Shirou:
Shirou is a hero who sacrifices himself to save others. Certainly, he is reckless and can be stubborn or clumsy in the way he behaves with others. But he's a nice boy who only wants the happiness of others. And of course, he has no arrogance.
The Light Novel at the origin of the whole Fate saga presents Shirou in this way. It's true.
However, the interactive visual novel Fate/ Stay Night is not written from the perspective of an omniscient narrator.
Kinoko Nasu chose to tell the story from Shirou's point of view, except for the prologue that is told from Rin's point of view... and some other passages, rather short and infrequent, which present the point of view of some other characters.
Of course, if you only know Fate/ Stay Night through the Anime...
This choice of narrator is obviously not trivial.
FSN is the story of Shirou told by Shirou. This is not a neutral point of view. This is what Shirou, the main protagonist, thinks of himself and how he justifies his own actions.
Moreover, Shirou commits many mistakes. He becomes aware of some of them and tries to correct them. But... did he realize all his mistakes?
To understand FSN, the very first question you must ask yourself is: "Is Shirou (the narrator) a good judge of Shirou (the main protagonist)?"
First part of the answer: Taiga Fujimura (Fuji-nee)
At the beginning of Fate/ Stay Night, before Saber's summons, Fuji-nee tells Sakura that at school Shirou was asked to explain what he wanted to do later... and the moronic redhead answered: an ally of justice (a superhero in the English translation). Sakura opens stunned eyes. Shirou blushes with shame... and Fuji-nee adds that this was the kind of answer one would expect from a child, not a teenager.
Of course, Fuji-nee recounts a memory that dates back several years. But this is not insignificant. Kinoko Nasu placed this passage at the beginning of his work so that the reader understands Shirou's mentality.
The second part of the answer is Kirei Kotomine.
At the first meeting with Kirei, at the end of the discussion in the church, the False Priest called out to Shirou when he has already reached the door. You all know this passage, the one that begins with: "Rejoice, Shirou Emiya..."
Kirei insinuates that the Grail offered Shirou the opportunity to fulfill his dream... putting people in danger so he could save them!
Of course, that's what Kirei says, and you'd better take it with a grain of salt.
Third part of the answer: Archer.
In FSN, but especially in UBW, Archer is very clear about his opinion of Shirou. He despises and hates Shirou whom he finds immature and stupid. On top of all, Archer reproaches Shirou for the absurdity of his ideal. Because his ideal of saving everyone is not feasible, in the end, Shirou only seeks his personal satisfaction.
Archer is Shirou. So this is the opinion of a more mature version of the main protagonist.
Look in particular at the scene where Caster calls Shirou at the Ryuudou Temple (especially in the LN, the scene is much less explicit in the Anime).
There is an extremely important point in what Archer says during the confrontation. A point that the Shirou fan club never seems to have noticed... Archer begins to pity poor Saber for having Shirou for Master... because he continuously humiliates and belittles Saber by preventing her from fighting (as a Hero invoked by the Grail it is the very purpose of her existence).
Fourth part of the answer... Archer (again).
This time, let's talk about the fight between Archer and Shirou in the ruins of the Einzbern Castle.
While Saber accompanied Shirou (leaving it to Lancer to save Rin), he refused to let her participate. Saber attends the fight as a spectator, like some sort of trophy wife. Her only role is to allow Avalon to heal Shirou. Meanwhile... Lancer dies and Rin narrowly escapes rape.
Why such a mess?
Because Shirou wants to overcome Archer on his own.
Good thing everyone says Shirou's not arrogant...
Fifth part of the answer: Sakura Matou.
Shirou spends a year and a half with her. Sakura comes to ring at the door every morning and every night. He eats with Sakura and considers her as his little sister... yet (in two out of the three Fate/ Stay Night Routes) Shirou does not understand that she is constantly raped and tortured. It is only in HF's route that he realizes this and that Sakura is in love with him.
Shirou is so badly focused on his superhero's phantasm that he is unable to pay attention to the real people around him and therefore to realize that they need his help (it's very sad and ironic).
Only in the Heaven Feel Route does he notice.
Sixth part of the answer: Kritsugu Emiya.
During the clash with Archer, Shirou had a flashback where he relived the Fuyuki fire at the end of the Fourth Grail War.
This is probably the most important point in my explanation, as well as the culmination of the UBW Route.
Do you remember when Archer said that Shirou's ideal was borrowed?
When Shirou reviewed Kiritsugu rescuing him, he saw his adoptive father crying with joy because he had found a survivor. At this moment, Shirou remembers why he decided to devote his life to saving others... he wanted to live such an exhilarating moment. Besides, when Shirou returns to consciousness... he admits that his ideal is borrowed, but... that it is an incredibly beautiful ideal.
After finally realizing that is ideal is actually a selfish desire, what is Shirou's reaction?
"It's okay as long as I save lives".
Shirou, as a child, spent an entire afternoon pole vaulting. The bar was set too high, he had no chance of succeeding but he did it again.
Do you know what the definition of insanity is? It's constantly repeating the same mistake and hoping for a different result.
Now, review ALL the fighting that Shirou attends, no matter the route. He is unable to remain passive. He always wants to intervene. Why? I think Kirei's insinuation is correct. Shirou doesn't just want people to be saved... he wants to be the one who saves them!
Shirou is a peaceful individual who wants to live a peaceful life with the people he loves?
Shirou spent his entire childhood stubbornly training to develop his Tracing Magecraft.
Saber is shocked to discover her Master's room, there is no personal object. The only 'inhabited' place in Emiya Residence is the shed (where he is training).
Unlimited Blade Work (the reflection of his soul) is a desert devoid of life where there are only swords.
When Shirou reached adulthood, he abandoned without a twinge the people he knew to travel the world and save perfect strangers.
He was chosen by Alaya as a soldier in an eternal war where he would have to kill endlessly to protect the future of humanity.
I have no pretension to always be right.
I may be mistaken in my interpretation.
I'm not trying to convince you.
And I recognize that you have every right to have your own opinion.
But I was not satisfied with this opinion shared by all, to the point that it became impossible to have a different opinion from the majority. Because of my different point of view, I've even been called a "Heretic!"
You must never give up your critical thinking.
You must question what is claimed to be the one and only truth.
The problem goes far beyond what you think of me or Shirou.
Your critical mind is your most valuable asset.
Without a critical mind, you are the slave of those who provides you with information.
Think by yourself.
Find your own answer.
Defend your point of view.
Shirou VS Luo Hao: Let me tell you one thing... I'm OVERTIRED about people screaming and challenging the outcome of every fight between a Fateverse's character and a Campioneverse's character. Because their 'arguments' are always the same: "A Servant/ Master/ Shirou cannot lose facing a Campione/ Heretic Divinity!" Why? " Because Fate is better than Campione".
Reviews hardly ever use arguments based on character abilities, but always on a preference between the two franchises (in 90% of cases... Fate)
Friendly restatement of facts: Souichirou Kuzuki (Caster Master) beats Saber in UBW... He butchered her in a matter of a few seconds. The legendary King Arthur was unable to counter-attack, dodge or even parry only one of his attacks... Who is Kuzuki? The hidden son of ORT? A user of True Magic? No, he is an ordinary human who has the sole advantage of being a seasoned assassin who has practiced ONE martial art for... oh, more or less thirty years?
Why was Luo Hao so brutal with Shirou? One of Luo's nicknames is Advocate of Supreme Brute Force. She didn't want to humiliate Shirou... She just wanted him to realize the difference in power between them. Well... she's incapable of putting herself in Shirou's shoes. She obviously did not think that he could see this 'Wushu lesson' as a form of bullying. I'll tell you, Luo Hao is not a bad person. She doesn't understand humans. For 250 years she trained in martial arts, and magic and fought against the Heretical Gods. Out of that, she's like a sheltered 15-year-old girl...
Shirou should have used Nine Live Blade Work against Luo Hao! You know, when I read this, I looked at the Review with disbelief. It's a joke... isn't it? Please tell me it's a joke! Then a second Reviewer said the same remark... Ok, this is not a joke * sigh*.
Let's reformulate "Why can't I bring a 200-megaton H-bomb into a friendly duel?"
Um... at random... "Because the goal of a friendly duel is not to kill your opponent?"
Well, that was the short answer. And it works for any other Noble Phantasm that has been suggested in the Reviews.
In practice, Shirou could not use Nine Live Blade Work (at least not at the level where he used it against Berserker) without Archer's arm.
The stone Axe Sword is a weapon weighing more than one hundred kilos and since it's too big for Shirou, it interferes with his balance. Only the arm of the Servant (stronger and more enduring than a human arm) allows him to use the most powerful attack of the demigod Heracles.
And even with Archer's arm, it's not an easy feat...
- Shirou was forced to remove the top of the Shroud of Martin to be able to use the strength of the arm. But, the Servant's Reality Marble began to invade the rest of his body.
- Shirou must use Strengthening Magrecaft on the rest of his body beyond what he can endure. Do you remember what happened when Rin trained Shirou to use Strengthening on some old oil lamps? Yes, he Strengthens them too much and they break into a thousand pieces. Do you know why Shirou didn't explode like a ripe tomato during the fight against Berserker? Well, it's again thanks to Archer's arm. That's at this moment it began to replace the damaged parts of Shirou's body with the steel of UBW swords...
- In fact, the use of Nine Live Blade Work marks the beginning of Shirou's agony, the moment he gave up all hope of surviving the war.
So Shirou will only resort to this Noble Phantasm if he wants to kill the opponent at all costs and doesn't care to survive. It's a kamikaze attack.
Author's note: ... 2K words... my response to the Reviews covers 4 pages and took me two days to write! Do you think I enjoy having to defend my story in an inquisitorial court? This FanFiction is volunteer work that has no other purpose than to please you. Why am I getting such contemptuous and rude criticism? If you don't like what I write, why don't you read something to your liking?!
Back to School
The bedroom was plunged into darkness. Thick grey curtains closed two large windows. There was a pair of large armchairs facing a sofa and, further on, a desk with a chair. A large, comfortable bed was lit by a ray of sunshine filtering through a slit. A solid wood cabinet completed the furnishing.
In the park sang birds.
A shape moved into the bed, pushing away the blankets before sitting, sinking deep into the soft mattress.
It was small and delicate adolescence, with long, very straight hair. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around without showing any emotion.
In the huge double bed, she seemed as tiny as a castaway lost in the middle of the ocean.
Hakuno Kishinami crawled to the edge of the bed and raised the corner of the blankets to carefully lay a bare foot on the ground.
She shivered voluptuously at the sensation of the carpet of pure wool that tickled the soles of her foot.
What a change!
For seven weeks, the Victor of the Moon had slept on a platform formed by school desks. This was really not very comfortable. Even an avatar of the Moon Cell may have back pain after sleeping in such circumstances.
Quickly crossing the huge bedroom, Hakuno approached the curtains. The window was very high... not really designed for someone as small as her. He had to put himself on tiptoe and then pull the curtain with a small cry, his face blushing under the stress, so that the sunlight flooded the room.
On the normally impassive face of the adolescent appeared a brief smile of satisfaction. With the front pleated by the effort, she turned the espagnolette it was difficult because it was set too high.
The window opened with a snap, pushed away by the wind that also made the teenage girl's long, caramel hair dance. But Hakuno hardly paid attention. The park was an oasis of greenery planted with hundreds of trees. In the middle of the gravel alley, she could see a large circular basin with the sculpture of a fish spitting out a stream of water.
The Seraph was a world reconstituted with extreme precision, yet it was only a reconstitution that always left a slight sense of unreality.
Especially in terms of taste and smell.
The acrid smell of fir needles...
The scent of flowers around which danced butterflies and bees...
The scent of wet grass of morning dew.
It was a mixture of scents that intoxicated her. Tears appeared in her eyes...
The real world! For seven weeks her dream had been to survive the Moon Cell Grail War... the only Master among all the participants, she had no wish... she wanted nothing... just to live.
Faces passed in her memory, an arrogant blue-haired teenager, an old grandfather, a little girl, a professional assassin, a young king... and especially Rani... Freed, her tears rolled over her cheeks.
She had survived, but she had killed others for that selfish desire.
So...
She deeply breathed in. With a decisive expression on her face, the Inheritor of the Moon drove the tears out of her eyes. So... Hakuno was to make them proud, to make their sacrifice meaningful.
The uniform of the Jounan Academy was a classic Sailor Fuku (sailor uniform) so typically Japanese. The sailor's collar was blue, closed with a red ribbon. The short-sleeved blouse was white and yellow. The outfit was complemented by a pleated skirt.
The summer uniform was much lighter than the one Hakuno had worn during the Grail War, and it was much more colorful.
Feeling a bit like a crow dressed in the feathers of a parrot, the Sovereign brushed her hair in the mirror. There were some skincare products or even beauty products... the Japanese government had provided everything that could be useful to the residents but... Hakuno looked at the lipstick with curiosity before resting it on the tablet. She left the bathroom, crossed the hallway, and went down the huge staircase covered by a red carpet.
The main hall was dominated by an impressive crystal chandelier. Sepia photographs and paintings on the walls showed important figures in kimono or dressed in the western fashion of the nineteenth century. They posed their face severe, with goatees and old-fashioned glasses.
When she arrived on the ground floor, she looked at the huge painting that covered one of the walls. She saw archaic battleships clashing.
She made a Head Tilt while deciphering the title inscribed on the golden frame of the painting.
"Tsushima?" (1)
The huge mansion was uncomfortable for her, Hakuno hesitated briefly before taking the corridor to the right of the front door. She had obviously memorized the building plan with ease but... she had never seen such a splendid place and felt like an intruder.
The mansion that Ishtar extorted... uh... had been offered by the Japanese government was so luxurious! It would take him a long time to get used to it.
Kishinami stopped to sniff. The smell immediately made her salivate as her stomach convulsed to protest this torture.
She was not mistaken. The dining room was not far away... Hakuno turned to a beautiful gilded clock. It wasn't even 07 AM. Yet someone was already standing to cook.
The huge mansion... the Tohsaka mansion, since it was the name inscribed on the brand new plaque on the entrance gate, was a building built in the Meiji era in imitation of Western houses.
Nevertheless, there was a home cinema in the living room, an internet connection in the whole mansion, and computers in the rooms and offices.
Upon entering the kitchen, Hakuno discovered that the room had not been forgotten during the successive modernizations. Given the size of the building and the number of rooms, it was not surprising that the kitchen was closer to a professional kitchen, such as those found in a restaurant, than to the kitchen of a family home.
The center of the room was occupied by a large rectangular preparation table. Against the right wall, there were two large refrigerators and a freezer. On the left wall, two sinks. The wall in front of the entrance was occupied by two stoves with ovens, ceramic hobs, and gas burners.
The wall where the front door opened was occupied by cupboards that contained dry food such as bags of rice, jars, cans, and bottles of various condiments.
Several pots were heated over low heat, while the sound of a knife on a cutting board resonated in the room.
The redhead with a white strand slicing vegetables raised his eyes from his work at her entrance.
Hakuno bowed politely.
"Shitsurei-shimasu" (Sorry to disturb you).
Upon seeing the shy teenager enter the room, a knot formed in Shirou's throat. He saw her again... her long purple hair, her frightened smile. She too could not enter his home without apologizing. Wondering why he gave her a key...
Shirou answered what he always said to Sakura:
"Ohayo-gozaimasu (good morning), Kishinami-san, this is your home."
Despite his sadness, the redhead couldn't help but smile. But the teenager just looked at him without saying anything.
"And to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Kishinami-san?"
"Breakfast?" She answered with her signature Head Tilt.
Caught by surprise by her sudden cuteness, Shirou remained completely unresponsive, with his mouth stupidly open. Then he looked away, coughing in his fist...
"Um... I'm working on it... you should go wait in the dining room, there's fruit and crackers on the table."
She nodded her head.
"Aligato" (thank you).
"Do itashimashite" (you're welcome).
Shirou Emiya had gotten up almost two hours earlier. Like every morning, he trained at Tracing, doing gymnastics exercises, before Projecting Kanshou and Bakuya to fight an opponent from his memory, imagining attacks, counter-attacks, blocks, and dodges.
Hakuno had joined him as he was finishing breakfast.
The third person to stand up was Ereshkigal.
Unlike Hakuno and Shirou, she had not yet changed. Dressed in red pajamas sown with black cat paws, she entered the dining room rubbing her eyes, hugging... a stuffed bull strangely resembling Gugalanna!
"Ohayo."
Sitting near Hakuno, she began to speak in a nervous tone. Ere wanted to know how she should behave at school, how she should speak, how she should present herself, and what she should do to leave a good first impression. After all, she was the 'great Ereshkigal' and it was out of the question that she would not make a good first impression... But she did not pause for a moment to give Hakuno an opportunity to respond.
While she kept repeating that she was 'obviously' going to please everyone because of her beauty, her intelligence, and her natural majesty... the Mistress of the Underworld actually seemed awfully anxious at the idea of being introduced to her new classmates.
Hakuno smiled.
Wasn't Rin... no, she had to get used to calling her 'Eiri'... wasn't Eiri adorable?
Shirou came out of the kitchen at the time, with an apron on which was written: "I am the one and only chief" and a wooden spatula in his hand. He looked at the two girls who had lingered and then the third place still empty. He sighed while rubbing his neck.
"If Rin doesn't get up quickly, we'll be late. Eiri?"
"Uh... Yes, Shirou-kun?"
On Shirou's lips appeared Archer's patent ironic smirk. He was amused to see this other Rin commit one of those trivial mistakes which were the ancestral curse of the Tohsaka.
"Are you planning on going to school in pajamas with that stuffed animal in hand? Sure, you're going to make a really striking first impression, but I'm not sure that this outfit is allowed by the Jounan Academy rules."
Ereshkigal realized only then that she had not let go of the stuffed animal with which she slept. Her eyes opened wide under the effect of fright. In a completely absurd reflex, she hid mini-Guga behind her back.
"Hic... hic... if... if you... if you tell Ishtar about it... hic... I'll kill you!"
Then she runs away, red with confusion and hiccupping.
Shirou shook his head with an amused look.
"Well, I'll go get Rin."
A few minutes later, an exasperated Shirou returned holding Ishtar by the wrist. The goddess was dressed in an adorable yellow nightgown adorned with lace.
Hakuno blinked, having trouble recognizing the proud goddess. First, she didn't have her usual pigtailed hairs and they now looked like a tangled mane. Then... well... at first glance, she would have been taken as an extra in a zombie movie... all right an adorable zombie... but when Shirou abandoned her to go back to the kitchen (alarmed by a burning smell), Ishtar stood there without any intelligence in her eyes, staring at the wall with a bovine gaze... before deciding to sit on the ground and go back to sleep!
Rin Tohsaka was really not a morning person.
Shirou returned with a rice cooker in one hand, and several classical Japanese breakfast dishes like onigiri, or miso soup.
He put all this on the table and took Ishtar by the arm, forcing her to stand up again.
"Rin, you can't go back to sleep there. You're going to catch a cold and we're going to be late for school."
Treating the goddess like a child, he made her sit at the table and began to serve the three girls.
Indeed, while he was looking after her sister, Ereshkigal had returned to the dining area. Now dressed in the same uniform as Hakuno, she was absolutely lovely. But her face was still red with confusion, shame, and anger and she gave Shirou a warning look. Then she opened her mouth to say something but...
"Hic! "
Panicked, she closed her mouth with both hands... but her shoulders lifted convulsively. She was always hiccupping.
Shirou sighed and turned to Ishtar.
"Rin, you better hurry up and eat and get dressed. Otherwise, I'm gonna have to shower you myself."
The redhead teen had of course only formulated this threat to force the goddess to react... he had just forgotten who he was talking to.
Ishtar blinked and her gaze went back to normal... sharp, mocking, manipulative... and directed at Shirou. She looked at him with a perfectly evil smile.
"Why not? Go ahead do it!"
With his mouth wide open, the redhead looked at one of the sisters, then the other, before finishing facepalmed.
Two Rin Tohsaka, it was too much for one man... even if the man in question was himself the mixture between two versions of Shirou Emiya.
"Somebody help me!"
Classroom 3-1 was strangely quiet, in awe, they had never seen two beauties like these girls accompanying their teacher, an old man with a mustache.
He had just entered, escorted by three strangers wearing their school uniforms.
Musaka-sensei settled behind his desk after all the students greeted him.
"I know it's a little sudden, but you're going to welcome new comrades. Did you hear about the meteorite that fell in the north of the country? Well, your new comrades lost their homes in the disaster and were forced to move to Tokyo. Let them introduce themselves."
Ishtar had to walk, which put her in a bad mood. But when she stopped in front of the teacher's office to face the classroom, she had her 'miss perfect' smile on her lips.
"Hello, I am Rin Tohsaka. I am very happy to meet you. I will be your classmate during this school year. I hope you treat me well."
She bowed.
Wishing to make a good impression, Ereshkigal hurried to join her sister and stumbled against the step of the stage, barely avoiding falling to the ground. Having regained her balance, she blushed with confusion. Then, gathering the debris of her crumpled dignity, she faced the students with her most beautiful smile.
"Hello, I am Eiri Tohsaka. I'm very happy... hic!... to meet you. I... hic..."
The Mistress of the Underworld abruptly closed her mouth... as her shoulders twitched. Unable to contain her hiccups, she blushes... realizing that she had completely ruined her presentation!
Ishtar was often mocking, loving to play with the nerves of others. However, she was not really mean. Seeing Ere was on the verge of tears she had a gesture that surprised her 'rival', taking Ereshkigal by the shoulder to hold her close.
"Eiri and I are half-sisters. Please give him a warm welcome. We have a... complicated family history. Eiri has a difficult childhood and she experienced loneliness. Because of this, Eiri is very nervous in public... as you have just seen... But be kind to my little sister, she deserves it.
Shirou had been surprised by Ishtar's behavior, he did not expect that. But the result was a hubbub of voices... Boys and girls all spoke at the same time to tell Ereshkigal that she was welcome and that they were happy to spend this school year with her.
With her hands in front of her mouth, the Queen of the Netherworld turned for a moment to her sister in a grateful manner, before bowing to the students.
"Thank you for welcoming me. Thank you very much."
Amused Shirou turned to the window... Almost expecting to see Cupid flying in the courtyard with an armful of arrows marked 'Eiri Tohsaka'...
With such a presentation all the boys (and even some girls) must have been struck by love at first sight.
"Emiya-san? It's your turn to introduce yourself."
"Oh... thank you, Musaka-sensei."
Unlike the two girls, Shirou was not trying to make a good impression. He stopped by their side.
"I am Emiya Shirou."
He bowed without saying another word.
Yet some girls began to whisper among themselves, chortling. With his red hair, white lock, musculature, and hard look, this 'Emiya' was particularly attractive. And yes, bad boys have always been very successful with women.
At the same time, in class 2-2, one floor down.
Hakuno had just finished her presentation. But the Sovereign of the Moon Cell was created to be a background NPC. She was not as beautiful as Ishtar or Ereshkigal and her arrival had not unleashed a similar enthusiasm.
The students still asked a few questions.
"Do you have a hobby?"
After thinking for a few seconds, Hakuno replied.
"Reading."
Her face had remained as impassive as if it was carved in ice.
"We're looking for people for the photography club, are you interested?"
Again, Hakuno took a few moments to reflect.
"No."
Several students exchanged looks, surprised by her lack of emotion.
A girl raised her hand to ask for the floor.
"How does it feel to move to Tokyo?"
Kishinami took a little more time to think.
"I don't know."
The teacher looked at the students.
"No more questions? Well, it's time to start classes. Kishinami-san, there's a desk at the back of the class."
She nodded without a word. That was her normal place at the back of the class.
As she sat down, the neighboring classmate turned to her.
"KIshinami, you're lucky, I'll be your friend."
Hakuno looked at the teenager. He was ordinary Japanese, rather cute. He was sitting in balance, his chair resting only on two of his feet, his shoe resting on his desk. The teenager had an arrogant face and his unbuttoned uniform jacket revealed several gold chains and necklaces.
Despite the lack of physical resemblance, Hakuno raised an inquiring eyebrow.
"Matou Shinji?"
The teenager seemed surprised.
"Uh... my name is Mishima Keira."
Hakuno nodded.
"Mishima-san."
Well, he wasn't Shinji reincarnated... but he still had a slightly similar behavior which did not reassure her. That said, unless he invokes El Draque and a ghostly pirate fleet, he shouldn't be a problem.
The noon bells are ringing.
Students left the classrooms, some headed to the canteen, but others went up to the roof. On this beautiful spring day, bento enthusiasts could enjoy the sun and fresh air.
Ishtar, Ereshkigal, Hakuno, and Shirou had sat on the concrete ground forming an approximate circle. They went looking for their shokado boxes in their lockers and had just opened them. Shirou smiled briefly at the expression of the two goddesses. A bento must have been both beautiful and good. He had visibly succeeded in the aesthetic part. In the lacquered box divided into four compartments, one could see sushi, sachimi, gyoza, and gari. The colors ranged from white as rice to pink as salmon to pickled ginger light yellow or off-white Chinese ravioli.
Unable to resist any longer, Ishtar separated her chopsticks and joined hands.
"Itadakimasu" (Bon appétit)!
The others imitated him and began to eat. The dishes were so good that a religious silence went with the first bites.
Shirou was the first to speak, having no reason to be impressed by his own cooking.
"Rin, I was very moved by the way you stepped in to support your sister."
Ishtar had a rather disturbing smile... In a gesture full of arrogance she pushed one of her pigtails over her shoulder before crossing her arms, gloating.
"Of course, I couldn't pass up a chance to become the perfect big sister of the most popular girl at the Jounan Academy. And my plan worked perfectly."
Shirou blinked briefly... then smiled.
"All right."
He knew Rin long enough to stop believing those kinds of answers... She was the sort of person who would throw herself into a fire to save a complete stranger... and then explain that she had perfectly calculative and cynical motives for doing so. You believe her once... twice... after the tenth time, you get it. Rin was a tsundere.
As he looked at her with a tender smile, she began to blush.
"Why are you looking at me like this? I told you I acted for selfish reasons!"
He kept smiling at her
"Yes, of course."
Ereshkigal had listened to the discussion between Ishtar and Shirou. The Queen of Kur had the same smile as the redhead when she turned to Hakuno.
"How was your morning?"
The Victor of the Moon blinked and took a few moments to think.
"Normal."
"Ah..."
Ishtar frowned.
"Hakuno what do you mean by 'normal'? Did your morning go well or bad?"
"Normal" repeated Hakuno.
Ereshkigal sighed.
"Hakuno means that she was unable to make friends and that she spent the entire day isolated in her corner, without speaking to anyone."
"And this is what she considers normal..." Ishtar's voice was thoughtful. She looked at her sister and sighed." You really belong together..."
The Queen of the Netherworld gave to her a sad smile before turning again to Hakuno.
"And what were your classes?"
"English, literature, history and mathematics."
Ereshkigal had a soft laugh.
"Were you questioned by the math teacher?"
"Yes".
Hakuno continued to eat, but this did not prevent her from responding with her usual monotonic voice.
"And what was the professor's reaction?"
"Normal."
Ishtar raised an eyebrow and turned to her sister, having now realized that it was a waste of time to ask questions directly to Hakuno and that it was better to ask the 'official translator'.
"And what does she mean by 'normal'? That term starts to scare me when Hakuno-chan uses it."
"Hakuno has a perfect memory and..."
The Sumerian goddess of death glanced quickly around her. No group of students was close enough to listen to them amidst the noise of the conversations.
"... and the Moon Cell created her to be a perfect student. So the Automaton filled her head with the entire school program... of the year 2030. That of our world, I mean. In geography, in history, obviously, there are a lot of differences. But for subjects like mathematics or English, we can trust Hakuno. She scores perfect mark 100/ 100 at all tests."
Ishtar and Shirou turned to the Victor of the Moon, but she was content to eat without speaking.
Very proud of her protégé, Ereshkigal lifted a finger like a teacher doing a class, a tic she shared with her sister.
"And remember, Hakuno-chan doesn't just have a perfect memory. She learns very quickly. In other words, her capacities are constantly increasing, exponentially and without limit. '
"Limitless" shouted the Goddess of Venus, visibly unconvinced.
"Hakuno is a program created by the Moon Cell. Her memory is stored in the lunar supercomputer... and the Moon Cell was created to record eternity. One of her opponents, in the Moon Cell Gray's War, said Hakuno was the perfect embodiment of innate talent." (2)
At the other end of the roof, Erica Blandelli leaned against the parapet. The knight of the Copper-Black Cross looked toward the goddesses Ishtar and Ereshkigal. Her forehead was barred by a crease of anxiety. Actually, her beautiful face was abnormally pale.
A few steps away, Lilianna Kranjcar and Yuri Mariya were seated on both sides of Godou, each one had brought her own bento and was explaining to the Devil King that she had 'made a mistake' and had cooked far too much for her needs. The two girls exchanged glances that collided like swords in a duel, but they smiled at Godou, trying to convince their king to eat her bento... her own bento... and not that of the other 'wife'. It must be said that for a man, in Japanese culture, accepting a bento cooked by a woman was a bit like formalizing an engagement.
Except that Kusanagi already had his own bento, cooked by Shizuka (his little sister)... and that's why he was so embarrassed. It was impossible to bring Shizuka's bento home... (the whole neighborhood would have resounded with the little girl's angry cries). Impossible to reject the bento of his two 'wives' because they knew how to be very persuasive... and eating the three bento would inevitably send him to the infirmary because of indigestion. Godou smiled awkwardly, sweating bullets while looking for a way out of this hornet's nest.
In a vast arc around the Harem King, no one spoke. All eyes were on the Campione, the altercation being anything but discreet. And the boys' jealousy threatened to manifest itself in a tangible form... maybe an incarnation of Angra Minyu himself... why knowns? After all, they were not far from wishing him All the Word's Evil.
In normal times, Erica would have joined the wild confrontation, offering a part of her own bento. But right now, she was thinking about something else.
Having won the confrontation, Yui stood up to ask Erica if she wanted some tea. But the Hime-Miko noted the visible anxiety of the Italian she-knight.
His eyes lit up briefly with green and supernatural light, revealing what ordinary eyes could not see. Around Erica's ear was a slowly rotating pentacle adorned with cabbalistic signs and incantations in Latin.
"You spy on the goddesses?"
Erica nodded. The Hime-Miko replied with a frown.
"That's not very polite."
"Yes, but it's instructive."
Erica shook her head. What she had learned had confirmed the assumptions of the History Compilation Committee. The goddesses came from another world... and even from the future, from the year 2030 precisely. But that was not the most important.
The Diavolo Rosso looked towards Hakuno Kishinami... Ereshkigal had said that the inexpressive girl had been "created by the Moon Cell" insisting shortly after that, saying that the teen was a "program created by the Moon Cell" and also that "the Moon Cell is an instrument for recording eternity". But the most important thing was that Hakuno would have "limitless potential".
Hakuno had this strange title... Sovereign of the Moon Cell!
Who was Hakuno?
What was that Moon Cell? Ereshkigal called it a supercomputer...
Far from there, in the mountains of Hungary, the night was drawing to a close.
The Carpathians were a sparsely populated area away from the busiest roads. The valley was normally peaceful. The only interest was an old castle of the sixteenth century, unfortunately not open to visitors. Besides, it was not on any map.
The sky was studded with stars and the full moon lit the dark woods that stretched between the jagged mountains. It was a clear night, without rain... yet lightning kept striking.
This strange storm was unleashed against the undead, ghosts of knights in rusty armor, translucent skeletons of magicians and witches dressed in evanescent rags. The latter counterattacked by projecting rays of magical energy towards...
In the sky was moving an antique chariot pulled by two oxen! And it was from the rim of its bronze wheels that the lightning flashed.
Sasha Dejanstahl Voban was the oldest of the seven contemporary Campiones. He was an old man with scary green eyes with vertical pupils, like those of a snake. His ears were abnormally pointed.
Struck by several thunderbolts, he howled with rage but immediately rose. His resistance was formidable. An explosion capable of demolishing a building would hardly have scratched him.
He bowed forward and strange pitch black balls popped out of his back... Each of them turned into a huge wolf when touching the ground.
Duke Voban pointed a finger at the sky.
"Coward, come down and face me if you dare!"
The challenge was heard and answered with a thundering burst of laughter.
"This is a request I cannot refuse."
The war wagon veered into the sky before losing altitude and landing. The colossus who drove the ancient vehicle threw the wagon against the undead, crushing dozens of opponents before stopping not far from Duke Voban.
The first Campione didn't even step aside.
The flames of the fires created by the lightning revealed a colossus wearing a red bonze plastron decorated with gold moldings and a long scarlet cape sewn with golden threads and a white fur collar. His face was powerful, his hair and beard red. He held the reins of the oxen in his powerful hands.
"I am Duke Sasha Dejanstahl Voban, the first Campione. Name yourself, Heretic God, if you are not ashamed of your name!"
The colossus burst with his thundering laughter and then rubbed the back of his skull.
"Oh... I'm not a god. Although my mother always told me that Zeus had come to her bed the day my father conceived me."
Voban frowned, a demigod... son of Zeus... it explained the lightning generated by his flying chariot. He couldn't use Lei Gong Authority against him... lightning probably couldn't do anything against a bastard of Zeus
"Will you deny me your name, demigod?"
"I never refuse to give my name to an enemy. The words of the king and his name must be heard by all, especially his enemies." The colossus drew an antique-looking sword and pointed it to the sky. I'm Iskandar... oh I forgot, we're not in Japan anymore... my father called me Alexandros. I am the third king of Macedonia to have carried this name."
Alexander III of Macedonia... Alexander the Great, the famous conqueror of the Persian Empire, the victor of the Indian king Porus, realized Voban.
"Very well, Alexander III, king of Macedonia, I accept your challenge and..."
"Wait a minute. I have to ask you something first."
Surprised, Duke Voban stopped. He was thirsty to fight against this powerful opponent. But he was always trying to be courteous to his enemies... even though he was basically a wild beast craving for blood.
"What do you want to ask me?"
The colossus had a big-toothed smile.
"Will you join my army?"
Author's note: Those who know Shiniki no Campione must understand why I make Iskandar and Voban fight. Otherwise...
(1) It was a major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War (1904- 1905).
(2) Leo Harwey (Fate Extra) says this at the end of the war when he and Hakuno became the last two Masters competing. He even points out that it was normal that they end up fighting, given that he was raised as a king and had the lessons of the best teachers, in order to become the perfect Master, making him the paragon of acquired knowledge. Don't forget that he lost to Hakuno...