C23

Night.

Fujimaru Narita returned home and announced the great news that the contract had been signed, allowing the family to begin making preparations for their trip in earnest.

Fujimaru Narita was delighted at the opportunity to spend time with his family. Fujimaru Chiyo was also pleased, looking forward to a break from her household responsibilities. Sakura, unconsciously influenced by the joy of the Fujimaru couple, was happy as well. However, Shirou, upon learning of the news, was unable to feel happy.

If he had been informed the day before, Shirou might have already been dancing with joy. However, this news arrived one day too late.

"What's the matter, Shirou? Weren't you begging to leave Fuyuki City every day? Why are you wearing such a sour expression?" Mrs. Fujimaru asked, puzzled.

"Nothing, I'm very happy, dear mother," Shirou forced a smile and tried to conceal his inner unrest and fear.

"That's better," Mrs. Fujimaru said, patting Shirou's shoulder cheerfully. She didn't notice the subtle changes in Shirou's demeanor. The entire family happily discussed their travel plans, and Shirou, not wanting to dampen their mood, forced a smile and joined in the discussion. However, he knew deep down that he would not be able to go on the trip.

Fate was cruel, as he now had to participate in the war that he had been avoiding all this time, or else that completely self-centered chuunibyou might take the lives of his entire family.

The night was completely dark, it was time to go to sleep.

Today, Sakura finally summoned the courage to take the first step in her new life and slept in her own room for the first time. It was a shame that the soft, fluffy pillow was no longer there, but it was for the better. He knew that he would sweat profusely while fighting the old purple-haired woman in his dreams and didn't want to risk drenching Sakura's clothes, so he accepted this arrangement.

In 1993, the world had few entertainment options, so Shirou quickly fell asleep.

As soon as he was asleep, Scathach arrived as expected. She held two spears and without saying a word, prepared to commit domestic violence against Shiro.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! My dear Shishou, wait a minute!" Shirou called out quickly.

"What's wrong?" Scathach stopped and looked at Shirou with curiosity.

"Well, can you still contact Mr. Gold?" Shirou asked cautiously.

"Mr. Gold?" Scathach paused, then reacted and smiled gently. "You mean that foul-mouthed guy?"

Shirou nodded hurriedly.

"Yes, I can. What's wrong?" Scathach asked.

"I won't run away or hide anymore. I just want to send my family out of Fuyuki City first. Can you help me ask if that's okay?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself? He's in the same city as you," Scathach asked.

"Fuyuki City is too big. I won't be able to find him," Shirou replied.

And he doesn't want to meet that guy, Shirou thought to himself.

"Poor child, alright, I'll help you ask him," Scathach said gently.

Shirou's eyes lit up and he said with a face full of grievance, "My beautiful sister Scathach-neesan, you know the pitifulness of a child as well. Why don't you become my servant and save the poor child?"

In response, Shirou was met with a spear that directly pierced his head, as well as a gentle voice: "I also want to, but I can't. The world now doesn't have the foundation for me to materialize."

"Besides, your teacher taught you to never let your guard down, especially towards beautiful women," Scathach added.

...

After being killed 56 times by Scathach, Shiro collapsed in the dream world, his face tired and overwhelmed.

"Hm, your spirit is almost at its limit. If you keep getting killed, it may not hold out and you could suffer from an internal injury," Scathach said as she found a place to sit down.

"Then... have I made progress?" Shiro asked, exhausted.

"How to say it... not at all," Scathach shook her head and for the first time, her delicate, fairy-like face showed a somewhat troubled expression. "I've never seen a disciple as hard to teach as you before."

"Given that I've been holding back significantly, even my worst disciples would be able to fight back when it reached around tenth rounds. It may sound harsh, but you are the first person I've encountered who, despite almost a hundred attempts, is still unable to withstand a single hit from me."

"Is it possible for you to hold back even more? My reaction time can't match up to your speed at all..."

"Unfortunately, I can't hold back any further. I've already reduced my strength to a minimum. If I hold back any more, it would be like standing still and allowing you to defeat me." Scathach shook her head and smiled gently.

"This is a difficult reality to accept..." Shirou laughed bitterly.

"But don't be too discouraged. As someone who has lived for a long time, I've seen many late bloomers who improve dramatically over time. It's not that your eyes and reaction speed can't keep up, but rather that you simply haven't adapted yet. So, keep working hard, my weakest disciple." Scathach laughed.

"But the war that will claim my life is coming soon..." Shirou sat up and had a sudden crooked thought, quickly asking: "By the way, How old..."

Before he could finish his crooked thought, Scathach threw the spear in her hand, likely using all her strength. The spear passed through Shirou's bangs and exploded with a thunderous roar behind him in an indescribable way.

"BOOM--!!!!!!!"

The explosion's fire illuminated Shirou's stunned face.

Scathach pointed the spear at Shirou, her tone apologetic: "Oh, sorry, my hand slipped."

She did it on purpose!

She definitely did it on purpose!

Shirou was so shocked by the attack that he felt like he might wet himself. He felt like he would have died from it in a dream too!

Furthermore, even with such a gentle tone, she can't hide the fact that she's holding a spear and the look on her face as if she wants to kill him!

Scary!

So scary!!

It's so scary when Scathach, who's like a big sister, gets angry!!

"Scathach-neesan, who is young, beautiful, and cute as a flower, must be very tired from teaching this disciple. Let me rub your shoulders and massage your legs to help you relax..."

Swallowing nervously, Shirou quickly stood up and put on a flattering smile, approaching Scathach from behind and starting to rub her shoulders.

Despite being such a violent female tyrannosaurus, her body is surprisingly soft and tender.

As he gently tapped Scathach's back from behind, Shirou couldn't help but glance at the woman's ample chest before quickly looking away. He knew that only the strong were allowed to possess beauty, and he saw himself as nothing more than a sparrow struggling to survive. Survival was all that mattered to him.

Besides, once he scrapes through the fourth Holy Grail War and rides the internet's popularity to become a wealthy man, he can go and support some pretty girl of this era or something.

"Shirou, what does 'nee-san' mean?" Scathach asked with a smile. "Is that how young women are addressed in your time? It sounds a bit strange, but I kind of like it."

Pfft!