Chapter 05: Tom Vs EMIYA

Tom woke up a little uncomfortably

- 'What the hell was that dream?!' - It had all felt so real.... As if he had really gone through all that

[It wasn't a dream] Sakura said, not caring in the least about Tom's reaction.

- 'What do you mean, Sakura?' - He asked her with curiosity and some annoyance.

[You thought that the skill "World Traveler", was something too simple wasn't it?] Sakura's voice sounded extremely mocking.

- 'Ummm w-well I... I think I did' - Tom felt embarrassed and somewhat foolish for not noticing something that should be quite practical and obvious earlier.

[Well, the skills are far from simple, they respond to the will of their user and evolve to be more useful to you, even if you've reached MAX level in some of them, with the right stimulus they will advance to the next stage] She said in a voice similar to a mother trying to explain something to her clumsy son

-'Ok, that's great, but it doesn't explain the dream problem' -As she got out of bed and fixed her hair that looked like a bird's nest.

[That's what I'm getting at, in this case "World Traveler" evolved to help you get an identity in the world you go to, and in your dreams you will see them that was what you saw and experienced, what you went through was.... so to speak an auto-insert, your consciousness was sent back in time to the world where it gave birth to the version of EMIYA that you met in this war] Said the system with a voice tired of explaining so many technicalities [In itself that would not make her have memories of you, but due to an external intervention you managed to get those memories re-inserted in EMIYA's head, so she knows who you are].

- 'Wow... wait doesn't that mean she knows me now?' - There was some discomfort present in her tone of voice.

[Besides that, it took up your shots of the gacha you left unused, to get you a couple of things which would be the weapons you saw and used in that dream.]

Tom was starting to get dressed in his normal clothes while humming a happy tune.

[So now I have Eternal Night and I can use Mugetsu?]

His body stopped dead in its tracks the instant he heard Sakura name the question he was about to ask her

[Surely you thought that? No?] She said in a voice that barely seemed to hold her laughter, pouring a bucket of cold water over poor Tom's illusions and fantasies

- 'Y-yes' -

[You can use them but if you want to get to the level of mastery you had in the dream you will have to train, also I noticed from the beginning of this conversation that you are very embarrassed]

He couldn't see her but that didn't stop him from imagining a computer like spongebob wearing a Sherloock Holmes suit.

- 'Well-Well it's just that, maybe since I thought it was a dream I tried to act cooler.... Besides, I managed to climb the ladder of adulthood' - He said with his voice tinged with a sense of victory, haughtiness and arrogance that seemed to have no limits.

- 'Fufufufufufufu!' - (insert laughter from Oda Nobukatsu)

[Huh Tom?] Even Sakura felt a little nervous at the strangely euphoric laughter.

- 'Fuhahahahahahaha!' -

[TOOOM!]

- 'Hahaha Is something wrong, Sakura?' - [Hahaha!

[Why were you laughing so dementedly?] She felt totally speechless, she was supposed to be the crazy one in the team and Tom would be the responsible one... that was definitely something impossible now that she noticed it

- 'Oh nothing important' - She said while smiling darkly, a bloody aura similar to that of an Oni, emerged from her body - 'I just remembered that I became an adult before my best friend's bastard, hehehehehe I beat him, finally he stopped making fun of me when I spent Valentine's days alone and how in my 20s I only had one girlfriend' - Her voice seemed to contain the lament of millions of virgins who had suffered the same fate

.................

{Elsewhere in the multiverse}

A reddish-haired young man felt an inexplicable sense of pride as well as defeat.

- Julian, what are you doing standing there? - asked a woman who was accompanied by a child and a certain robot who looks strangely similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger.

- Nothing's wrong, Mrs. Connor, I just got distracted for a moment - 'What happened to Tom' - he thought with a smile as he remembered his best friend, wishing that wherever he was, he could find happiness.

...............

[.....]

[You're in serious trouble, besides how are you sure he's still alive, weren't they together when the apartment building they were in collapsed]?

- 'I still exist don't I?' - He said with a smile

- 'Knowing the luck of that bastard most likely he is also well, who knows, maybe in the future we will meet once again' - He thought remembering that his friend had an exaggeratedly high survival capacity, similar to a cockroach.

[You just want to show off to him that you lost your V-card, don't you?] Obviously Sakura hadn't swallowed half a word and had seen through his true intentions.

- 'Ha haha I-I don't know what you're talking about?' - She replied as she tried to think of something to divert the attention of her system elsewhere.

- Maybe I should ask Archer for a duel to complete the mission? -

She thought out loud, Sakura seemed to be happy with the result as she didn't keep bothering Tom, while she was in charge of preparing breakfast together with her Master

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- Why do you want to fight with me? - asked the Archer with confusion while trying to hide her joy under a stoic facade.

- It's nothing important, I just thought I'd get rusty if I didn't fight someone for a while, I wanted your help for that, okay? 'Let him fall, let him fall' - she shouted in her mind hoping he wouldn't notice anything strange

- Okey~ - she said happily, after all she just wanted to be with him, she didn't care if she was only wanted for a simple fight, besides she could use it to get closer to him

.............

[Tom, do you want to use your Gacha shots now?]

As he began his preparations, he had no better idea than to use the gacha to get a trump card

- 'Yep' -

*Ding

[Has obtained the skill "Pervert Luck"(Lv.01)]

[Has obtained the skill "Skill Synthesizer"(Lv.MAX)].

- 'Hehehehe' - He could only laugh in despair at the thought that he had the cursed skill of that idiot Rito, but then again... he's not Rito

- 'Here's to world domination!!!'' - He thought as he let out a purely evil laugh.

.................

{Outside}

EMIYA looked strangely at Tom who was laughing wickedly, as he had some memories about a certain weird Servant he met during a mission, he seriously wondered if it was really a right choice to have accepted his request for a duel

.................

{In Tom's mind}

- 'Ok Ok' - With his mind clearing her of any multiversal dominance plans, Tom proceeded to carry out the next part of his plan while EMIYA looked for a place where they could fight without affecting the common people

"Divine Chef" + "Instinct" + "Blade Weapon Mastery" = [You have Synthesized the skill "Blade"(Lv.01)].

"Endurance" + "Pain Resistance" + "Gluttony" + "Perfect Body" = [You have Synthesized the skill "Body of Beelzebub"(Lv.01)].

- 'Now I'm Over Powered' - She thought with a smile.

Sakura held back her laughter, she didn't want to break her host's dreams.... Not yet at least

************************

Later...

Tom and EMIYA crossed glances in a totally serious way.

The silver-haired Archer was about to begin when a shout was heard echoing through the forest where they were standing

- TOM DEFEATS THE OLD WOMAN!!!!! - Shiro shouted making it clear what his true intentions were when he came to observe the fight.

- ARCHER, SHOW NO MERCY! DID YOU HEAR ME?!!!!! - Rin shouted not willing to let her Servant lose to one of her friend's.

They were even wearing T-shirts with their names on them, not even Saber seemed to have been left out of this as she held a banner that said "Tom to win" and "after winning have a celebration banquet".

...Their intentions couldn't have been clearer to everyone.

...

.....

.....

They both wanted to find a big hole and hide for the rest of the war, after all even though they were both shameless first class, that didn't mean they weren't embarrassed by the excessive encouragement of their Masters.

- The sooner we finish the sooner they'll stop this madness, so why don't you just give up? - Said EMIYA, even if it was Tom, who had greater amounts of prana, he was confident that he would be like the other enemies and monsters he had faced in the past.

- Surrender me? .... not a chance - He answered her, almost instantly.

- Please, you know you will not defeat me - She said in a voice similar to that of a little girl who does not want to accept something.

- Ah yes!

- Yes!!!

- What no -

- Yes!

- I won't -

- What if -

- Stop behaving like a brat!!!!! - EMIYA said angrily, the mocking looks from her idiot younger version were beginning to annoy her.

- Certainly, you look older than me, so in your eyes maybe I am a brat - He said, not knowing that his stupid joke would trigger something that should never have come to light.

Even the girls in the stands looked coldly at Tom, jokes concerning the age of women were a forbidden area that should never be touched and every man with at least a minimal sense of self-preservation should know that.

Soon the whole place was silent until a dark aura rose above the forest.

After the flash, everyone without exception was stunned by EMIYA's new appearance (basically EMIYA Alter but in a female version).

- You... you really don't value your life - She said in a hollow and emotionless voice while projecting to Kansho and Bakuya modified

...............

- 'I just dug my own didn't I Sakura?' - He asked in a desperate tone as he knew he was still in this kind of situation.

[Oh yeah, and big time] Sakura said.

Tom couldn't see her but in his head he imagined a girl sitting there watching everything in amusement while eating popcorn

- 'Shit' - He really didn't want to lose

- Shit, Bankai - Zangetsu strained -

Tom who was doing his best to dodge the shots, approached him thinking it would be easier to beat him by fighting up close, oh boy how wrong he was.

- You fell - He said with a slight smile.

...The only thing he had achieved was to become a better target for her.

That smile left him a little surprised, which was very well taken advantage of by his opponent, who did not miss the opportunity to hit him in the face, which sent him flying through the air until he crashed into several trees.

When he got up, wiping the blood that dripped from his forehead, he and the Servant exchanged glances once again.

Then they rushed at each other.

*Clank

Swords against swords, Zangetsu, Kansho and Bakuya clashed with sparks flying.

Under everyone's gaze (except Saber), it seemed they were on equal terms.

But for him it couldn't have been clearer the great gap between their abilities, of course he had the brute strength, but without the knowledge and experience to use it properly, something he clearly lacked.

Tom could barely and hopefully keep up with EMIYA Alter, after all she had countless years of experience and he only had a few years at best.

Thinking that the only way to beat her would be a surprise attack he focused 70% of his energy on his legs to move even faster in the hope of landing a critical blow and ending this.

The spectators were excited thinking that it would be the climax of the battle marking an overwhelming end.

And in a sense it was.

[Tom, I'm sorry I couldn't stop it] Sakura said in a clearly happy voice.

["Pervert Luck" Activated]

EMIYA Alter and Tom tripped falling over each other.

- Hyaaaan n-no ahi no - The sweet voice of the Archer was heard, who seemed to die of embarrassment.

- How soft ~ - she said without thinking much as she enjoyed grabbing Archer's huge breasts, she wouldn't deny that she was enjoying herself as if she had won in all the e-sports that exist.

- T-Tom if y-you wanted to do this you should w-wait until we were alone - Said EMIYA already in her normal state looking at Tom with a red face and teary eyes, a romantic atmosphere surrounded them both.

They could even see the little birds flying and singing around them.

Their faces were getting closer and closer, much to the annoyance of the tsunderes in the audience it looked like they wanted to kiss.

Just inches from her face, Tom sensed the danger and quickly stood up with the embarrassed Archer who closed her eyes patiently awaiting his kiss, thus avoiding a Gandr that was aimed straight at her head.

Frightened he turned his gaze back to see if his greatest fear had come true.

All his hopes went down the drain when the only thing that met his gaze was a Dark Rin, Shiro with a bunch of swords pointed at him and Saber in her armor looking at him like he was trash.

Like every man in that same situation he decided to do the most sensible thing he could think of

- NIGEEEEEEERUUUUUUUNDAYOOOO -

.. Run away from the place as fast as possible while taking Emiya with him.

***************************

In a certain place a Flower Mage felt that a young man was following his path and reaching the level of skill he called "god's retreat".

- That boy fills me with pride - He said with masculine tears, as he watched from his tower a black haired boy and a grey haired girl run at full speed escaping from other angry women

***************************

- Why are you smiling Kotomine? - asked the Golden King

- Hoo it's nothing, I just feel that someone somewhere in Fuyuki is suffering something worse than the curses of the Grail mud - He said with an unusually big smile, if there was something that Kotomine Kirei enjoyed more than the tofu mapo, it was to see people suffer.

- Wow - He said a little surprised

- I wish I could see it - Said the fake priest with a sadistic and dark smile that caused the Archer to get up from his seat and walk away pretending not to know him.

***************************

A shiver and a cold feeling filled Tom who had successfully managed to escape from the angry women, he couldn't understand why Shiro, Rin and Saber seemed to be upset with him?

He looked at the woman in his arms as she also looked at him.

- Things got strange, didn't they? - he asked with a wry smile to his companion.

- Y-yes - she commented still embarrassed about having her breasts fondled, she felt her face burn even more as she remembered enjoying it so much.

Plus some joy for almost kissing her beloved.

Before they had a chance to say anything else, an icy voice spoke, making him unconsciously stand firm as a soldier before his superior.

- Finally I got them," said a pale Saber with already golden eyes, the drowning was still in her head so Tom couldn't understand.

Why is Saber so angry?

- Time for me to teach them not to flirt in front of me," said Dark Rin as she snapped her fingers with an expression that would even terrify several magicians.

- Don't think you'll escape this time Tom - Shiro was the most terrifying of them all with a cute smile that didn't reach her eyes, all I could see in them was that they were empty and dead I could practically feel as if she was asking him the question "Did you dare to cheat on me?", in her hands she was holding a knife in the purest and classic Yandere style

- 'It's bad that I'm a little excited' - He thought as his face turned a little red.

[Pervert] Sakura commented with total disdain.

Then the three of them stole it from a very stupefied Archer.

- I feel ripped off... - She commented as she folded her arms with a pout on her face.

.................

- It was necessary to do all this - Said a super weakened Tom after hours and hours of receiving a light punishment (Super hellish) by the 2 Mages and the 2 Servants who looked radiant.

They looked at each other and thought for a moment if they should have had a little compassion for the poor guy on the floor.

They answered without a shadow of hesitation

- Totally - they all said at the same time with bright smiles

- 'I'll have my revenge' - thought Tom wickedly, as a whole bunch of plans and ways to embarrass the girls popped into his head.

After all he had already Completed the Mission and got the reward.

Which means

A powerful new ally

- Fufufufufu -

- What's wrong with him? - Rin and Archer asked Shiro and Saber.

- Don't worry, it happens from time to time, you get used to it eventually," Shiro said, playing it down.

- It would be rarer if it didn't happen - Said Saber with a face palm, while feeling that it was embarrassing to be near him.

- Fuhahahahahaha! -

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Updated 09/07/22