standing there like an idiot? Is it dementia?" But. Why does she have to say something that totally destroys the moment?

"Nothing. Dinner, right? I'll eat it gratefully. Where's Saber?" "Mn? I guess Saber-san went to Shirou's room. Didn't you see her? That's weird, she was here until a second ago."

"Maybe you two missed each other since this place is as complicated as a hotel. All right, I'll go get Saber, so you should go to the bathroom again. Your hair isn't completely dry yet."

"Oh, you're right. Sorry, then I'll leave Saber to you." I wave my hand to Tohsaka and return to the hallway.

As Tohsaka said, the Emiya house has many paths because of the aimless reconstruction. The worst one is the route to the bathroom, and it really is like a hotel because you can get there from my room or from the living room.

I enter the bathroom. I don't like hair driers, so I'll use the towel I used before. "―――――" In an instant. I forget everything that happened today.

"Shirou." I hear a voice. The figure in front of me is saying something.

"It seems you are here to take a bath again, but I am using it at the moment. It would be helpful if you could reserve yourself for now." She says so without hesitation.

"Uh, uh, auh, ah." I have to explain. I know I have to explain to her that this is an accident, but my head is totally blank. After all, this had enough impact to make me forget everything that happened today.

"S, s-s, s-s-s-s-s-s-" "Shirou, have you been in the bath too long? Even your ears are red. If you would like to cool down, you should go to the porch." "Uh, yeah, I'll do so. But I have to apologize first."

I look away from Saber and calm my pounding heart.

"This was an accident. I wasn't trying to look at your naked body. No, I can't ask you to forgive me from the moment we met like this, so you can get angry at me." "…?" I say so while trying to look down and calming myself the best I can.

Saber thinks for a while. "Shirou, please raise your head." She says in her usual manner.

"Uh… yeah." I raise my head as she tells me to. "…!! Why are you still like that…!?" In front of me is Saber, still as she was before.

"It is nothing you should apologize for. I would like to say that there is nothing you should be worried about just from seeing something like my bare body."

"Ah――huh?" "I have told you before. The Servant's gender is meaningless. It seems you are in a panic because you saw my body as a woman, but I am a Servant before I am a woman. So I believe such consideration is unnecessary."

"Wha――?" What is she saying? No, even if Saber herself says that, it doesn't change the fact that she's really feminine. …Or could it be? I have an idea, but is it true…?

"…I'll ask, but don't tell me you're not embarrassed by people seeing your body." "…? Why would I need to be embarrassed?" "―――――" I thought so. …But even if she doesn't care, I'll definitely go insane.

"…I'm sorry. Anyways, I'm going to apologize. If anything like this happens again, you can do what you want with me." I turn around 180 degrees and exit the dressing room awkwardly.

"…?" Saber looks at me in her usual manner until I disappear.

――Dinner ends. I think it was a normal dinner table for everyone except me. As for me, I couldn't even sense the taste with the scene in the dressing room flickering in my mind.

"…It's cold." I opened the window by the porch and I was cooling my head off, but I'm done with that. I'll catch a cold if I keep doing this.

"Shirou, you were here." "S-Saber…!? W-What? Is there some business?" "I believe you have one and not me. I thought you were to learn magic from Rin at night."

"Oh." I hit my head. "I totally forgot. Thanks, I'll go right away!"

I run into the outbuilding and go to the second floor. I knock on the door of the guest room that Tohsaka occupies. "Shirou? It's fine. I don't have my hands free at the moment, so just come on in." Tohsaka's voice comes back, somehow without composure.

As soon as I enter the room, I see Tohsaka doing something weird. Tohsaka has something like a jewel in her hand, a syringe in the other hand, and a handkerchief in her mouth.

"Can I ask, Tohsaka?" "Folf on. I'll fe fone fife fofei's fife fith."

Saying that, Tohsaka puts the needle into her arm. …She draws blood out of herself. And taking the blood, she drips it one drop at a time onto the jewel, and grasps the bloody jewel.

Something like dizziness passes by. I am barely able to tell that it's the light of magical energy, but――

"…Sigh. Only three tenths after this much. I guess I'll have to do with the nine I have." Tohsaka slumps her shoulders and puts the stone back into some kind of a jewelry box.

"Tohsaka, I'm here for your lesson, as promised." But first, I'm curious about what she was doing.

"Yeah, I was waiting. You were training your body with Saber during the day, right? Then you should train what's inside during the night."

Tohsaka seems happy as she's more than ready to teach. …Hmm. Saber said she wasn't any good at teaching, but I bet this one's the complete opposite. No, putting that aside…

"Well, what should we start with? I think you were saying you can only use the strengthening magic―――" "Actually, could I ask you something before that? I'm curious. What were you just doing? It's dangerous to use needles on yourself."

"Oh, that? I was just making magic bullets. The magics of my family are flow and conversion of power. So when I have enough to spare, I transfer my magical energy somewhere else." Tohsaka concludes the conversation, leaving me way behind.

"Hold on. What do you mean by magic bullet and transferring magical energy?"

"Magic bullets are magic bullets. It's a bullet filled with magical energy. Haven't you ever heard that people's thoughts tend to go into jewels? In practice, jewels are easy targets to transfer magical energy into, but it seems my family is even more compatible with it than most."

"Transferring magical energy… well, for example, you have excess strength left over if you do nothing for the whole day, right? I'm storing that excess power in the jewels. You keep on doing this for days, months, and years, and that turns the jewels themselves into 'magic'."

"But then, the jewels have limited capacities and I cannot control magical energy outside me. The magical energy inside the jewels is just an ignition to instantly activate a large-scale magic."

"…? Um, so you're putting your magical energy into the jewels as a backup?" "Backup…? Hmm, close but not quite. I'm just filling up a single-use disposable backpack."

"So you mean you're temporarily expanding the hard disk… that's amazing. So you should be able to use as much magic as you want."

"Hard disk…? I don't know what you're talking about, but it's not that useful. The magical energy I put into the jewel is dyed in that jewel's attribute, so its uses become limited."

"…I see. But I'm surprised. I didn't know you could save up magical energy like that. Why don't other magi do something so useful?" Well, saying that, the only other magus I know is Kiritsugu.

"The ability to store magical energy in something outside yourself is unique. Even your strengthening is putting magical energy into something, right? Normally, whatever you put magical energy into changes in some way and uses up that magical energy. The effect of magic is instantaneous and not permanent, right?"

"So my family does it in a way that isn't instantaneous, and we cleverly put magical energy into the jewel so that it's permanent, but… other magi can do the same thing with their bodies. That's the Magic Crest――the magic backup that all magi have."

"Magic Crest… oh, you mean the secret that a parent hands down to their child. I don't understand too well since I don't have one."

"Wait. What did you just say?" "Huh…? Well, I said I don't have this Magic Crest thing. I think Father had one, but he never gave it to me." "―――――"

Tohsaka gasps, and then nods to herself.

"No wonder you're an amateur. …So you're really doing things from the very beginning… yeah, then I guess it can't be helped," she murmurs to herself.

"…Tohsaka. Haven't you realized that I don't have a Magic Crest?"

"No way. I wouldn't have let you go out by yourself if I'd known. Well, it's true that I thought you were unskilled, but if you don't have a Magic Crest, you're not even a magus."

She gives me a complaining look with a "hmph". But what is it? Her words have a warmness that sounds like relief, and it sounds as if she's envious that I'm not a magus.

"――Oh well. In that case, I'll explain things to you from the very beginning. Understanding the Magic Crest means understanding magi. All right, you sit there. It's an important lesson, so listen up."

"Here's fine? …All right, go ahead." I look into Tohsaka's eyes with determination. She must appreciate my seriousness, as she nods in satisfaction.

"Then I'll start off with something simple. You know that magical energy is what you need to use magic, right? You can actually refer to anything that can activate magic as 'magical energy'. There's an infinite variety of magical energy. There are some that perform magic using their force of will, and there are some that that use magic by paying a price other than themselves. You know this much, right?"

"Yeah. You mean the 'mana' (large source) and the 'odo' (small source), right? The large source is the magical energy in the world that fills nature. The small source is the magical energy that people can create themselves." "That's right, well done. Then, let's start with magic that uses the large source.

"Okay. Magi that lack an accumulated lineage of magi… like you, Shirou… use something that already has form to make magical energy. This is a method established as a process in ancient times, using offerings and rituals to make contact with the divine mystery.

"They prepare a price to pay since their powers are not sufficient. This is called the formal craft. This way, magic can be activated even if the caster's magical energy is sparse. This is because the magical energy used comes not from the caster but from somewhere else, so the caster only needs to perform the ritual."

"…But, well, you can't do it if you don't have the knowledge. It's impossible for you right now, and anyway, such a bloody method doesn't suit you."

"…Right. I also don't want to sacrifice a chicken or spend the whole evening praying in a magic circle."

"Right? Then putting that aside, next is the small source. So in other words, magic that is cast using the magi's own power. I don't think I need to explain, but this is the basic use of magic for someone like you and me. Your 'strengthening' is a magic that relies on your own Magic Circuit, not on borrowing anyone else's power, right?"

I nod. It seems the conversation is going into the main point.

"Well, the function that creates magical energy for you――the 'Magic Circuit' is a hereditary constitution that is passed down the ancestral lineage of magi. The Magic Circuit is trained over many generations, and passed on to the descendants, becoming more powerful. The child of a magi lineage is already fit to use magic just because of that. It's not fair, but it means we're different from the start."

"I know that. I don't care, so you can continue on." "I don't really care either, but…. Oh well. Anyways, other than this Magic Circuit, there is also a secret magic that the family trains over the generations."

"It's kind of like that jewel earlier. Once one masters a magic, a magus can 'put their hands on' that magic. Do you know the feeling of 'putting your hands on' a magic that is naturally just formulas and has no shape?"

"――I don't know, but I assume it's like it's part of your body if you can put your hands on it."

"Exactly. The magic that goes beyond the level of formulas and becomes part of yourself can be left in a form. It is a great deed that establishes an unstable magic, and at the same time, it is proof that the magus existed."

"And the magus, on the verge of death, hands down this great accomplishment in a crest. Like saying 'I give you this to reach the realms I could not reach, perhaps this crest I will give you might offer some help'. …Well, the one handing it down and the one receiving both know the crest is of no help, though."

"…? What? It's such a great crest, and yet it's useless?"

"It is useful! If you're a normal magus, it's so useful that that one crest will provide you ease and comfort! …But, well, it's like inheriting a car. No matter how fast you can travel on the ground, you can never reach the moon." "…?"

"It doesn't matter, so let's get back to the topic at hand. I think you already know by now, but this crest is the Magic Crest."

"The head of the family puts the magic he devoted his life to into that crest and passes it on, and the descendant completes another magic increasing the crest, and passes it on again. It grows more complex like that, and a deep history is engraved into it. That's the Magic Crest――a chain that the magus cannot free themselves from."

"…So… everything about that family is recorded in the Magic Crest?"

"Oh, that's wrong. The record of the family is naturally left on paper. Only magic is in the Magic Crest. It can cast spells automatically and allow you to use magics that you have not acquired yet. To put it simply, it's like carving a magic circle onto your body."

"…Hm. Then doesn't that mean you can carve the crest on anyone? You can draw a magic circle as many times as you want if you know the shape of it."

"That's not the way it works. The Magic Crest is like a living thing. It's almost like transplanting organs. There's usually only one of an organ, so you can't give it away to numerous people or make copies of it. There's no point in dividing the heart into two, right? Even if you separate it, it just stops functioning."

"Oh… hm. I see, you're right. Then you had that crest transplanted into you too?"

"…I guess the term transplant was a bad example. Actually, it's no different from a tattoo. In my case, it's on my left arm from my shoulder to my hand. But the Magic Crest won't show up unless I use it, so there's no need to hide it unlike the Command Spell."

"…So, well, that's why a family of magi is succeeded by only one descendant. If the family happens to produce brothers or sisters, it is common for the rest of them to live normally without learning about magic. Since you can't give them the Magic Crest, there's not much point even if they succeed as a magus."

"Yeah, Shinji was saying that too. …I see, so that's why they didn't teach Sakura."

"Yes. …But the inheritance of the crest itself stopped a few generations ago in the Matou family. So I assume Shinji was only taught knowledge of magic. …Really, that type are the most troubling. They can't feel magic, but they still try to use it." Cursing in a disappointed manner, Tohsaka takes a deep breath.

"Well, I was supposed to teach you magic, but the plan's changed. I'll have to come up with a different plan if you don't have a Magic Crest. …Yeah, let's call it quits for tonight. I'll prepare some things for tomorrow, so please wait until then."

"…? I can only agree, but… what do you mean by preparing some things?"

"Just some things. If you don't have a crest, you can't switch, right? We're going to tamper inside your body, so we need drugs and medical tools and things."

"―――――" Whoa. I really felt a chill there.

"What? I'll stop if you don't want to. But in that case, there'll be nothing I can teach you." "Uh… no, I don't want to, but please. You're probably correct."

…Well, I don't know what she meant by the word switch, but I think the fact that I can't do so is related to the fact that I always fail when trying to turn myself into a Magic Circuit.

"Then tomorrow's plan's decided. …Oh yeah, are you going to be training with Saber again tomorrow?"

"…? Yeah. I'm also worried about the boundary field at school, but there's still time until it's activated. I want to be able to fight at least a bit by then."

"Well, that's fine. But it seems you aren't getting along with Saber too well in spite of that." "Ugh… that's, uh…"

"You guys were talking normally before dinner, but you've been silent since dinnertime. I'm asking to make sure, but everything's all right between you two, right? If you guys disagree during a battle, I'm going to suffer as well."

…Ugh. It's just that there was a small thing before dinner, and it's just a bit awkward. That's all… but are things really all right between me and Saber? Well, I think I know a bit about Saber, having trained with her all today.

I can trust Saber as an ally. That's absolute. But if you ask me how I think of her beyond that, I can't readily answer. First of all, I… All my proper emotions were stolen away at that instant.

"…That's a difficult question. How about you, Tohsaka? Do you like Saber?"

"I like her. There's no reason not to like her. She's strong, well-mannered, and beautiful. She's so different from my cynical guy." "I see, so you like Saber."

"――! What? I just said she's the kind of person I like. Y-You should stop saying things so directly. You'll make more enemies that way."

"I refuse. I hate being indirect like you, and I'm a poor talker by nature."

"…I assumed so. You don't seem like the kind to be sarcastic or cynical. Yeah, I bet you think of me as a loud annoying person, right?"

"…? Why? I like the way you say things. It wouldn't seem like you if you weren't like that." "―――――!" Oh. Tohsaka looks away from me unpleasantly. I might have angered her.

"……" Well, beyond that, I'm a bit happy right now since Tohsaka said she likes Saber.

―――The day ends. I feel uneasy with Saber sleeping next to me, so I escape to the shed once again.

"……" I stop walking and stare at the winter sky. It's not that it's exceptionally beautiful. It just calms me when I blankly feel the coldness of the winter.

I don't know how long I did so. But I feel like I hear footsteps from within the darkness. "――Who is it?" There's no reply. But the footsteps come closer along with a sharp presence.

"…!" I lower my waist and prepare so that I can jump back anytime. "Hey. I'm asking, who is it?" …There's no reply. The cause of the footsteps appears in front of me without stopping.

"―――――" He says nothing but glances at me. "You're――" He's the Servant that was fighting Lancer that night at school. The red-armored knight that Saber beat after she jumped over the wall―――

"You're Tohsaka's Servant, Archer…?" The man raises the sides of his mouth a bit. He smiled――so, can I take that as affirmation?

"―――――" …Something annoys me. I feel irritated for no reason, or I should say, I can't get myself to like this guy. I've never talked with him nor has he attacked me. But still, I understand the moment I see him face on.

――I cannot approve of him. There's no reason for it, but I just can't like him. It's just not me. It should be the same for Archer. There can't be three people in this world who match me so badly. He's someone like that to me, so it'll be no surprise if he considers me irritating as well.

"…What? Weren't you going to confine yourself to keeping watch until your injury healed?" "Of course, I intend to do so. I will end this ridiculous cooperation once my wound heals. That is why I have remained as a spectator, believing that I have nothing to tell you." "Oh, don't hold back and stay as a spectator. I don't have anything to talk to you about either."

"As much as I'd like to do so, there's something I cannot overlook. It seems you are not letting Saber fight." "What's wrong with that?" I automatically answer him back.

"―――――" With clear enmity, Archer glares at me.

"…As I thought. It is indeed something a kid like you would think. There's no need for help from others. I can do everything myself. And on top of that, there can't be any victims, huh? I'm disgusted with that attitude of yours."

"What…!? You have no reason to tell me that! I'm just going to do what I believe is right. You have no reason to complain…!"

"I have a reason. As a Servant just like her, I can understand Saber's troubles. Saber must bear a large burden with a Master like you."

"…!" Partly because what he said is true. But even more than that, I cannot stand having this guy say it.

"Don't kid me…! I'm not a burden to Saber! I'm going to fight in her place, so that should be fine!"

"Heh, are you saying she won't get hurt if she doesn't fight? Servants are beings that only exist to fight. It is an insult to deny fighting to such a being――but telling you that won't do any good." After saying what he wants, Archer closes his mouth.

――For a few minutes, Archer and I confront each other silently. "―――――" I gulp. His cold stare seems to be looking inside me.

And suddenly. "So. How shall it be, Saber's Master?" The red knight calmly requests an answer.

"What do you mean?" "Do you really intend to finish this war without fighting? Not fighting anyone, not killing anyone, and not letting anyone be killed?" "…I didn't say I won't fight. I'll fight when the time comes."

"I see. So you won't kill anyone even if you fight?" "That's right. You have a problem with that?" "I won't interfere with your overly optimistic thinking. I don't have the time, and I am not that crazy." Archer turns his back.

"But do not misunderstand. The superhero you are being is no more than a cleaner. Know that the only people you can save like that are the ones that survive." "―――――" …I wonder why. Those words make me feel like I've been beaten all over.

"…Hold on. What do you mean by a superhero being just a cleaner?"

"…You should have realized it already too. Look, your methods will not allow you to reverse a sad event or a miserable death. Those are the limits. A superhero is only someone that tidies up events that have already taken place. You will definitely not be able to save the people you want to save the most."

"―――――" That's not… true. The hand reaching out to save someone must be able to save that person―――

"An ideal is only an ideal after all. As long as you embrace that ideal, the friction with reality will continue to increase. The path that you are about to take is of that sort. So you will someday face reality and will have to pay the price for your compromises. That choice of yours might end up taking the lives of many people."

"Wha――" "Be at least prepared. When you realize how small you are, decide what you will make right and whom you will punish. If you cannot do so, then throw away those dreams and magics of yours right now." His back disappears into the night.

"Understand? No matter what anyone does, people that cannot be saved will always exist. All you can save with your ideal is the ideal itself. That is all humans can do. But still――"

"Hey wait! What are you trying to say…!?" My question vanishes into the darkness. Archer's presence is already gone, and my voice only reaches empty air.

"…What's with him? He disappears after mouthing off like that." To summarize, he was telling me my way of thinking is too optimistic and that I'll soon have a painful experience. How can anyone conclude that I'm wrong before I even try?

"――I'm ready. If I'm wrong, I'll just pay with my life." That must be the readiness as a magus. I know that without having Archer tell me.

"Heh. I really can't get along with him." …But. But still, I have one concern.

No matter what anyone does, there will always be people that cannot be saved. Humans can only do so little. But still――

"…But still. Can I follow that ideal without turning back even once?" I mutter to myself. I feel like that's what he wanted to ask me before he stopped himself.

"I'm going, Shirou. I'll bring you home something, so be good." Fuji-Nee goes to work, waving goodbye.

"I'll get going too. I'll be home a bit later since I'm going by my house, but I'll be home before dinner. Don't do anything careless while I'm gone." Tohsaka says goodbye with a look and leaves for school.

"――Well." The time is just past 7:30. I was able to send them off without delay, so there's only one thing to do now.

"Well, let's continue from yesterday. Let's go to the dojo, Saber." "Are we starting the training immediately? We just ate breakfast, so should we not rest for a while?"

"There's no need to worry. I've trained enough to be able to move right after eating, and we had toast this morning too. I don't live so unhealthily that bread sits heavy in my stomach."

"…Oh. If you say it is fine, I do not mind." "Then there's no problem. Let's go. I'll show you the results of planning all last night on how to hit you at least once."

"…!" I'm blown to the ground along with my defending shinai, not fully able to dodge Saber's counter-attack.

"Ha――kuh…" The hand holding my shinai is numb. It was a counterattack received after charging into her with all my might trying to overpower her. Naturally, I'll drop my shinai and fall on my butt.

"――Damn. I thought that would work." "Your judgments are too optimistic. Please understand that you cannot defeat a Servant even if you put your life at risk in an attack. It is good to have determination, but please consider your opponent first."

"…Hm. You say so, but I'll be beaten eventually if I'm on the defensive. I have to go on the offense if there's a chance."

"That is true, but you do not understand how to make use of such a chance. If you are to attack risking your life, you should wait for an appropriate chance."

"You don't even need to tell me. You looked away for a bit earlier, right? Something like that only happens maybe once a day, so I thought it was a chance."

"It was good that you were able to make that judgment in an instant, but that was an opening I made intentionally. I averted my gaze to see if you would be agitated by it, but I would never have thought you would come straight for me."

"――Ugh. You're mean. It's no good making fun of a beginner."

"I am not making fun of you. Even if it is a plot of mine, as long as it is an opening, I bear some risk as well. But then, the risk I took averting my gaze and the risk you took coming at me with your life do not even need to be scaled."

"…Hm. So the point is to softly attack the small openings? A large swing will miss the opportunity… no, I bet you want to say that I should act according to the size of the opening, right?"

"Yes. So please try to estimate the size of the opening."

"But you are much clearer than yesterday on the line of death. Once you obtain the skill to sense danger, the decisions of whom to fight and what to do naturally become limited."

Saber comments happily. If I'm not imagining things, she might be happy that her student has improved a bit.

"It is almost time to take a break. Should I go and get some water, Shirou?" "Oh, that's fine. I brought a kettle, so I'll drink from that."

I pull my tired body over to the wall. I wipe my sweat off with the towel I prepared and drink the water out of the kettle.

"――Phew." I exhale. …For three hours since I saw Fuji-Nee and Tohsaka out, I've been fighting Saber.

As usual, Saber doesn't explain anything and I don't ask anything as we cross swords. It's a match with pretty much no chance of my victory, but my body moves better the more I fight Saber.

I'm not hoping to improve my fighting techniques. This is just letting my body, not my mind, get used to battle. But it's still better than doing nothing, and since I don't have anything, I'll be of no use unless I train this one aspect. When the time comes for me to face a Master, if I am thinking about how to fight, that'll surely prove fatal.

"…Saber's… not sweating, as I expected." I feel down, but I won't be able to catch up to her in a day or two. Saber is resting her body, sitting Japanese-style like yesterday.

"――――Hm." It's a waste just sitting here absent-mindedly. It's break time, so I'll talk to her. All right, then――

[brengar419]

Happy Shirou day everyone

[hasarjunadoneanythingwrong]

Heyyy, if Arjune were to be summoned in the fourth or fifth holy grail war, who do you think would be the best master in each part? and the worst? I can't see him tolerating Ryuunousuke and I think he would specially hate Shinki, what with his experience of the Kauravas insulting his wife Draupadi, so I think he'd get along horribly wrong with those two but I don't know if Kiritsugu would also be a somewhat bad match for him

Oddly enough I he might actually mesh rather well with kiritsugu if he went full into his ‘I’m a tool that exists to fight for justice please don’t look any deeper than that.’ He’s very archer-emiya coded and as long as kiritsugu continued to keep the casualties minimal (ie, evacuating the hotel building before blowing it up) I think he would at least be able to manage. Not thrive, per say, but I think arjuna is able to at least justify to himself the concept of ‘sacrificing a few to save the many’ (just look at what happened to his own children and family in his origin story) and he’s able to maintain an impersonal distance that someone like kiritsugu would likewise also probably do well with. (Also tbh kiritsugu would probably prefer a servant that’s a long range fighter over a close combat unit)

I do think it would still weigh on him though-ultimately like saber it’s a situation where he can still do well as a warrior but he wouldn’t be happy bc of it’s brutality. His relationship with irisveil if he was contracted to kiritsugu could easily go either the way of being more human or cold depending on his writer mindset

Legitimately I can’t imagine a solid 90% of servants managing ryuunosuke, so that would probably come down to a matter of if his pride in being a ‘good’ servant trumps his general honor as a hero. Personally I think he’d probably go for the latter but I’m not sure? Outside of that…I don’t know. Kayneth is odd to me because diarmuid was also very subservient and eager to please with him and he still didn’t like him, but arjuna’s more ‘yeah I’m just a tool’ general vibe might make his feathers less ruffled? Unless his folklore wife stealing ability kicked in with sola-ui somehow anyway 😔.

I don’t think he’d work well w kirei because kirei is just a bad master in general. He would probably be ok with tokiomi but think the guy was kind of full of himself. He wouldnt get him murdered tho lmao.

I can’t fathom how he and kariya would work out. Kariya summons his servant in the worm basement with Zouken present like oh my god-wait it’s a berserker too. Oh my god. Can you fucking imagine arjuna alter in fate zero the man would go even more insane

Waver and arjuna would be funny tho. I don’t know how, but waver with anyone is funny. Shoutout to waver.

As for og fate….I’ve seen others say he probably wouldn’t mesh well with Sakura, as he tends to be too busy with his own sad boy hours to notice other’s issues and also would probably see dark Sakura as more of a problem to take care of, and I’m not familiar enough with her yet to really say otherwise.

shirou and arjuna sounds like a disaster waiting to happen bc imagine archer but like, not at all connected to shirou and also in the history books. He has no reason to look at shirou’s suicidal desire to save everyone and not be like ‘poggers sounds great master I’m doing that also it’s hell on earth but what can you do :)’ and then he sits in a corner for 40 days pretending he doesn’t have human emotions while shirou turns into a sword or something

If it was shinji in the routes where he isn’t actively a rapist and more annoying I could see him just being tiredly tolerant of him, but I have 0 idea how he’d handle heavens feel shinji.

Rin….lmao. I think he’d like cosplaying her butler.

Illya….he would want to cosplay her butler

Caster…yeah I don’t even know. I think he’d be like ?

I don’t even know enough about them to be really saying anything 😭

[cantillat-moved]

@more-than-a-princess Tag a blog that taught you something new this year.

I sat on this one for the past few hours, trying to reply something that wouldn’t be a generic-sounding reply, but I do have to give in to the corny. I’d say that pretty much all the blogs that were on my dash this year taught me a little. I love learning about the muses and both interact and watch their development, it is always fascinating to see people’s creativity in action. Even when people think their writing isn’t special or bad I think there is always merit, everyone’s passion for their muses can shine through even in small bits of interactions. I also learned bits about games and fandoms I know nothing about from watching my dash. A huge “I’m sorry” to the Touhou and Genshin rpcs, I see you I’m just too shy to say hi! To see the muns talking about themselves in the OOC posts and sharing a little about what makes them happy is always a huge joy too. We learn every day, bit by bit, and in my opinion this is one of the things that makes rping so fascinating. I’m looking forward what my mutuals are going to teach me next year. Will I get into a new fandom? Will I return to an old fandom? Will I finally be cool? Are Sonia and Shirou finally kissing??? Stay tuned.

[nasuversekinkmeme]

Weekly Roundup: Prompts!

Kara no Kyoukai

Kara No Kyoukai ghost hunting.

Tsukihime

Smut, nrvnqsr/roa. nrvnqsr's pussy IS toothy

tsukihime yaoi. + arihiko

Gore tw, Arcueid/Ciel disemboweling each other and cuddling above the warm blood and guts? Romance preferred, but platonic works too.

kohaku/arcueid?? i think theyd be an interesting couple. lots of potential for toxic yuri

tsukihime CW adaptation

Smut, arihiko/shiki freaknasty t4t sex with the knife. also tboy frotting.

The Tsukihime Arihiko route.

Kohaku getting sick and Hisui taking care of her

Satsuki as a harem protagonist! (preferably sfw)

Fate/Stay Night

Fsn post heavens feel where Sakura has her own harem with all the girls and housewife shirou. Can be as wholesome or degenerate as you want, i just want to see sakura being loved

Shirou force fem by Caster

SFW Artoria/Cu

Fate stay night CW adaptation

Fate/Extra

Smut, hakuno pegging gil so hard that he pisses himself

Extra Shinji being happy. Maybe he gets summoned to Chaldea as a pseudoservant and bonds with the rest of the child servants.

Hakunon calming Nero down while she has a panic attack

Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya

Prisma illya sickfic

one of the prillya girls commits a madoka style self sacrifice

Prillya trio hugging for warmth in the winter

Fate/Apocrypha

Astolfo helping a trans girl transition?

Lord El-Melloi's Case Files

Smut, age gap, incest, Waver has to marry Reines due to political reasons, on their wedding night waver tries go to sleep hoping this is all a nightmare. It isn't a nightmare, Reines is now his wife and she won't let him sleep for the entire night. Femdom.

Smut, waver + prostate massage

Fate/Grand Order

Merlin forcedfem

Amakusa / Angra, fluff or ship

Would love to see a cutesy thing where Scheherazade and Mandricardo are having sex, and Mandri is trying and failing to be confident as it happens (optional Schez trying and succeeding at being confident)

Sita finally comes to chaldea and reunites with Rama, although not everyone is happy, since Kama really doesn't know how to deal with her paremts

Mebd being too horny to function in the slightest

Georgios/Vritra + bondage, him attempting to help her “atone” for her previous actions.

Smut, Cock worship + one of the Knights of the Round

Edmond Dantes as a vampire; anything with a vampire AU with him turning on the charm with Gudako or Gudao would be amazing :3c hell, even regular Edmond getting a mana transfer via blood drinking would be amazing!

Noncon tw, Kama psychologically tortures Gudako by using her clones and changing their appearances into people Ritsuka loves saying terrible things to her. She also sexually abuses her while at it

Smut, Shuten rooting around Guda guts 3, Massive oni dong boogaloo

Smut, Kagetora/Gudako

Morgan being a good mother fluff?

Raikou finds out Kintoki is dating Shuten and they have a talk

Jalter reacting to the utter lack of porn of her

Smut, noncon, solomon/goetia, teaching that beast a lesson

Caren drugs her father, ties him up and transfroms him in chaldea punching bag, for only 100K QP you get to punch and torture kirei for half an hour

Smut, fgo selfcest orgy

Smut, abercest gangbang

Smut, Archer getting sucked dry by Medb

Sita and Gudao tag-teaming/sandwiching Rama

Smut, FGO Asclepius but its him diagnosing the mc with needing to get dicked down so he does it himself since the mc needs it ASAP

Yu Meiren + Bedivere, where they crossed path when they were both immortals

castoria trying Really hard to convince oberon and guda that yes, the world is in fact ending and yes, that is a bad thing

Skadi/Iri dating after they met from their joint custody of Sitonai

an ill-fitting servant of the writer's choice is put in charge of the Chaldea daycare for a day

Shuten rooting around in Guda guts 2!

Smut, girlcock worship, either Kiara/GUdako or Kama/Gudako with trans girl Gudako

Mori Nagayoshi praised until he's a blushing mess!

Mozart being happy to see his friend Salieri again as servants

continuing on the "BB gets subjected to karmic transformations " train , let give her passionlip sized boobs , but BB doesn't get the giant metal hands to help her keep balance

BB gets tf'd into a inflatable punching bag toy , the kind that when ya give it a strong punch , it gets right back up. BB's fully conscious in that state , & once the transformation is completed, the newly made Bopper Bag is placed in the section of chaldea's gym that is often frequented by the ruler class servants.

Smut, Xu Fu/Yu Meiren

in fgo, kirei doesn't have magic resistance , so gudako could use her command seals to force him to wear a playboy bunny leotard , or model for a sexy fireman calendar. there's endless possibilities when it comes to doing lewd things to yorokobe man with the help of command seals~!

Unethical knifeplay from a Mister Hyde + Blood drinking. Thank you! Dubcon or Noncon is fine!

Shuten and Raiko have been fighting each other more fiercely as of late, so obviously the best way to relieve that tension is for them to have a nice long and relaxing hate-fuck session...that somehow causes more collateral damage than any one of their fights.

Just an AU where everything is the same But Gudao's design concept is a Genderbent Sakura instead of Rin

Morgan has a talk with her family, all of her family, adopted children included, i'm looking at you Lancelot, don't think you can outrun your mother

I would like to see Hephaestion get more attention, she is so cool

Smut, Oberon ovipos… there is so much potential and yet such a lack of it. Make master a seedbed!! 👏

KIREI MPREG!!

Nobunaga is bored with Chaldea, no challenge, nothing to conquer, until she sees something that catches her eye. A strong warrior, with a monstrous physique, whose only joy was in battle, after getting her eyes in that beast of a man that was Cu Alter, Nobunaga finally was able to set a new goal for herself: She wanted to get into this man's pants!

We get to take a look at medbs life in Chaldea, from her romantic dates, to her one night stands, to her weekly orgy and how she rode her way into literally every servant's heart in Chaldea to the point she has become the de-facto queen of the place, no servant, master or employee is safe from her charms!

Shimousa Kiyohime gets mixed into Proper Human History Kiyohime's spirit origin and she suddenly finds herself Very Attracted To Musashi

hi you know that bit in oberons valentines scene where he implies hes going to ask his caesar for money cause hes his dad in the play hes from yeah its ruining my life can i have some oberon/caesar to alleviate my hysteria about it how far you lean into the incest side of things is your prerogative but i need this its killing me

Smut, hello hello can i get my boy mandricardo some dick please? hes the 30 year old emo boy of all time and mayhaps some dick would relieve his anxiety. not picky about who is providing it can be hektor it can be astolfo it can be roland even now that hes playable just get him some good dick please

Goredolf/Koyanskaya? Can be smut, can be pre canon, post canon, pining, angst, anything you want! I'm just FASCINATED by the fact that this guy almost got murdered by her like three times yet have enough leftover love to hang onto the lipstick she gave him

Smut, Gudao gets tentacle fucked by Hokusai

Smut, Koyan of Light has a dialogue line where she states she wants to assert her dominance over Robin. I think Robin Hood legally has to be pegged by Koyan of Light now

Smut, Enough with the sad Olga Asks! i wanna see my girl getting fucked stupid for once!

anything bartholomew/guda please,, can be either smut or fluff, i just want more content of this pirate man

The reason Morgan hates Artoria is because she was in love with Guinevere and couldn't stand seeing her laying with another woman, much less her own sister. Now they're both in Chaldea and Morgan has 1500 years of suppressed feelings ready to be unleashed

okay , phantom thief amakusa & Mistress C (aka rider carmilla) are both after the same ultra rare artifact at the museuem , But Mistress C double crossed him. while she's taking an audio tour of the museum , Semiramis found the cupboard that amakusa got shoved into.

BB gets tf'd into a Doll Maid enemy & she's getting edged the entire time. if the author so wishes , this can be a fic where BB gets NTRD.

Smut, ishtar , astrea & BB glory wall .

Gray "resents Saber for being the ideal she was molded into" vs Castoria "won't somebody please give Saber a break" FIGHT!

No one in Chaldea seens to be able to cath Skadi's eyes, Medb catches one look at the ice queen and takes the challenge

Begging for anything happy Kirschtaria/Ophelia. Smut absolutely welcome, but will settle for just something with a happy ending.

I need more Dom!Guda. Doesn’t matter who subs.

Crossovers

can i ask for someone to make a john wick pseudoservant? or maybe hes a servant on his own. he's just hanging out with other chaldean servants, i think he'll fit right in

fgo asclepius stars in an episode of house md

Chaldea manages to summon Suguru Geto (up to anyone for whichever part of the timeline he's from), but it's only due to one unlikely catalyst: Fujino

Fate/Stay Night and Tsukihime crossover

Kim Dokja gets summoned to Chaldea

Any fandom

Smut, noncon, Hey is reader insert okay, and if yes can I ask for a reader insert about being stuck in a wall and various characters taking advantage of that? I just want multiple servants (or mages! ain't picky) playing with my holes without asking for my consent is that too much to ask

Smut, My prompt is: tfw you lose in a friendly competition and your opponent whip out their dick to shove it in your mouth as a prize.

This anon asks for omegaverse! Specifically, omegaverse with a focus on the worldbuilding. Do omegaverse presentations affect magecraft in any way? Do servants get summoned with the presentation they had in life? What about demi-servants? Or composite servants? or nonhuman servants? How does society (regular & mage one) evolve considering omegaverse is here? I don't need you to answer ALL of these questions (or even specifically THESE questions) but that's what I mean by "focus on the worldbuilding."

Smut, There is an astonishing lack of tentacles or pervy vine stuff anywhere. Caster Cu and Gudako vine sex. Or just write any servant using their tentacles or vine manipulation or anything other creative binding tools on Gudako to fuck her, really!

a cheese burger

[votestaynight2]

5th Day - Bonnie and Clyde (Scene 2)

Sorry the post is late today, the poll didn't finish in time and I was busy. Here's the post, though! I'll try to post tomorrows update at the usual time, so it will be before the poll actually ends. Make sure to get your votes in early!

――――I'll go wake Fuji-Nee up. I know I'm making an absurd choice, but I want to find out what happened last night. In the worst possible case, Fuji-Nee and Sakura would have made fun of Saber to make her angry, and I'm sure Sakura is mad about Saber staying.

I don't even have to think how troubling it would be to have Saber mad. And Sakura's pretty stubborn too. So I'm sure it'd be best to ask Fuji-Nee, since she's the one who'll be over it if they did have a fight last night!

I roll up my sleeves and stand in front of the door. …It seems Sakura and Saber are awake and in the living room and the dojo.

"―――Here I go. Fuji-Nee, it's morning!" I slide open the shouji. And I step into the tiger's den. And I'm flung outside.

"Shirou? What are you doing there? It's almost time for breakfast, you know?"

She plays innocent as soon as she appears. I see, I see. So she doesn't remember grabbing me, rolling three times, and throwing me, huh?

"I'm not lying here because I want to. If you have any memory of it, at least help me up." "Hm? Oh, I think I remember doing a special attack against this super robot that came to invade Earth."

Fuji-Nee opens and closes her hand. The question marks appearing beside her make me think that she might recall the event, but she probably won't.

"Oh well. Let's hurry and go eat breakfast. I can't have Sakura-chan and Saber-chan waiting." Dismissing what happened with a mere "oh well" is inexcusable. I'll get her back for this someday, but there's something I need to ask her first.

"Wait up, tiger. What do you mean by 'Saber-chan'?" "Hm? Saber-chan is Saber-chan. Sakura-chan, Saber-chan, and I are an alliance of girls that spent the night together!" "That's a big lie. There are only two girls."

"……!!!???" H-How was I hit when we were at least ten feet apart…!?

"This is the alliance of girls, over." "O-Over…" …I see, she rushed in here in a flash. As expected from a black belt. I keep forgetting, but Fuji-Nee was a well-known swordsman back in her student days.

"…Oh well. But you guys got along well? …I thought Sakura wouldn't approve of her stay." "Hm? Oh, I see now. You're pretty kind, Shirou. You were worried that Sakura-chan and Saber-chan wouldn't get along well, right?"

"…Of course I'll worry. I decided on Saber's stay without her consent, so I'm sure she doesn't like it. …I don't like it if she hates me for it, but I can endure it. But I don't like it if Saber and Sakura feel bad."

"It's fine. Sakura-chan and I found out that Saber-chan's a good girl. Well, Sakura-chan isn't used to her yet since Saber-chan's kind don't get along with her kind. But they've made peace, so there's nothing for you to worry about."

I don't know what she's so happy about as she makes her way back to the house. Well, I'm happy too since the problem here is solved now.

"…Fuji-Nee left her student lying on the ground…" What can I do? I can't stand up after hitting the ground so hard…

Everyone says "itadakimasu". This is the first time I've had breakfast in a group of four, and it feels rather relaxing.

"Hm? This is a bit thin. Did you change something, Sakura?" "Yes. I thought Saber-san wouldn't be used to miso soup. So I didn't put too much miso in it."

"Yes. I like this miso soup better than last night's. But please cook at your leisure since I am used to Japanese food. It will be for our mutual benefit."

"R-Really!? Wow, you're using chopsticks. ……I'm surprised. You sure are multi-talented."

"I am used to it. …But to be honest, chopsticks are tiring. I do believe it is better than fork and spoon, though." "Yeah. Fork and spoon over chopsticks. Oh, that's not what you put on it. You have to put soy sauce on that."

"…I see. Thank you for your advice." "No problem. I'll take a dried seaweed as a reward. Give me seconds, Shirou." "Here. Don't eat too much and fall asleep again."

"Sensei? I think you should hold back if you're going to be participating in the morning practice…" "This is fine. I have to eat a lot to make it until lunch. And you're not one to talk, eating riceballs after the morning practice."

"――――! You knew about that, Sensei!?" "Heh. I was watching you because you were in the corner acting suspiciously. You shouldn't, you know? A girl your age shouldn't eat two meals in the morning. The devil comes down on your scale like a terrorist. According to my estimate, your weight right now is――――"

"No! Please don't, Sensei! I won't come cook anymore if you say it!" "Man." "A-And I only eat like that once in a while. It's not like I do it every day!"

"Really? I thought you made riceballs every day since you always cook extra rice." "Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You knew, Senpai!?"

"Haha, that won't do, Sakura-chan. Shirou's pretty sharp on details. I bet he knew from the first time you made it." "First time? You mean during summer last year?"

"――――――――!!!!" "…? Is there dust in the air, Sakura? Why are you waving your hands in the air?"

――――Breakfast proceeds like that. The breakfast table is twice as loud as usual. Then suddenly…[r] "―――Over fifty victims were found earlier this morning, and they are undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital――――" I see some disturbing news on the TV.

"…Huh? A gas leak in Shinto again? Wow, it's fifty people this time."

"Let's see… Nobody could contact the victims since last night, so some of their families called the company. But the guard found nobody in there… Why is that? Why didn't the guard notice when they were in there, unconscious since last night? That's much more than neglecting your job."

Fuji-Nee must have lost her appetite as she stops eating her third bowl of rice.

"……" Saber's watching the news with an intense expression. …In that case, I'm not mistaken. I don't know the motive, but this is something that's done by a Master. I can say it's fortunate that nobody died just like all the other gas leak incidents――――

"Man, it's getting really dangerous. You can't work in Shinto for a while. You have some money in reserve, so take a break during times like these, okay?"

"――――――――" I'm happy that she's worried about me, but I can't reply to her. I know this is no time to be working, but I'm sure I won't be able to come home as often, now that I'm in a war. Then―――if I'm ever late, I'll have to lie to them that I'm working―――

After finishing the clean-up, I go to the front door. Fuji-Nee and Sakura already left for their morning practice.

Saber is following me like she did yesterday. But I can't let her do so today. The weekends are fine, but there's no way I can take her to school on a weekday.

"Saber, this is as far as you're coming. Stay here while I go to school. You'll attract a lot of attention if you come to school. Masters shouldn't stand out, right?"

"――――――" She must not agree, as she protests silently.

"I'm saying it's all right. I won't be attacked where there are people, so the school's a safe place. In any case, I can manage protecting myself."

"――――!" Saber's brow twitches. She must have some argument about me being able to protect myself.

"Let me ask you. Does that mean you can beat the enemy by yourself?"

"Of course not. I'm saying I can avoid danger by myself during daytime. I won't go to places with no people, and I'll come home before dark. You can let me do so, right? You have to rest to preserve your magical energy, so you don't have to follow me."

"…I see. I have to believe in you if you say so." Saber lets out a sigh as her shoulders slump. …She's seriously worried about me. I feel bad about turning her down.

"…I'm sorry, Saber. But it's all right. And you'll know if I'm in danger, right? You can come to me if that ever happens."

"No. Our connection is weak. The only time I will sense your danger is when your life is in danger. It would be too late if I head out at such a time." "Hm. Then I should call for you myself?"

"Yes. If you call for me in your mind, it will be transmitted to me, your Servant. …Please use the Command Spell if you believe that will not be in time either. I shall be able to jump through space to aid you if I have its backup."

Jump through space…? That's pretty much like sorcery. The right to absolute obedience――――the Command Spell is that powerful?

"…All right. I'll try my hardest not to end up in such a situation. I'll come home before dark, so please stay here." I wave her goodbye and open the door. Then…

"…Yes. Please be careful, Shirou. Your school is abnormal. Please be on guard all the time. And please do not go near Rin." Saber says a strange thing with a serious expression.

"…? Are you saying Tohsaka will attack me at school? That's impossible."

She's a true magus. She is bound by the Association's rule to avoid involving innocent people. And most of all, she wears the mask of an honor student. I think she'll greet me normally if I do see her.

"…I would like to believe so. Rin is not the type to change her decision out of worry of how she appears to other people. It seems she feels hostility against you, so it will do no harm to be on guard." "Fine, fine. I know it's needless worry, but I'll be careful."

It's past seven o'clock. It's later than usual, but I should still make it on time without hurrying.

It's 7:40. I go through the gate, and as I make my way to the school building… "――――――――" I feel something strange and stop.

"…What is this? It's not like something's strange, right…?"

It's not like someone's watching me or that something looks different. If anything, it's that it's not that lively. It feels like the students, and even the trees and the buildings, are dull in color.

"…I bet it's just me. I'm sure that I'm stressed out from all the events that have been happening." I close my eyes and rotate my shoulders. …But. The strange feeling doesn't disappear even after that.

I get up to the third floor and head to my classroom. Then. I run into Tohsaka.

"Yo." I know her, so I greet her. "[line11]" But Tohsaka freezes as if she's seen a ghost.

"Tohsaka? What? Is there something on my face?" I wipe my cheek with my uniform. "[line11]" But Tohsaka doesn't even reply. She looks away from me and goes back to her classroom.

"……????" What was that? I don't think it's like her to ignore someone who greeted her.

"――――――――" The strange feeling hits me again when I go into my classroom. Someone might've brought snacks in here, as I smell a slight sweetness in the air.

"…The classroom's like always." I head to my seat while greeting the guys. There are about ten more minutes until homeroom starts. I look around the room, and I notice a seat without a bag.

"Shinji's absent, huh?" Come to think of it, he wasn't at the club yesterday either. Shinji is actually quite punctual and he tries hard to follow the rules. It worries me a bit that a guy like him has been absent for two days.

It's lunchtime. I usually go to the student council room when I make my own lunch. It's because the guys will take my food and the girls will make fun of me if I eat in the classroom.

"What's wrong, Issei? You're not eating lunch?" "No, I just finished eating. I'm just really sleepy right now. Wake me up when lunch is over." Issei then puts his head on the table.

"Did you stay up all night or something? I thought you had to go to bed at eleven at the temple." "Yes… But I'm having difficulty sleeping lately. My fatigue won't go away no matter how much I sleep. So for the past few days, I've been sleeping whenever I get the chance."

"……? What is that? You shouldn't be sleepy if you're sleeping every time you get the chance." "That's true. But sleep won't let me rest, so I have to sleep to rest. …I know I'm contradicting myself, but I can't help feeling sleepy."

"―――Man, it's too early to be spring, you know?" "In spring one sleeps a sleep that knows no dawn, huh? You certainly got me there." Issei doesn't even try to get up. …I guess it can't be helped. It looks serious, so I'll stay here until lunch is over――――

"Huh? Someone's here, Issei." "I don't care. Tell them the student council isn't open today." "I can say so if you want… But I think it's Kuzuki-Sensei." "――――. Hm, that's bad."

Issei gets up slowly and opens the door. "Ryudou. It is about the archery club this morning――――" Kuzuki-Sensei stops his words after seeing that I'm here. Kuzuki Souichirou is the homeroom teacher of class 2-A and also in charge of the student council. He's a very strict teacher and quite blunt.

"Huh…? Then she didn't even go home?" "Correct. We will probably call the police. I believe you know, but do not spread the rumor."

"―――I know. Then how about Matou? The student in the archery club said he saw her and Matou together." "It is the same for him as well. Matou Shinji is absent today and his house is empty. His sister, Matou Sakura, was staying over at Fujimura-Sensei's house last night, so she does not know anything."

…Issei and Kuzuki are talking about disturbing stuff. Summing up what they said, it seems that a student's been missing since last night, and Shinji's the last one to talk to that student――――

"Sorry to interrupt. I am sure the school's curfew will be set at an earlier time now." Quickly stating his business, Kuzuki leaves the student council room.

"…Geez. Have you seen Shinji, Emiya?" "No. I didn't go to the archery club this morning. You should know as well that he's absent, right?" "I see. I hope that's the case…"

Issei's face clouds up. ―――Geez. It's not something I should rudely butt in on, but it seems this concerns the archery club. I'm sorry for Issei, but I should get some information out of him.

"Issei. Who is this person that hasn't been home? Well, I already know Shinji hasn't been home." "Hm…? Well, you're no outsider, so I guess you can know."

"It all happened last night. We got a contact from a family saying that their daughter had yet to come home from the archery club. When we contacted the students who actually went to the club, we found out it was Shinji that last talked to this student." "――――" Talked to Shinji…?

"Hold on. Shinji wasn't at the practice yesterday. And I parted with everyone at the school gate."

"Yes, it seems you were there as well. But this is after that. When a student returned to school to get something he forgot, he saw Shinji in front of the archery range. It seems the missing student and Shinji were having a quarrel."

"――――――――" I have a bad feeling about this. …There's only one student that could've been there.

"Don't leave out the important detail, Issei. Who is this student that's been missing?"

"…Okay. Mitsuzuri Ayako, the captain of the archery club. We do not know where she went after returning the archery range keys, and after someone saw her in front of the archery range." Issei averts his gaze.

Classes end. I don't know if that incident is the reason, but all clubs are canceled for today.

It seems the library is closed as well, so the students are going home in a hurry. There's an announcement that all students are to go home unless they have some special business. I'm the only one left in room 2-C. I bet it's like this in other rooms, so I should hurry or there'll be nobody left in the school building.

"――――――――" I should go talk to some people before that. I can't go straight home after I found out Mitsuzuri's been missing. She's firm, and she's stronger than most guys. It's not a trivial matter that she's missing, and most of all, I can't ignore it as her friend.

"…Sorry, Saber. I have something to do." I apologize to Saber and leave my classroom. I should go talk to people in Mitsuzuri's class, room 2-A.

"Huh? …Um, Ayako-chan is absent today because she's sick." "Mitsuzuri-san's absent today. You should know that if you're in the archery club, right?" "I'm telling you she's absent. Even devils get sick, huh? Her record of not being absent ends today, hahahaha."

That's all I could get from the girls in her class. It seems everyone has been told that Mitsuzuri is absent because of illness.

"Sorry to interrupt. Don't tell her about this if she's here tomorrow." I wave goodbye and leave. If there's any place to go now, it'd be the archery range.

"―――No one's here. Well, duh. There are no club activities today." The door to the range is shut tight. It doesn't seem like anyone's inside, so it's meaningless to stay here.

"…I guess I'll talk to Issei. They might have some new information." It's been three hours since lunch. It might be possible that she's already been found and it turned out nothing was wrong at all.

"――――――――" Man. I didn't think that the student council would be closed as well. There aren't that many people here now, so it'll be difficult to ask around.

"…I'll go home for now. Fuji-Nee should know something about Mitsuzuri."

I get my bag and go out into the hallway. The sky is tinted red. The sun is setting and it should get dark in an hour or so.

I get to the stairs. As I start walking down, I hear a sound above my head.

"?" I look up. There―――― Tohsaka is standing at the top of the stairs.

"Oh, you're here too, Tohsaka?" "…………" She doesn't answer. First this morning and then just now… I think her glares are getting worse every time I greet her.

"What? I'm gonna go if you don't have any business with me." I raise my bag to show her that I'm going home now.

"――――――――Sigh." …? I don't know why, but Tohsaka sighs.

"I'm stunned. Coming to school without your Servant. Are you sane?" She murmurs without emotion.

"Of course I'm sane. I can't turn Saber into spirit form, so there's no way I can bring her to school."

"Then skip school. It's like asking for others to kill you if a Master is walking without its Servant. …Do you know how stupid you are, Emiya-kun?"

"Wha―――I'm not stupid! Don't say ridiculous things. Masters don't fight in front of people, right? Then it's out of the question to fight during daytime, and at a school at that."

"………Oh, then let me ask you. Are there people watching us now?" "Huh――――?" What's she talking about? I don't even need to check if there are people around――――

"Huh――――――?" Why is this? Conveniently, there is no one here. There's no one in the third-floor hallway. I'm sure that's the same for the fourth and the second floor.

The red-tinted building is quiet. I bet there are only teachers remaining on the first floor――――

"It seems you finally understand. …Geez, I was more pissed than astonished this morning. I told you so many times, but you still came to get killed." Saying so angrily, Tohsaka rolls up her sleeve. "――――?" A slender, white arm. On the feminine arm… Something like a glowing tattoo appears.

"――――What?" It's not a Command Spell. Could that be――――? Even though I don't have one, it must be the proof of a magus, a Magic Crest.

"―――I don't even need to explain to you, right? This is a crystallization of the magic passed down my family. I can cast any magic carved on here just by filling it with magical energy." …Yes. A Magic Crest is like an attached engine, separate from the Magic Circuit in a magus. There's no difficult incantation or procedure to follow. It is an ultimate hastening mechanism that runs the car called magic just by turning it on. But the Magic Crest will not show up unless it is in use. The Magic Crest is like a separate Magic Circuit that is formed using the magical energy of the magus. "I told Archer to go home. The 'Gandr Shot' in the Magic Crest should be enough for you." There's no emotion in her voice. "――――――――" That makes me realize that she's serious.

"You can run away, but that's just making it hard on yourself. I'm going to win in the end no matter what you do." She coldly says so. But my head's spinning.

Fight here…? Why does it have to be here? Why does it have to be now? And why do I have to fight against Tohsaka――――?

"H-Hold on, Tohsaka! Are you insane? This is the school! Who knows who'll come up if we make a commotion―――"

"I'll think about it when that happens. I don't let chances in front of me slip by. I'm sorry, but I'm taking care of you right here and now. …And besides, I don't think I can stand having you walk about carelessly."

"I-I said hold on…! I don't have any intention of fighting you―――" "I do even if you don't! Just prepare yourself, Shirou―――!"

She moves her arm and starts the fight.

"――――――――!" What sort of magic is it? The instant she points her left hand at me, my vision is filled with light.

"……!" It's about four steps forward to the stairs leading to the second floor. If I'm to retreat back to the hallway, it'll also take me about four steps to get to cover. This is no time to think. I―――

[casliveblog]

Custom Toonami Block Week 118 Rundown

(I actually watched all these last week but didn’t get through typing up my thoughts on them until now so if I’m missing anything big that’s why)

Kaguya-sama: Love is War: It’s the last episode before the season finale and we’re kind of dorking around with the side characters. First Hayasaka teaches Kagura about twitter back in a world before it was the main platform of the US President and everyone had to be on it to find out if WWIII was happening. Next Chika briefly stars in a Food Wars episode out of nowhere. And last we have just kind of a short little thing about Kagura and Miyuki wanting to see each other during the summer and neither being able to get up the courage so they both go to school and just miss each other but it’s probably more weird that they even went on the same day at all nevertheless like an hour from each other. And we have a little epilogue about how shitty Kagura’s relationship with her dad is and how she has to call off her shopping trip with Chika and co so he can barely acknowledge her but she’s super excited for the fireworks finale next week so we’ll see how that goes.

Inuyasha: Inuyasha fights with Jakotsu as a human which basically amounts to him half-deflecting shit with Tessaiga’s sheathe and getting cut while Jakotsu goes on about how much he wants to buttfuck him with blood lube (I’m barely exaggerating). Meanwhile Miroku and Sango confront Saint Hakushin whose backstory is ‘man fuck people, people let me sacrifice everything for them and die’ which is honestly one of Naraku’s best played ‘Aren’t you tired of being nice? Don’t you just wanna go apeshit?’ ploys in the whole series because it works and buys him like a season and a half to reach his Final Form. But Miroku uses the Wind Tunnel which is fucking smart because Hakushin’s barrier means Naraku literally can’t send Saimyosho in here to stop him and it fucking brings the whole barrier shrine down around him, so yeah, point for Miroku’s Wind Tunnel, one of like two times in the series it actually got to be plot relevant. With the barrier gone Inuyasha becomes a demon again and is ready to fight Jakotsu for reals but gets trapped in the snake blade, hope that’s not a pointless cliffhanger.

Yu Yu Hakusho: Apparently Sakyo went to the Seto Kaiba school of “I lost so fuck this whole tournament” because he blows up the Dark Tournament arena. Like to be fair he gives everyone a good amount of time to escape but a bunch of background demons definitely died from this. Keiko’s still comatose from Yusuke being traumatized so Yusuke has to slap her awake and Keiko puts him down with one punch which I think technically makes Keiko the winner of the Dark Tournament. Sakyo’s all ‘yeah don’t worry my ‘demons in the real world’ plan will die with me unless there’s an oddly specific group that wants to do the exact same thing without me but what are the odds of that’ and Shizuru gets to cry about their… kind of weird filler relationship like I get it’s supposed to give her something to do and humanize Sakyo but they shared like two cigarettes and she’s super broken up over him idk. Anyway everyone gets out and Hiei gets a cute moment with Yukina everyone’s happy.

Fate/Apocrypha: Mordred’s super pissed that Sieg’s using his bullshit main character powers to fuck over power scaling like Shirou did which is fair, that’s always weird how the main character is like ‘I’ll beat you with the power of friendship and this sword I found’ to people 100x stronger than them and they still somehow win. Still, unfortunately Spartacus still exists and every frame he’s on screen creeps me right the fuck out so they have to fuck up his Dr. Tucker Chimera form until he explodes but Jeanne uses her NP to have him not kill anyone with the explosion so that’s cool. Also Semiramis is stealing the Bigger Cup which isn’t a cup at all it’s like a giant xenomorph egg thing and Vlad is like ‘Oh now they’re stealing the Bigger Cup’ and we basically move all the fights we were already having like ten feet away so they can happen in the castle but that fucks with Vlad’s impaling fetish because he can’t get it up in someone else’s territory so Karna’s gonna fuck him up.

Nisemonogatari: It’s finale time and Kiyomi’s gonna go fuck up the two new girls for the sake of his Phoenix!Sister which isn’t really a phoenix because this show loves going ‘it’s not this it’s actually this less common thing but we’ll call it this because branding’. We have a genuinely heartwarming moment where he goes to see Tsukihi and talks about loving her as a sister and how she’ll always be that no matter what which would hit a lot harder if he wasn’t trying to bone Karen two episodes ago or feeling up Tsukihi last episode. Anyway Shinobu decides to help out and gives him the succ so she can go to her… teenage form I guess? Like it’s not her full power form but she gets bigger so I guess if she’s a Pokemon this’d be her Charmeleon stage. They go and fight and Shinobu kicks the ass of the novel-talking girl while Kiyomi gets his ass kicked by martial arts girl. Still he’s doing his thing of talk no jutsuing her into submission and she lets slip that Kaiki was actually the one that told them about Tsukihi which I guess he figured out while he was scouting around town like with Suruga. She keeps saying that Kiyomi can believe what he wants about monsters but not to force that belief on her but like… that’s exactly what she’s doing like she’s trying to enforce her belief about integrated monsters being fakers down his throat and murder potentially multiple people about it, idk they don’t really address it. She brings up this pretty cool conversation with Kaiki she had where the discuss the difference between an original and a genuine indistinguishable counterfeit’s value which kind of serves at the thesis for this whole part of the series. Kaiki explains that something real exists the way it is effortlessly, but something fake has to expend effort to try and be something it’s not and it if succeeds in being indistinguishable that effort makes it far more valuable than the real thing that exists without that spent effort. This kind of goes back to Karen’s part too since the theme of fakery kinds runs through Nise and it’s pretty cool but the general idea is the effort put into something and the result it has is more important than the truth or falsehood of its original design. Basically this whole argument makes the girls pack up and go home, Kiyomi wins by Friendtality. Overall the themes of this part were pretty cool but it’s only like 20% themes and 80% underage sister fucking so yeah dunno where to place this one, might need a break from Monogatari after this…

Speed Grapher: Ginza grabs Kaguya and tells her that her mom is sick and they need to go home now and without Saiga around Kagura has no clue what the fuck to do because from her perspective her mom probably doesn’t know about the superpowered eyes wide shut cult Suitengu has her as the sexualized centerpiece of even though she’s definitely probably at least partially aware of it. Turns out Ginza faked the news report of Kagura’s mom’s sickness and it was a ridiculously simple way to solve the last ten episode arc so now Mrs. Tennozu can put Kagura back in a sensory deprivation chamber so they can keep milking superpowers out of her because if she hits puberty or the brain tumor gets her then they’re gonna make a lot of billionaires that want superpowers really mad. Suitengu has a lingerie model party where old dudes ride lingerie models like horses around a reading room and ends with a money shower where everyone’s pretending to fuck Kagura’s mom which isn’t super plot relevant but it’s too weird not to mention. They murder her financial adviser via some kind of… shark dude that just kinda eats him and Suitengu drives Mrs. Tennozu into the ocean and proposes to her while groping and fingerbanging her in the sinking car which how do you say no to that right ladies. It’s really kind of funny because she just walks back into work soaking wet and she’s the richest woman in the world so ain’t nobody gonna question why she has algae in her hair and a new fiancé. The Team Rocket group led by dog-dude whose name I still haven’t learned see the news of Mrs. Tennouzu’s engagement to Suitengu and are like ‘cool we’ll go hunt down Saiga again’ because they read that into Suitengu’s plan somehow which I don’t really get how Saiga has anything to do with this anymore but okay. Meanwhile Saiga is still unconscious and Ginza is just riding him like crazy while he’s fucking half dead, like idk why the Euphoric healing factor hasn’t gotten him back on his feet yet but she’s really going to town on him and meanwhile Kagura’s in the sensory deprivation tank getting felt up by a doctor and it’s almost a poetic moment that both our protagonists are simultaneously getting sexually assaulted while unconscious in the lowest moment of the plot. Like this is something of a tangent but Speed Grapher’s use of sexuality is kind of novel, like it’s an extraordinarily horny show but not in the way modern anime is horny like it all feels very seedy and it feels like it’s not ‘for you’ as a viewer like random shots zooming in on an anime girl’s jiggly bits that make up 75% of all anime now. A lot of the sexuality in Speed Grapher is kind of off-center so you definitely know what’s happening but the camera’s not holding on it for you to watch in some kind of voyeur way, like the horniness is just part of the worldbuilding since all these characters are godless heathens driven by money and emotionally damaged so they basically just go ‘might as well fuck’ and have no emotional attachment to it or use it in place of emotional attachment which creates this odd dissonance of something sexy for the characters creating some distance from the viewer which is kind of the opposite of modern fanservice. Like if modern fanservice is watching porn alone in your setting of choice, Speed Grapher is having porn on a living room tv while you’re walking by and just kind of washing in that awkward feeling.

Durararax2: Shizuo tracks down Kujiragi who is in the process of selling Celty and her head while they try to figure out how to transport a rampaging yandere mass of dullahan smoke. Varona is delivering the head and wants to shoot Shizuo but has to be ‘no, I wanna fair fight with the man that throws buildings around’ and the deal just kinda breaks down because everyone realizes they can’t just throw hands with Shizuo. Shizuo is cool with all Varona’s bullshit and is remarkably chill about the whole her wanting to kill him thing which is character development I guess. Izaya then takes a page out of Dio’s book and decides to just drop construction equipment on his enemies and drops a fucking crane on Shizuo, hurting Varona in the process but Shizuo fucking shoulder-checks the god damn crane falling from a building like what does it take to kill this guy I think cockroaches, twinkies and Shizuo Heiwajima are the only things gonna survive a nuclear apocalypse. Shizuo gets a call from Izaya and say goodbye to each other because everyone’s sure it’s time for Ikebukuro: Endgame.