Hi! Lugal kug-ga here! I am a long time reader but a first time writer.
Damn, I was high when I wrote this chap.
Imma say this now, I own nothing of the originals portrayed in this fic, I'm merely making an iteration.
And should you see some similarities with other fanfic Authors, it might be because I've…. copied it. Or took some parts of their works and incorporated it in mine. So, credits to them.
Enough of the boring A/N and onwards to the story.
I've committed to finishing this work, should it stop updating for a year, I've probably self deleted. So, sit back, enjoy, and review!
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Chapter 3.
Waking up with a jolt, Emiya Shirou woke up in a room seemingly from a time of the medieval era.
Him and his whole class were summoned to another world, laying back down, he felt more calm than ever since their summoning. Now that he and everyone now has the possibility of going back.
He just needed to wait for the next evening to go back to that space, where everyone there seemingly has the same name as him, maybe even that dragon?
He now starts to think about the time before their summoning in this world.
……
Inside the classroom 2-A in homurahara high in fuyuki.
"Hey, Nagumo. Nagumo, you've been acting a bit strange lately..."
"Shimizu-kun. What do you mean by strange? Is he getting bullied?"
Hajime Nagumo is an ordinary high school student who attends an ordinary high school. He doesn't sleep during class or come in late, but he also doesn't actively talk to his classmates. However, he does have friends.
Those are Yukitoshi Shimizu. He is a classmate with long black hair. He is an otaku just like Hajime. and Emiya Shirou who also has a slight interest in the subject. They exchanged thoughts on works that are scheduled to be made into anime recently, and sometimes they have different interpretations.
Although they live for their hobbies, they are studying as well as other people and are now happily in their second year. Right now, the fourth period is over and they're eating lunch in the classroom.
"No, Nagumo. I think you should make up your mind about Shirasaki-san. Lately, the way girls look at you has been starting to hurt."
"Haha, ha..."
Actually, this isn't the first time Yukitoshi and Hajime have had this kind of interaction.
Shortly after entering the school, Hajime was approached by delinquents but due to Shimizus fast action in going to call Shirou, the situation didn't escalate to a full on bullying.
After that , they somehow became friends.
So far, it has been a story of an ordinary miracle. However, the miracle did not end here.
For some reason, Kaori Shirasaki, who was famous as the most beautiful girl in the class, started to care about Hajime. If she continued to be nice to him by talking to him and eating lunch with him for a year, even the most insensitive person would be able to tell that it was a favor in a romantic sense.
However, Hajime Nagumo was unable to take the step forward. Which somehow started to irritate Shirou and the others.
Shirou just continued to hold on with a vague smile seeing them talking about Hajime's love life.
Even the girls who were rooting for the two out of pure affection for Kaori and a desire to defeat their rivals for Amanogawa Kouki, the class prince, became irritated if this continued for several months.
In reality, even if Kouki has already given up on Kaori, women around him were considered love rivals and an eyesore by the rest of the girls. Especially if it's a beautiful woman.
Due to such circumstances, they put silent pressure on Hajime to either quickly dump Kaori or start dating already.
Even though Shizuku's reassurance reduced their resentment, the girls remained united. The pressure is increasing, as if there is a mastermind behind the scenes.
"Recently, even Taniguchi-san has been getting a lot of attention. It's that Taniguchi-san! It's a bit harsh. I seriously need to do something about it..." Suzu taniguchi , one of Shirou's friends and best friends with Eri Nakamura, who also started receiving love letters from the junior students.
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it, Shimizu-kun."
Hajime had no way of knowing, but Shirou was looking at Hiyama, who was trembling with jealousy. Hiyama Daisuke was a young man with short brown hair that fell flat on his head.
He was one of the delinquents who approached Hajime, though he became Shirou's friend after they beat the crap out of each other. For reasons Shirou couldn't really understand.
Heh delinquents and their love for fights, though hiyama is rough around the edges, he's a good guy in his opinion. He faced Hajime previously and declared that they are now love rivals, Though it seemed like he wouldn't do anything. Thanks to that, Shirou can say that there is almost no pressure from the boys.
"There's no way I can match Shirasaki-san. Because I haven't done anything to make her like me.'' murmured hajime.
This has also happened several times. In fact, Hajime didn't understand why he was liked. Well, I'll leave it to Shirasaki-san to tell Hajime herself. Thought Shirou.
"You should just ask. It's a chance, isn't it? It's a big chance that may or may not happen again." Shirou said.
"What will you do if it's a misunderstanding? You're not the one who's going to be embarrassed." Yukitoshi quipped at him while his mouth was full.
"... don't speak while your mouth is full. Doesn't Shirou have a higher chance than me?" grumbled Hajime
Shirou just smiled at his statement.
"Well, maybe, but I'm pretty sure Shirasaki-san doesn't see me in that way."
Hajime tilted his head at that.
"Huh, is that so? I mean, weren't you always hanging out after school?"
" …are you seriously that dense? Hajime." Shimizu looked at him with pity.
" S–Shutup!"
Looking at the embarrassed Hajime, Shirou just chuckled.
"No, we're not the only ones hanging out after school, Yaegashi, Amanogawa, and Ryoutarou are also with us."
Yaegashi Shizuku, the captain of the Kendo club and the best friend of Shirasaki-san. Ryutarou Sakagami is your typical energetic muscle-brained person. He's also Amanogawas best friend. The four of them were childhood friends.
"Well, if Shirou says so."
It was just an ordinary everyday conversation. Shirou might be expecting that this kind of everyday life will continue from now on. Though he still feels like he somehow doesn't deserve it.
Chucking it at the back of his mind to think about it later.
He should have moved forward with such a mundane daily life instead of denying it. Standing up he approached Kouki and the others, then they talked about things like kendo, archery and class lessons.
Amanogawa and the others became Shirou's friends at the end of middle school, though he could do without yaegashi constantly nagging for Shirou to join the Kendo club, he's content with the archery club.
"Hey, what's that?"
Yukitoshi seems to have shouted something. When they looked down, They saw a sparkling pure white ring that looked exactly like a magic circle around Kouki, who was talking with Shirasaki. That brilliance wasn't just a matter of imagination, it was also spreading to the rest of the classroom.
"W-what's going on!?"
"Everyone, get out of the classroom."
By the time Aiko-sensei called out to them, there was no one left in the classroom. Amidst the commotion no one noticed the smile of excitement of one of their classmates.
…
….
…Sighing, Shirou stood up and prepared his gears.
Today they are supposed to explore the dungeon near the kingdom, named Orcus dungeon to gain experience fighting monsters. As instructed by the knight commander Meld, they were ready. He was the one who trained and guided them after their summoning 2 weeks ago.
…2 weeks ago…
Unable to offer any resistance, they were swallowed up by the light.
"…Is everyone okay!?"
After the mysterious light spread out under them , Kouki immediately called out. It must've been a reflex, but his voice was strangely audible.
"...I'm fine. Ryutaro, Yaegashi, Shirasaki, are you there?" Shirou spoke.
"I'm fine. Kaori, can you stand up?" Yaegashi replied and held a hand to Shirasaki.
"Thank you, Shizuku-chan."
"Hey, what the hell is going on..." Asked Ryoutarou.
"I don't know, but let's wake everyone up." Said Kouki.
Looking around,. everyone who had been in the classroom found themselves in some strange facility. Swallowing the question of what this facility was for or what the group surrounding them was, Shirou headed towards our other classmates.
"Are you okay, Taniguchi-san, Nakamura-san, Hajime, Yukitoshi?" Everyone responded positively except taniguchi-san.
"Shirou! What the hell is going on here!? We were in the classroom just now, weren't we?" Exclaimed taniguchi-san.
"I also don't know, can you stand up?" He helped her to her feet.
Then, Kouki and others called out to the frightened girls and the dumbfounded boys, including Nagayama.
shirou checked on everyone, and it seemed like there was no problem for the time being.
(But it's strange. I feel strangely light...)
His body feels as light as on the day of an archery tournament, and It feels as if his whole body is being hit by waves.
While I was confused by the somewhat contradictory sensations in his body, an old man stepped forward from the group that was observing us and the others.
Kouki and his friends were overwhelmed by the strange atmosphere.
At the same time the staff in his hand was making a "Shing! Shing!" sound, the old man spoke to them with a clear and calming voice that was fitting of his appearance.
"Welcome to Tortus, Hero-sama and his companion. We were expecting you. I am the currently appointed Pope of the Saint's Church, you may address me as Ishtar Lombard. Let's get along from now on, no need to exchange conventional greetings."
After he introduced himself, the old man called Ishtar revealed a smile that was often associated with nice elderly people.
(What is this person saying?)
Right now, the place that Shirou and the rest had moved to, had a few ten meter long dining tables lined up side by side. Several great halls they passed by before also had the same kind of dining tables. This hall was just as gorgeous as with the rest, even an amateur could understand; the furniture, the decorative paintings, the murals, and everything here were the artisan's supreme masterpiece. Perhaps, this place was used to take a meal or hold a meeting. In the seats of honor were Hatakeyama Aiko-sensei and Kouki's group of four. After that, the other students took their seats in sequence, Shirou sat at the last spot, besides Hajime and yukitoshi.
Nobody caused much disturbance as they were guided until here, perhaps their minds were still unable to keep up with reality. Ishtar started to explain the situation, perhaps it was due to the existence of the charismatic Kouki that everyone was able to remain calm. Being surrounded by the students who looked more like the teacher, Aiko-sensei was getting teary-eyed.
When everyone was seated, with amazing timing, the maids entered with pushing carts. That's right, real maids! These were the genuine maids, the bishoujo maid kind! Under this kind of circumstances, the male students were spurred on by their burning desires, most of them fixed their gaze on the maids. However, the girls were sending cold glares at them.
Shirou also couldn't help but look at the maid that came to serve him… Shirou set his line of sight straight ahead and saw Kaori with an icy gaze, Kaori was fixing her gaze on Hajime with a smile from ear to ear for some reason. But of course, Hajime did not notice this.
Ishtar started his explanation after confirming that everyone had received their drinks. The words that came out of Ishtar after that were really too fantasy-like.To put it briefly, first, this world was called Tortus. After that, Tortus was more or less divided into three major races.
Humans, Demons, and Demi-humans. The Humans ruled over the northern area. The Demons ruled over the southern area. The Demi-humans lived quietly in the wilderness to the east.
Among these, the war between the Humans and Demons have been ongoing for several centuries. The Demons were inferior in numbers compared to the Humans, but each individual Demons possessed formidable strength, only because of that were they able to contend against the large quantity of Humans. Both sides have not been engaged in a large-scale war over the past few decades, but something abnormal has been taking place recently. It was the deployment of Magic Beasts by the Demons.
Magic Beasts, they were believed to be existences that transformed from wild animals after absorbing magic power into their body. It was unknown whether they could be classified as a living creature or not. However, each and every one of them could use powerful unique magic, these vermin are strong and ferocious
Until now, they were always relying on their instinct, the people that can actually tame them are almost nonexistent. Even if they could be tamed, the tamer could only control one or two at most. And this common sense was completely overthrown by the Demons. This signifies that the Humans no longer held the advantage in numbers. In other words, the Human race was now facing a crisis.
"The one who summoned you here was 'Ehit-sama'. He is the Protector God that we Humans worship, the one and only god in the Saint's Church. He is the Supreme God that created this world. Perhaps Ehit-sama had already noticed. If this continues, the Humans will face extinction. You had been summoned to prevent this outcome. The world you come from is ranked higher than ours, every one of you here should possess exceptional power in this world without a doubt. Before the summon took place, Ehit-sama passed down an oracle; You are the "salvation" that he sent to us. You must bring out your innate powers, by the will of Ehit-sama, overthrow the Demons, and save us mankind!"
Ishtar currently had an absent-minded expression, perhaps he was recalling the time when he heard the oracle. Just as Ishtar had said, more than 90% of the Humans are the followers of the Saint's Church. Every time, those who heard the oracle was without a doubt someone with huge influence in the Saint's Church.
He didn't doubt the "Will of God", far more than that, he was unable to contain his joy. Shirou felt this world was unreasonably twisted and the sense of crisis that couldn't be described with words. Suddenly, the person who stood up to protest appeared.
It was Aiko-sensei.
"Please don't joke around! In the end, all you want is for these children to participate in a war! That kind of thing is absolutely out of the question! En, as a teacher, I will absolutely not allow such a thing! Let us go back immediately! Surely, their families must be worried! What you are doing now is merely kidnapping!"
Aiko-sensei who was panting in anger was only 25 years old. She was a very popular social studies teacher. Her petite body was approximately 1.5 meter tall, she had a baby face, and her hair was done in a bob cut. The students couldn't refrain from smiling, recalling the figure of Aiko-sensei who was rushing about all over the place for their sake. Many students wished to protect her after seeing the work hard she did for her students, even though the majority of her efforts were in vain. The students often called her Ai-chan, but if they called her as such in front of the person herself, she would get angry.
This time too, she was angered by the unreasonable summoning, and stood up against it. "Ahh~ Ai-chan is trying her best again……" There were students who were looking at Aiko-sensei talking back to Ishtar with a fuzzy feeling. However, the following words from Ishtar froze them.
"I understand how you're feeling. However…… It is impossible for you to return now."
Silence filled the halls. It was as if there was an ice-cold pressure pressing down on them. Everyone gazed at Ishtar with a questioning expression.
"I-impossible…… W-what did you just say? If you can summon us, you should be able to send us back!?"
Aiko-sensei cry out loud.
"As I said earlier, it was Ehit-sama that summoned you. We humans do not have the ability to use magic that interferes with another world. Therefore, whether or not you can return is up to Ehit-sama to decide."
"T-that is……"
Aiko-sensei lost her strength and slumped down on the chair. The students in the surrounding area also started to make a ruckus.
"No way!? We really cannot go back anymore?"
"No! Anything but this, let me return!"
"Don't even joke about the war! What the hell!"
"Why, why, why……"
"Hey, you're talking nonsense..."
Hiyama and the others were completely justified in their anger. However, there is nothing to gain in confronting them now.
"Wait, Hiyama! It's not good right now. I understand how you feel, but please bear with it."
"Amanogawa...fine." conceding with displeasure, he became quiet.
Kouki had to stop Hiyama and the others, and the situation calmed down when Ishtar told them that he would explain the situation.
"You seem more like a teacher than me, Amanogawa-kun."
Despite the others starting to panic. On the other hand, Hajime and Yukitoshi seem pretty composed, maybe because they were Otaku. They had read about many situations like this before. Though Shirou was far from composed,he didn't show.
"Please don't joke like that, Sensei. Hatayama-sensei is the only person we can rely on now."
Even as he says this, Kouki seems to be in thout. I wondered if there was some way to relieve the anxiety that was currently floating among everyone.
When everyone was in a difficult situation, Ishtar didn't have the intention to open his mouth to calm the masses, he only watched calmly. No, Shirou could feel there was a hint of contempt behind that calm expression. Ishtar was probably thinking why would they be unhappy to be selected by Ehit-sama.
When everyone was still panicking, Kouki, still standing up, slammed the table with a bang. At the same time the students were astonished by the sound, they fixed their gaze on Kouki. When he confirmed that he had everyone's attention, Kouki began to talk.
"I think I want to fight in this world."Shirou's heart trembled at Kouki's next words.
Since Shirou and the others currently don't have the means to confirm and execute the method of return, conflicting with Ishtar will only cause harm.
Shirou saw that there was no hesitation, and that there was a certain determination.
Kouki was also desperate. Here and now, he was prepared to give up everything he had.
"Everyone, it is meaningless to make so much ruckus in front of Ishtar-san. He also had no other choice…… W-what I mean is, let's fight. It is a fact that the humans of this world are facing a crisis. Ignoring their pleas for help after knowing all this, I cannot do it. Moreover, since we were summoned here to save mankind, we may be able to return after this is all over…… Ishtar-san, isn't that right?"
Even from Shirou's point of view, it was an ideal that was too beautiful. A fantasy story like something out of a story.
"That's right. Ehit-sama will definitely answer the wishes of the Saviors."
"We all have special powers right? I've indeed felt an unfathomable power surging up within me since coming to this world."
Shirou doesn't feel anything of the sort though.
"En, that's right. Roughly, each of you should possess powers that are several times to a few dozen times more powerful than the people of this world."
"En, in that case, I'll fight. I'll save the people, and then we can all go home. Regardless of the world or everyone here, I will save them all!"
When Shirou heard that, his heart was pounding. It's like he resonates with that ideal, and is moved by its goodness. That's how he felt. He wondered, why's it so, and if the day will come when that kindness will be rewarded.
Kouki clenched his fist tightly as he made this kind of declaration, while pointlessly exposing shiny teeth. However, just at this moment, his charismatic leadership finally took effect. The students who had given up all hope earlier, gradually regained their calmness and vigor. They were looking at Kouki with sparkling eyes, that was the expression one would reveal when they found hope in despair. Half of the female students sent feverish glances at him.
while everyone in this place was focused on Kouki and didn't notice.
There was someone who looked at Kouki with eyes as if looking at something repulsive.
….
….
After that, Kouki continued to ask Ishtar questions. And there was no one to interfere.
The bizarre scene of a high school student asking a question to the pope of a major religion was unfolding right here.
In the end, Ishtar did not reveal any specific information.
(There's no way Kouki wasn't pushing himself too hard for the others.) thought Shirou.
In an uncertain situation, he tries to show off as someone with power and inspires his classmates. That means that Kouki is trying to shoulder the burden of hardship all by himself.
Then someone stood up and spoke. Ryutaro Sakagami does not have the option of abandoning his friends.
"Ah damn, if it's like that. It would be worrisome to let you go alone…… I'll also fight."
His well-trained and strong body makes his words persuasive to the students around him. He presented himself as a heroic figure and a supportive friend..
Hope eventually turns into expectation.
(Maybe it can be done?)
(Why don't we leave it to Kouki-kun and the others?)
(Maybe you can go home?)
Everyone thought so. Well, almost everyone, except for a few.
"Ryutaro..."
On the other hand, Kouki was moved when he heard that.
He was not going to fight alone.
He was trying to protect my classmates. If he was asked to save the world, he would fight alone if necessary.
Because he was the one in the center of that magic circle.
For Amanogawa Kouki, Ryutaro Sakagami was an irreplaceable friend. And that will probably never change.
"You are not the only one here…… I can't watch this any longer…… I'll fight too." Shizuku said standing up.
"Shizuku……"
"Eh, u-um, if Shizuku is going, I'll also try my best!"
"Kaori……"
The usual group of four were in favor of Kouki. After that, the rest of the classmates also expressed their approval and went with the flow. Aiko-sensei shouted "Noo~" with teary eyes, but her tears were powerless in the face of the mood set by Kouki.
At that time, someone at the end of the table called out to Shizuku and the others.
"...Wait a minute, Yaegashi, Shirasaki."
It was Shiro. He spoke to them, looking no different than usual.
………………..
(Why did I speak up!) His thoughts betrayed what his current expression is.
The day that led to Shirou being picked up by Kiritsugu was swirling around in Shirou's mind.
"What's wrong, Emiya-kun?" Shizuku answered.
"I don't know if we can survive without fighting in this situation. But war means death."
That was an obvious fact.
"I'll train hard so that doesn't happen." Was her answer
"Then, can you still fight even if Amanogawa dies?"
The air suddenly becomes cold. The students' fervor cools down rapidly.
"That is……"
Shizuku was at a loss for words for a moment. Kaori immediately objected.
"Emiya-kun, why would you say something like that!"
"Going to war means being prepared to die."
Shirou continues speaking indifferently, like a machine.
Not showing what he's currently thinking.
(Ahh! What am I doing!! Now Shirasaki-san is mad!)
"I don't know anything about war, and I'm not prepared for it, but if it happens to my friends, I'll have to fight. Shirasaki-san, will you be able to fight even if Nagumo dies?"
Kaori must have imagined the worst scenario for a moment when she heard those words. She was so shaken and confused that she could barely stand.
"W-why...!"
"Emiya! You bastard...!"
"Wait, Hiyama!"
Hiyama was about to punch Shirou, but Kouki stopped him with a voice.
(...Well said, good job me!?.)
Kouki's head also cooled down due to Shirou's words just now. He would definitely make him apologize later for making Kaori so upset, but Kouki didn't want to put the two of them in danger.
but This feeling is not justice or anything. It's just Kouki's selfishness.
"…Are you dissatisfied with Ehito-sama's will?"
Ishtar looks at Shirou with an uncomfortable look.
Ishtar's plan was to have all the people from another world participate in the war. He took some time to do it, but just as he was going about it, something got in the way.
"No, it's not. I hate war. However, I have no grudge against your God Ehito. In fact, I think it's admirable that your God is willing to protect the people of this world."
Shirou was not afraid of Ishtar. But he's getting uncomfortable with the attention he's currently having.
"But if it means putting my friends in danger then, I'll fight."
"...Hehe. You have quite a lot of... contradictory thoughts. You're not against it, but you don't want others to do the same for their friends? Isn't that being arrogant?"
"I don't care if I'm arrogant."
(Aahhhh!! Arrogant my ass, I don't even want to be here!?)
Ishtar was about to object, but Kouki cut him off.
"Ishtar-san. I will definitely save this world. However, in our world, war and violence were not commonplace."
"Do you mean it's a difference in values?"
"Yes. Therefore, there are some among us who are not suited for or unable to fight. This is a personal problem that has nothing to do with Ehito-sama's will."
"..."
Ishtar looks at Kouki with eyes as if judging him.
" understood. So, could we have some time to talk alone?"
Surprisingly, Ishtar agreed.
As a result, the entire student body will be participating in the war. Perhaps the students did not truly understand what it meant to go to war. Perhaps it was a means to escape reality and prevent their minds from breaking apart. While thinking these kinds of things, Shirou secretly observed Ishtar, and saw him expose a very satisfied expression on his face.
Shirou noticed how Ishtar was secretly observing Kouki while explaining the circumstances. He predicted what kind of action that he would take. When he talked about the tragedy that befalls mankind, it was easy to understand Kouki's reaction due to his strong sense of justice. After that, he specifically emphasized the cruelty of the Demons, though it seemed like Kouki still had doubts. Perhaps Ishtar had already seen through everything, he could tell who had the most influence in this group.
This should only come as natural for the elder of the world's largest religion, they are people one should be careful with. Shirou added Ishtar as someone to be careful of in his head.
….
.
Ishtar said everyone would receive a drill at 【Hairihi Kingdom】 located at the foot of this 【Sacred Mountain】. The kingdom had a very close relationship with the Saint's Church. According to rumor, the founder of this country, Sharm Byrne, was the descendant of the God of Creation, Ehit, the only god they worshiped. The country was backed by the Church, so their strong relationship was understandable.
In order to descend the mountain and go to Hairihi Kingdom, Shirou and the rest left from the main gate of the Saint's Church. The Saint's Church seems to be located at the summit of the 【Sacred Mountain】. In short, after they passed through the majestic church gates, the sea of clouds stretched as far as the eyes could see. They did not feel any difficulty in breathing that was often associated with high altitude. As a result, they also didn't notice that they were on a high mountain until a moment ago. Perhaps they had already adjusted the living environment with magic. The brilliant reflection of the sun, the glorious sea of clouds, and the clear blue sky, in the face of these magnificent scenes, Shirou and the rest were awestruck.
Ishtar who carried himself with pride urged them to proceed. Eventually a white circular pedestal surrounded by fences came into their view. Passing through the beautiful corridor that was made of the same material as seen in the cathedral, they were being urged like this until they got onto the pedestal.
There was a huge magic circle carved on the pedestal. On the other side of the fence was a sea of clouds, so the majority of the students gathered in the center while looking around timidly. Ishtar seemed to be chanting something.
「The path of guidance opens for the faithful. 'Heavenly Path'」
At the same time, the magic circle under their feet began to glint with a resplendent light. After that, the pedestal started to move like a cable car, it moved diagonally towards the ground. Clearly, the 'chant' just now activated the magic circle that was engraved on the pedestal. This was precisely a pedestal-shaped cable car. In a sense, seeing 'magic' for the first time made the students excited. They also caused an uproar when the pedestal entered the sea of clouds.
Not long later, they passed through the sea of clouds and could finally see the ground. Underneath them was a big town, no, what they saw was a nation. The building that was standing on the hillside seemed to be a huge castle and radially spreading downwards was the castle town. This was the Hairihi Kingdom's capital city. The tower and imperial palace were connected by a corridor in the sky. It seemed like the pedestal would keep going until it reached the tower.
Shirou scoffed at the sarcastic and superb performance they were putting on. The 'Apostle of God' descended from the heavens by passing through the sea of clouds, it was precisely that kind of image. From the look of it, the church's believer will view anyone like them who had a relationship with the church as divine existences, it wasn't without reason.
During the time when religion and politics were closely tied together. As well as how this kind of thing would bring about all sorts of tragedy later on. All in all, a supernatural power that could influence another world truly existed in this world, and as the name implied, this world was centered around the "Will of God".
The possibility of them returning home, and the fate of this world was all in the hands of god. While overlooking the capital city that gradually became clearer, Shirou suppressed the uneasiness he felt in his heart. In any case, he will do anything he can do. Shirou clenched his fist, and held his breath, then he took a step down from the pedestal besides the bickering Hajime and Yukitoshi about something about bunny girls or cat ears.
After arriving at the Imperial Palace, everyone was guided to the throne room on a straight path. They walked through a corridor with decorations not inferior to the church. Along the way, they had a brief encounter with people who dressed up like knights, or government officials. They also passed by some maids, but all of them looked over here with the same admiring or respectful expression. It must be because they already had a certain degree of understanding regarding the identity of everyone.
Shirou felt uncomfortable. walking right behind the back of the group besides the otaku duo, They finally arrived in front of a huge and beautiful double door with exquisite craftsmanship. On both sides of the door, two soldiers stood at attention. They loudly declared the arrival of Ishtar and the Hero's party. Without even waiting for a reply, they opened the door.
Ishtar just leisurely entered like it was the most natural thing to do. Apart from Kouki and a few others, most of the students passed through the door while trembling with fear.
After entering the doorway, there was a red carpet that extended all the way to the luxurious throne. A middle aged man with a dignified and domineering aura stood in front of the throne and waited for them. The woman beside him was believed to be the queen. Next to her was a 10 year old youngster with blonde hair and blue eyes. Another 14 to 15 year old beautiful young lady was next to him. After that, there were approximately thirty people lined up on both sides of the red carpet. On the left side were people adorned with military armor. On the right side were people who looked like government officials.
Ishtar made the group stop in front of the throne, while he himself proceeded next to the King. After that, the King respectfully received the hand that was extended, and lightly kissed it. Apparently, the Pope had a higher position here. At this moment, Shirou was convinced; The whole country was centered around the 'God'. He sighed inwardly at that.
After that, it was the self-introduction. The King's name was Eric S. B. Hairihi, the Queen, was probably called Luaria. The blond haired youngster was Prince Randell, and the princess was called Liliana. After that, the prime minister, knight commander, and other people with high status also introduced themselves. The youngster's gaze seemed to be drawn towards Kaori. Apparently, Kaori's charm was also effective in another world.
After this, they were called together for an evening meal, and were able to enjoy this world's cuisine. The outer appearance seemed like that of the Earth's Western-style food. They would occasionally be served food with pink dressing and drinks that radiated with seven colors, it was very delicious.
Prince Randell kept finding an opportunity to speak with Kaori, the boys and some of the girls in the class looked at this situation anxiously. As for Hajime, his expression seems to say, 'point the spearhead at His Highness', though, it might be out of the question for a 10-year-old boy……sighing Shirou just ignored them and listened quietly.
In the imperial palace, they would be provided with shelter, food, and clothing, and they were also introduced to the military instructors. The instructors were handpicked from the Knights, and Imperial Court Mages. This would allow them to develop friendships for the forthcoming war.
They were disbanded after the evening meal, each person was led to their own room. Shirou was not the only one amazed by the bed that had a canopy over it. Staying in such a luxurious room, Shirou was unable to calm down. It had been such a tiring day, he felt as if his entire body was melting. After he laid down, his consciousness slowly drifted off.
The next day; Training and lectures started immediately.
First, each of the students were given a 12 cm x 7 cm silver plate. The students looked at the plates curiously. Knight Commander Meld Loggins personally started to explain.
He once thought, "Would we be training together with the Knight Commander" kind of thing. From the look of things, entrusting the "Hero's Party" to some half-baked instructor was out of the question, or so it seems. Commander Meld just laughed heartily, he was saved since he could push all the responsibility to the Vice Commander! So it should be fine. However, it was impossible for Vice Commander-san to be fine with it……
"Alright, did everyone get one? These plates are called the Status Plates. As the name implies, these plates will show your status in numerical value. It is the most reliable identity card. As long as you have this, it doesn't matter even if you become a lost child. Any questions regarding the aforementioned?"
Meld spoke in a very carefree manner. He had an unconstrained and big-hearted nature, "We will be comrade-in-arms from now on, what's the point of using honorific! Just talk with the other knights as you normally would." And so they were given a word of advice like this.
It was better for everyone if the atmosphere was more relaxed, being addressed politely by an elder would only make them feel uncomfortable.
"There is a magic circle carved on one side of the plate. Use a needle to pierce your finger, and drip a drop of your blood there. Then the owner of that plate will be registered. Once the word "Display Status" shows up, you will be able to view your own status. Ahh, you want to hear the theory? I don't know that kind of thing. This is some kind of divine artifact from the age of God. "
"Divine Artifact?"
Hearing an unfamiliar word such as the divine artifact, Kouki raised a question.
"Divine artifacts are powerful tools that cannot be recreated with modern means. Legend says they were created by God and his kin during the age of God. The status plate is the only divine artifact that can be reproduced, it is the only divine artifact that has been spread worldwide since ancient times. In normal circumstances, a divine artifact would be treated as a national treasure, but this one was also distributed to the generally public. Because it is such a convenient identity card."
So that is the case, the students nodded in understanding and frowned as they pierced their fingers with the needle. Then they smeared their blood on the magic circle. As a result, the magic circle flickered with a faint radiance for a split second. Shirou did the same and smeared his blood on the plate. When he looked at the surface, as a result……
Emiya Shirou 16 Year old Male
Class:Archer Level:1
Strength:15 Vitality:9
Resistance:8 Agility:10
Magic Power:3 Magic Resistance: 27
Skills:
Projection • Reinforcement • Language Comprehension
The stats were displayed. Looking at his own status, he felt as if he had become a character in a game, is it low or normal? The other students were also unable to take their eyes off the Status Plates though, Hajime seems down and Yukitoshi is cheering him up. Commander Meld continued to explain about the Status Plate.
"Did everyone see it? May I start the explanation now? First, let us go over the "level", shall we? The level will increase when your other stats increase. The max level for a human is 100. In other words, you can think of level as a way to judge a person's potential. Level 100, that signifies one has reached the pinnacle of mankind's full potential. No such person really exists though."
It seems like the stats do not increase after leveling up like in the games Hajime and Yukitoshi like to play.
"Training everyday will naturally increase your stats, the use of magic and magic tools can also make the stats increase. In addition, the other stats of those with high magic power will naturally be above average too. Although we don't know the whole detail, it is believed that magic power would subconsciously improve the body's performance. One last thing, you all can look forward to the equipment you will be using in the future. After all, the national treasury will open its door for the heroes who are going to save the nation!"
From what Commander Meld had said, their stats can increase by many folds without having to fight Magic Beasts. Nevertheless, they still need to steadily polish their skills.
"Next, shall we go over the"Class "? Simply put, that is your "talent", it is interlinked with the "skills" displayed at the bottom of your Status Plate. Within the domain of the classes, the skills can exhibit unparallelled talent. It is very rare for people to possess a class.
The classes can be divided into two categories: combatant and noncombatant. A combatant only shows up in one out of thousand people with classes. In some circumstances, there might only be one out of ten thousand. Noncombatants only show up in one out of hundred people. Out of those noncombatants, there might be one out of ten with a rare class. Most of the noncombatants are production staff."
Shirou took a look at his stats, and indeed, "Archer" was written in the Class column. Apparently, his talent seemed to be "Reinforcement" and"Projection" huh? Doesn't it seem mismatched with my class?. Well, according to what they heard from Ishtar, Shirou and the rest came from a higher ranked world, so their specs should be much higher than the people of Tortus. This kind of situation should only be natural. While thinking like this, Shirou couldn't help but lift the corners of his mouth. people always did say he's talented with the bow., of course he will be very happy. However, after hearing Commander Meld's following words, his joyful feeling was blown away, the annoying sweats started to break out.
"After that is… everyone's stats is as you have seen. Normally the stats are around 10 when you are at level 1. Well, you guys should have several times higher than that! So enviable! Ah, please report the contents on your status plate to me. This is so we can develop a training regimen that fits each of you."
In this world, the average stats of a level 1 is around 10. Shirou's stats is a beautiful series of ups and downs, highest being his magic resistance being at 27 while his magic power is at a staggering 3 points.. He wiped off the annoying sweat and was in a totally confused state.
(Ehh~? No matter how you look at it, the values are so uneven…… aren't they so chaotically uneven? Aren't I supposed to have a boost? I'm n-n-n-not? ……Other than me, is everyone the same? As expected, it probably has no significant meaning in the beginning……)
Clinging to that hope, Shirou looked at his surroundings. Everyone's face was gleaming with radiance, none of them were breaking out in cold sweat like Shirou, well except for the seemingly down Hajime who's constantly glaring at Yukitoshi who's trying to cheer him up.
After Commander Meld stopped talking, Kouki was the first to step forward to report his status. His status was……
Amanogawa Kouki 17 Year old Male
Class:Hero Level:1
Strength:100 Vitality:100
Resistance:100 Agility:100
Magic Power:100 Magic Resistance:100
Skills:
All Elemental Aptitude • All Elemental Resistance • Physical Resistance • Complex Magic • Swordplay • Herculean Strength • Ground Shrink • Foresight • High Speed Magic Recovery • Presence Perception • Magic Perception • Limit Break • Language Comprehension
He was practically the incarnation of cheat.
"Hou~ Truly worthy of Hero-sama. Level 1 already has a three digit value…… I'm a little shocked. Even the skills are not the common two or three…… this guy is out of the norm! Seems very reliable!"
"No way~ Ahaha……"
After receiving the commander's words of praise, Kouki scratches his head bashfully. By the way, the commander was level 62. His average stats was around 300, and his strength was considered top-notch in this world. However, Kouki was only level 1 and already had close to one-third of his stats. With this growth rate, surpassing him with ease was only a matter of time.
By the way, the skills seemed to be an innate talent, there was no means to improve them. The only exception was "Derivation Skill." This was the outcome from polishing one's skill for many years, this was the skill one could acquire after "stepping over" the so-called wall. In simple terms, it was a skill that you never had before, but one day, you suddenly grasped the essence of the skill and improved your proficiency.
In the eyes of the others, Kouki was special, not only did he have cheat-like stats, for some reason this guy also had a combatant class…… Shirou gazed at the "Archer" written in the status column, he could understand why, it's maybe because he's in the archery club. He only had three skills, and moreover, one of them was the default "language comprehension" skill. In other words, he only had two skills in reality. Shirou gradually revealed a dry smile. After Hajime showed his status plate, it seemed to have elicited a strange reaction from him, though it ended soon enough. According to the sequence, it was finally his turn to reveal the Status Plate to Commander Meld.
Until now, Commander Meld was smiling ear to ear from seeing all those out of norm stats though except when he saw Hajime's. He was happy to have received so many super powerful comrade-in-arms. "Eh?" The commander's smiling expression froze as he groaned. Meanwhile, he muttered, "Did I see wrongly?" and tapped the Status Plate a few times. Following that, he held it up to the light, and after staring at it for a while, he returned the plate to Shirou with a very subtle expression.
"Ah… um… How to say this, ah… this Archer is a combat profession…un, I'm sure that as long as you train hard and raise your level you'll do just fine. It's very convenient for the vanguards if there's an archer in the rear acting as a support for everyone……"
Commander Meld was tongue-tied when describing the class to Shirou, might be because of the chaotic stat distribution. While grinning, Hiyama Daisuke approached him.
"Hey hey, Emiya. What class did you get? Did you know, Hajime is a synergist, and seems to be a branch of blacksmith. He could make us free weapons now , though his stats are shitty hahaha. …Is there something wrong, Medl-san?"
"…… No, it's just, it's my first time seeing stats like this. Well, not exactly. But hajime-dono is kind of a special case."
Looking at the status plate, Hiyama nods.
"Hey hey, Shirou~ How are you going to fight like this? Is it gonna make your aim miss?"
Hiyama threw his arm around Shirou's shoulder, which started to annoy Shirou. He doesn't like being questioned about his accuracy. Shirou didn't notice but, Hajime and Yukitoshi are looking at him with worry.
"Sa~a, I've never missed."
"Oh my! Let us see then, then we'll be counting on you, captain~!"
It seems like it's Hiyama's way of cheering him up, though it's a bit crude in his opinion. His three lackeys also joined the fray. They give the impression of lowlifes that would curry the favor of the strong and bully the weak, though sometimes looks can be deceiving. In fact, Kaori, Shizuku, and many others exposed an unhappy expression to Hiyama and the others, probably another misunderstanding.
(He's clearly in love with Kaori, yet he doesn't get in between Her and Hajime, why won't he do anything?)
While thinking about that kind of thing, they joined the others..
"Puhahahahahahaha~ but! This is one chaotic stat!"
"Kyahahahahahahaha~ more precisely speaking, his lowest is 3!, hes weaker than Hajime who might be even weaker than a children in this region~"
"Hih~hihihihi~ No way! This! Haha~ you'll be a princess in the rear!"
At that, Shirou's brows keep twitching in annoyance while sporting a stiff smile, clearly getting more annoyed, though he let them.
Shizuku angrily approaches Hiyama and the gang who's joking about his stats. However, before she got there, someone else let out a voice filled with anger. It was Aiko-sensei.
"Kora-! What are you guys laughing at? Laughing at your fellow classmates is something a teacher will never allow! Un, the teacher will absolutely not allow it!"
Aiko-sensei tried to express her anger as well as she could with her tiny body. Perhaps they were overpowered by this hardly complacent aura, so they stopped laughing.
Aiko-sensei turned around to face Shirou and tried to cheer him up by patting his shoulders.
"Emiya-kun, don't mind it at all. Teacher is a non-combatant. (Her voice wavered for a moment) Just like my class, my stats are also average. So Emiya-kun, you don't need to worry about being the only one with that status!"
While saying "Look!", Aiko-sensei showed her Status Plate.
Hatakeyama Aiko 25 Year old. Female
Class:Agriculturalist. Level:1
Strength:5. Vitality:10
Resistance:10. Agility:5
Magic Power:100. Magic Resistance:10
Skills:
Soil Management • Soil Restoration • Wide-Range Cultivation • Growth Stimulation • Selective Breeding • Plant Appraisal • Fertilizer Production • Mixed Breeding • Auto Harvest • Fermentation Operation • Wide-Range Temperature Adjustment • Farm Enhancement • Harvest Rain • Language Comprehension
Shirou looked at the status plate with some amazement.
"Ehh~? What's the matter? Nagumo-kun!" Aiko-sensei asks as she faces and shakes Hajime who suddenly collapses while muttering something about her being more cheat than him. Indeed, her overall stats was on the low side, and it was obvious at a glance that her class was noncombatant, but…… her Magic Power was already comparable to the Hero. She also had quite a number of skills. Food supply is a big problem in wars. She possessed an extremely outstanding class as a replacement. In other words, Aiko-sensei was good enough to be considered a cheat.
Hajime, who might have been a little insecure about his stats, got hit by a stray bullet.
"Ara Ara, Hajime-kun got hit in the crossfire by Ai-chan……"
"Na-Nagumo-kun! Are you okay?"
Seeing Hajime's reaction, Shizuku smiled bitterly. Kaori ran in front of him and asked anxiously. "Ehh~?" Aiko-sensei just tilted her head in confusion, but the students just used a warm gaze to look at the clueless girl.
Anyway, her goal to stop the bullying had been achieved, even if there's nothing to begin with. At least It seemed like Hajime was positive about his future prospects, due to Yukitoshi suggesting several ways to use his powers. Though His face was painted with a wry smile.
Shirou just looked at them with a faint smile.
….
…..
For two weeks, they trained. Sometimes, Shirou joined Hajime and Yukitoshi in the library, and gave input on what they are trying to make. It seems like both of them thought about making a gun. Sometimes even Shirasaki-san joined, though it gets Yukitoshi always annoyed because of their constant flirting.
He trained to coordinate with Kouki and the others, and tried to figure out what his skills do and also Talked with Nakamura and Taniguchi about their magic skills. It seems like taniguchi is something like a tamer, or summoner? While Nakamura is a necromancer.
Reinforcement, simple enough,.it reinforced anything that he poured mana in, whether it be an object or his body.
projection…all he can think about is the classroom's projector, in which it can project an image. Well, he succeeded, he projected an image, though shizuku and Hiyama said it's just like a decoy illusion.
In those two weeks, Shirou's stats have also increased, albeit slowly.
Emiya Shirou 16 Year old Male
Class:Archer Level:3
Strength:18. Vitality:12
Resistance:11. Agility:13
Magic Power:6. Magic Resistance: 30
Skills:
Projection • Reinforcement • Language Comprehension
It seems like his status increases at a 1:1 ratio with his level. This was the result of Shirou's hard training for the past two weeks…..at least it's increasing?. By the way, let's take a look at Kouki's stats.
Amanogawa Kouki. 17 Year old Male
Class:Hero. Level:10
Strength:200. Vitality:200
Resistance:200. Agility:200
Magic Power:200. Magic Resistance:200
Skills:
All Elemental Aptitude • All Elemental Resistance • Physical Resistance • Complex Magic • Swordplay • Herculean Strength • Ground Shrink • Foresight • High Speed Magic Recovery • Presence Perception • Magic Perception • Limit Break • Language Comprehension
His growth rate was about five times that of Shirou's. Moreover, Shirou had also realized that he did not have an aptitude for magic, despite clearly having a magic based skill. What's the deal with having no magic affinity? Let's start by explaining the concept of magic in this world.
The process of utilizing magic in Tortus was by channeling magic power from one's body into a magic circle by means of an incantation, which would then activate the magic spells. There was no way to directly activate the spells with magic power, one must construct the corresponding magic circles to cast the respective spells.
Also, the magic power that was channeled into the magic circle would increase in proportion to the incantation time. The scale of the magic circle would magnify in accordance to the complexity of the spell, which will inevitably lead the magic circle itself to become larger.
On the other hand, there are exceptions to these concepts. That is one's aptitude. Basically aptitude means that some people with a unique body constitution could leave out some formulas when using magic spells. For example, a person with the fire-type aptitude will not require to write the attribute section of the magic formula. Instead, one can rely on imagination to make-up for this omission. Instead of writing the attribute section, one can just imagine the fire while chanting the incantation, which will then bring out the fire attribute in the spell.
Most people will have some sort of aptitude, and the aforementioned 20 cm diameter of a magic circle is an estimate for an average person. In Shirou's case, he does not have any aptitude.. Other than the two skills are the five basic techniques, he still had to add in the speed, trajectory, diffusion rate, control rate, and such meticulous techniques. Thus, Shirou required a magic circle close to 5 kilometers wide to launch a 【Fireball】 spell. This would not be practical in a real-combat scenario.
…..
Usually after the training ended, they would have free time till dinner time. However this time, Commander Meld held everybody back for an announcement. The students were wondering what was going on as Commander Meld used a deep voice to announce.
"From tomorrow onward, we will be conducting our practical training in Orcus Great Dungeon. All the necessary equipment will be prepared by us, I want to use the Magic Beasts outside the capital as practice targets. More importantly, get your spirits up! Have a good rest tonight! Dismiss!"
He quickly conveyed the important announcement like this. Amongst the hustling and bustling of the students, Shirou sat at the end as he looked up at the sky.
(…Will I be able to protect them?.)
….
【Orcus Great Dungeon】
This was a huge labyrinth that consisted of a hundred floors. As one of the Seven Great Dungeons, the lower you go, the stronger the Magic Beasts become. Even so, this dungeon was a very popular place for mercenaries and adventurers. It was also a great training ground for new recruits; That was because it was easy to judge the strength of the Magic Beasts in accordance with the dungeon floor. Moreover, the Magic Beasts in the dungeons also possessed higher quality Magic Stones in their body compared to the Magic Beasts in the wilderness.
The Magic Stone is the core that provides power to the Magic Beast. The stronger the Magic Beast, the higher quality the core is. These Magic Stones are used as raw materials to make the magic circles. The magic circle could be activated as long as it was completed, but the effect was only one-third when comparing the magic circle drawn by oneself to the magic circle drawn by using Magic Stone Powder.
In brief, using Magic Stones could effectively improve the efficiency of magic. In addition, the magic tools used in everyday life were also powered by Magic Stones. There was a very high demand for these Magic Stones; It was essential for both the armies and everyday life.
By the way, powerful Magic Beasts with high quality Magic Stones can use inherent magic. Inherent Magic does not require incantation and magic circles. It is the only spell the Magic Beast can use, the same species of Magic Beast will not be able to use all sorts of spells even if they possess magic power. But in place of that, the Magic Beast doesn't require incantation and magic circles to perform the spell. This is the biggest reason one cannot be negligent when confronting the Magic Beast.
Commander Meld led a group of knights, and brought the students to their temporary lodging at a small town of. 【Holward】. The adventurers who wished to challenge 【Orcus Great Dungeon】 would stay here. Tonight, they were going to stay at an inn managed by the Kingdom, which was exclusive for the new recruits.
Shirou, who had not seen a normal room in a long time, lay down on the bed and let out a breath, "Whew~". All the rooms were designed for two people, but only Shirou got a room for himself. "Well, at least I can relax this way." Shirou did not let that bother him and muttered as such. He wasn't lonely and what not, not at all……
Tomorrow is the day they will challenge the dungeon. It seems like they will only challenge up to the twentieth floor. This way, even someone as weak as Shirou will be useful. Even if the commander didn't say it with his own mouth.
As for Shirou, other than feeling sorry for being a burden, he really had nothing else to say.……
The timid Hajime also did not say anything after reading the atmosphere around him.
Shirou took a moment to read the Magic Beasts illustrated handbook he borrowed from Hajime. However, in order to let his tired body rest for a while, he decided to sleep earlier.
However, as he slept, his desire to be of help and not be a burden, his desire for strength in order to protect his classmates, sent him to a world of unlimited blades.
….
Outside Hajime's room.
'unknown POV '
'What the fuck is happening?!' thoughts of the unknown student.
'Why isn't the plot going the way it's supposed to! Why's Hiyama not bullying that nagumo?! And isn't that Emiya Shirou supposed to be in another franchise?! Is this a fucking crossover? Fuck!'
Stomping on the grass, he looked up to the sky.
'Hey, system! What is happening?!...hah! You don't know? Fuck! So much for a fckng golden finger! Fckng useless! And why didn't I transmigrate sooner and not at the goddamn summoning scene! I could have bagged Kaori!' taking a deep breath, he tried to calm down.
"Hah~fuh~, no I'll get her later, for now I'll focus on following Hajime so that I'll know where that Godstone is at. After getting it, I'll feed him to the bear, and I get the vampire. Yes, huh? A quest? Follow him to the Abby's? Well, accept. I'm planning to go anyway. Punishment…the fuck? Castration!" growling he seems to press something in the air.
" Fuck! I'll go watch the midnight rendezvous." He said and ran to hide opposite of the vase in the hallway.
After seeing Kaori enter and exit a few minutes later, he still didn't see the figure or Hiyama daisuke.
"Shit…! It's that mother fuckers doing isn't it? Is he perhaps another transmigrator? But, he seems to not know anything, and that speech back then...is he the real deal? Well, There's nothing to worry about that pussy. Ah! Nevermind that, as long as nothing goes wrong tomorrow, with my system I will become powerful and they will not be able to do anything to me." Saying so, he turned to go to his room, not knowing that someone had eavesdropped on his monologue.
….end pov….
Right now, everyone in the class gathered in front of the entrance to the 【Orcus Great Dungeon】.
Shirou had imagined a dark gloomy entrance, but instead he found something that looked like a museum. It even had a reception desk at the side of the entrance. A uniformed big sister with a beautiful smile was inspecting the people who entered and left the dungeon. In brief, their work here was to inspect the Status Plate, and record the number of people who entered and left the dungeon to accurately pinpoint the death toll. With the war nearing, this was the method they adopted to avoid more casualties than necessary.
On the plaza near the entrance, there were many stalls lined up. All the shop owners were trying to promote their own goods. It was like a festival. This place was a popular area to earn money because people would naturally gather here. There were many foolish people who challenged the dungeon haughtily, which ended with them losing their life. The dungeon's back alleys also seemed to attract criminal activities. However, with the war coming, they didn't want to have any internal conflicts, so the Adventurer Guild and Kingdom worked together with a common goal in mind. The venue beside the entrance was a place where the materials were traded. The treasures obtained by the adventurers would be exchanged for money there.
While the class was looking around like country bumpkins, they followed behind Commander Meld like ducklings following their mother.
——end of arifureta chapter ——
—————————————————————————
——Overlord World——
—————————————————————————
Rising from bed, Emiya Shirou, 28 years old is currently nursing his head that aches as if he had a bad hangover. Taking out his phone to inform his higher ups that he won't be able to clock in due to him being sick.
After having breakfast and cleaning the house, he has the rest of the day free to do what he wants.
Going to his room, which appears to be Spartan in appearance, with only the bed, a chair and a desk with a computer. But the device that is sitting on the table is what Emiya needed to log in, and to see if what he speculated if it's true.
In the year 2138 AD there was a term: DMMO-RPG.
That word was an acronym for "Dive Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game".
These games were played by connecting a dedicated console to the brain via a neuronal nano-interface — an intracerebral nanocomputer network, created from the fusion of cyber- and nanotechnology.
These were games that allowed one to enter a virtual world and experience it as though it were real life.
And among the myriad DMMO-RPGs that thronged the market, one of them stood head and shoulders above the others:
YGGDRASIL.
This game had been painstakingly developed and released twelve years ago, in 2126 by the company Kaleido.co
Compared to other DMMO-RPGs of the time, YGGDRASIL's selling point was "player freedom". The company's motto being 'countless possibilities'.
It had over two thousand basic and advanced job classes.
Every class had a maximum of fifteen levels, and so in order to reach the overall level cap of one hundred, one would need to take at least seven different classes. However, players could take as many classes as they wanted as long as they met each class's prerequisites. A player could even take a hundred classes at level one each, although that was very inefficient. As such, in this system, it was virtually impossible to make identical characters unless one was deliberately trying to do so.
In addition, one could use various creator tools (sold separately) to fully customize one's armor, weaponry, flavor text, appearance, and other cosmetic settings.
A vast playing field awaited its players. There were nine worlds in total: Asgard, Alfheim, Vanaheim, Nidavellir, Midgard, Jotunheim, Niflheim, Helheim, and Muspelheim.
It boasted a massive world, numerous classes, and freely customizable appearances.
These features ignited the creative spirits of its Japanese players, and sparked what would later be known as a stylistic revolution. So popular was it that whenever the word "DMMO-RPG" was mentioned in Japan, listeners would immediately think of YGGDRASIL.
—Still, all these were things of the past now.
A gigantic round table carved of gleaming black oak sat in the center of the room, surrounded by 13 luxurious chairs.
However, most of those seats were occupied by NPC's who looked like knights, currently all pointing their swords towards the center of the table. The most eye-catching one is of course the one with a lion helmet.
And surrounding them are chairs arranged like a college classroom encircling them but divided in the direction of the massive double door. And sitting on them are several figures that radiate beauty and power, and behind them are doors their size, it is the portal towards their own floor of the base.
every single place had been filled, except for the big chair that looks the most simple and ordinary of all which is facing the two massive double doors as if protecting everything.
Currently seated was a Man in a magnificent red and silver armor, edged in blue and gold. The collar seemed excessively gaudy, but somehow it fit the overall design.
The exposed head sporting a tuft of long flowing red hair.
in its eyes are glowing reptilian eyes of molten gold, and behind him glowed a halo of golden radiance.
That lone figure was a Dragon lord— the highest-ranked of those dragonic kinds, having obtained the largest hoard and the most powerful of gears and weapons, and custom NPCs which are the prerequisites; he was regarded as the final boss of Yggdrasil. Well, courtesy of the majority being that of paid items, you could say everything here is approximately over 4 million dollars.
This is the avatar of Emiya's Shirou in the world of Yggdrasil.
In YGGDRASIL, players could choose their character races from three broad groups; humanoid, demihuman and heteromorphic.
Humanoids were the basic player type and comprised humans, dwarves, wood elves, and the like. Demihumans tended to be ugly, but possessed superior attributes to humanoids. Examples of demihumans were goblins, beastmen, ogres, and so on. Finally, heteromorphic races had monstrous abilities, but despite their stats being generally higher than those of other races, they also possessed various drawbacks. There were around seven hundred playable races in total, including the advanced versions of these races.
Naturally, the Dragon lord is among the high-tier heteromorphic races that were playable.
Standing up and turning around to face them, he scanned every figure.
" As I thought.. It's exactly the same." With crossed arms and furrowed brows, he looked at all the heroic spirits that were gathered inside this mausoleum.
" 'sigh', it's no use thinking about it. I just wished I could have personal data of everything, well, at least the Dev's are willing to at least refund the 50% of everything."
Sitting down once again, he faced the massive double doors, the door has seen plenty of battles, if other players want to invade they have to first destroy it. It was only breached for at least 23 times, some are of the strongest humanoid players and demi human players, and the ones who breached it for at least 6 times are one of the strongest heteromorphic guilds.
(I think they call themselves Ainz Ooal Gown now?) One who gave him the most impression of them all was a player named Touch me, which he also became friends with despite being in a different guild. Well, Emiya couldn't really call his own guild, being the only player that is.
He had worked hard to maintain the guild precisely because he had built it up along with everything he ever had, his dreams, tears, blood and sweat, and finally the 4 million dollars he has worked hard for being a mercenary, and retiring to become a detective. but hearing that the game which he has painstakingly worked hard for is shutting down sparked a mix of complicated emotions in his heart. However, these feelings dispersed like mist as he sighed once more.
He might have been more upset if it's him yesterday, but after last evening, he really could feel as if he already accepted everything, that losing everything for him was natural.
So he merely sat there, watching as the timer for the end to reach zero, he already, took several pictures to remember them by earlier that day.
" It was fun, despite everything."
Silence descended once more — Shirou's word's came from the bottom of his heart.
In the end, it was better that it had remained as it is, just a memory for him.
(Unknown to death, nor known to life..huh.)
As he received the memories from the archer, he knew that they were not merely a figment of his imagination. They in fact are alive, well, not alive per se, but they existed.
"Let's meet up again somewhere… huh."
Let's meet up again somewhere. Even if you have no memory of me.
See you again.
He had said these words several times before, but they had never come true.
"This is the end for my imitation of the throne of heroes huh?"
He Looked towards the walls where an elaborate murals depicting every legend of every heroic spirit is currently here now.
—he looked down and picked up the sheath leaning against his chair. It has a blue body and is decorated in golden motifs, in the middle of the body near the base are writings of the feys.
Avalon, the ever distant utopia, the sheath of king Arthur and Excalibur, it is also the symbol for his guild.
Guild weapons were typically kept hidden away in safe places and not used for their tremendous powers because a guild would be disbanded if its associated guild weapon was destroyed. Though he doesn't have to worry about that being that he's the only member.
This was the reason why he remained one of the strongest players in Yggdrasil, it had been tailor-made to complement his abilities, it takes from his almost endless vitality to heal its user.
(You have been with me all this time huh?) He smiled and caressed the sheath. Looking at the timer almost reaching zero, he didn't notice the glow emanating from it.
[00:00:05]
It's time.
[00:00:04]
Well, what do I do after everything ends? Should I build an orphanage?
[00:00:03]
Well, he's got plenty of money anyway, and nothing to spend on. Good thing I talked about it with the nun in my previous orphanage.
[00:00:02]
I wonder what the other kids are doing.
[00:00:01]
Is there gonna be fireworks, when it reaches zero?
[00:00:00]
Well, time to wake up.
….
…
Huh?
…
Opening his eyes several times the scene didn't change. He's still looking at the two massive double doors with intertwining dragons.
Standing up in a panic, the sheath clattered on the marble floor.
'wait, wait, wait! Huh? Didn't the timer reach zero? Wait, where's the menu screen?!'
Caught up in his panic, he didn't sense someone approaching.
"My Lord, is something the matter?" Voice like a twinkling bell spoke to him.
Startled, he looked towards the voice, there shouldn't have been anyone besides him in this room, why is there suddenly a voice?
Yet the figure he saw was not that of a stranger. It was the NPC who was modeled after a stunning woman, wearing an armor with yellow and blue, with a sword at her waist and holding a Battle standard, a battle flag which she wielded in life, a saint of renown in the battle of France, Jean D'Arc there stood looking at him with worry.
But, this merely increased his rising panic, yet he didn't show it. And looking behind her, he saw that every NPC was looking at him with apt attention.
"... no, nothing to worry about." He replied, yet his mind is racing a mile a second thinking about why she is suddenly talking. She even seemed sentient, with her expression and all, even the others look realistic. But how, this situation could only be described as a work of True magic. But the world he's currently in was different than the one Archer was….. wait, true magic? Another world?... Then he remembered the name of the company who developed Yggdrasil.. then facing the sky, his expression one could only describe as Fury of unequaled magnitude, and voice as if it came from the depths of hell.
".. Zelretch!!!!" he roared.
——overlord chapter end——
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——Growing Tired of the Lazy High Elf Life X Sousou no frieren chapter ——
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Deep Within the forest where all elves and high elves dwell, which is called the Puruha Great sea of Trees. Well, specifically, high elves dwell within the center of the deep forest while elves live in the outer part, partly due to high elves being the guardians of the immortal bird, and elves not being able to live being in contact with such pure forms of energy.
Aesir sat at the root of the sapling of a divine tree. Well, even though it is a sapling it's height already reached some of the skyscrapers back in his old world.
With crossed arms his expression could be described as one of being constipated.
Sighing, he looked down at the elf currently using his lap as a pillow, and the elf looked back.
" Are you feeling unwell Aesir-sama?" It asked.
"...no, nothing. I was just thinking that you'll be of age soon in two years huh, Serie?." He answered with a shake of his head, and proceeded to caress her hair, which she seemed to enjoy. She looked like a cat, which he found cute. Serie is an elf with golden hair and golden eyes. She possesses large pointed ears and a youthful appearance, wearing her hair loose except for four portions that she has tied at the base. Her bangs, which frame her face, have also been tied off at the bottom. She is without footwear. But has two bangles or wrappings on her ankles, which he gave as a gift after 700 years he's known about her.
Elves live up to 3000 years while high elves could reach up to 10,000 before they discard their mortal flesh become spirits of the world. And now Serie is 798 years old, nearly reaching 800 in two years, which is the coming of age for Elves, and they would be able to go out and leave the spirit forest while high elves are 4000 years old, usually they are forbidden from venturing out unless the world was burned by one of the guardians of the world, the true dragons.
The spirit forest has a barrier in which it acts as a protection for the people of the forest, only allowing those who have come of age to leave, even as a high elf can't bypass it. He is now 3,350, meaning his coming of age is still 150 years away.
".un, that's right! That means I would be able to go on an adventure soon and discover more magic!" she said excitedly. Technically, elves are blessed by spirits, they can use the force of the world by way of spirit magic, which is said by the elders and those who returned from outside that it is stronger than magic created by mankind, though it did little to dissuade her enthusiasm listening to the stories, and learning magic from those elves who became adventurers.
The elves might not be able to clearly see spirit except for a select few who can, but they can sense them. A high elf could clearly see them,to the elves, a high elf looked like they were glowing, it might've been Because their souls are spirits. Well, that's what Serie said at least.
" Well, be careful and make sure to stay out of trouble okay." He said with a soft smile.
"Mu, please stop treating me like a child, Aesir-sama."she said with a pout, he merely gave her a smile.
"There's still two years, that means you're technically still a child." he said with a slight mirth in his tone.
Living as a high elf and not being able to leave and do anything except laze or train, for over 3 thousand years, he completely adapted the life of one. Even his supposed distortion was somehow partly fixed and while not changing his core values, courtesy to the high elf and elf elders, who had plenty of life experience, acting as his therapist, which started over 300 years after his reincarnation. It allowed him to slow down and take in the world slowly.
"... then I'll prepare a surprise for you, consider it a coming of age birthday gift." He said with a smile to the pouting elf.
"Really! What is it?" she asked with sparkly eyes.
" Well, it won't be a surprise if you knew. Just wait, I'm sure you'll love it." The young elf seemed to deflate at that but bounced back after. Chuckling at her cute expressions, he began to think about what present he would make for her.