Please Play FGO With Me

Play FGO With Me Author: Qian Yu

"A person who plays FGO is an Ally of Justice!"

By: Mash Kyrielight

PS: This book is a story about Shirou Emiya not becoming a Heroic Spirit, but being reborn into a new world.

Chapter 01: Ally of Justice?

"Shirou-senpai! Do you want to become an Ally of Justice?"

"Eh?"

This was the Kyudo club room. A shelf in the corner held rows of wooden and carbon bows, with quivers stacked beside them. In the entryway cabinet, a pair of shoes, one large and one small, were placed.

The pink-haired girl, dressed in a black and white Kyudo uniform, leaned forward and looked at the boy who was fiddling with his archery equipment with his head down, asking him earnestly.

The boy, also wearing a Kyudo uniform, was surprised by her question. He looked up at the pink-haired girl who was looking at him with a serious expression, wondering how she knew his ideal from his past life.

The girl wore red-rimmed glasses, with a long fringe covering her right eye. Her purple eyes held a purity and flawlessness like that of a child, sometimes making her seem like an innocent child unaware of the world.

Yet, she had a great figure. Despite being only a first-year high school student, her form-fitting Kyudo uniform accentuated her two "marshmallows," making her look like a combination of an angel's face and a devil's body.

In response to the girl's question, the boy thought for a moment and replied with a smile, "Mash, the Kyudo uniform and glasses suit you very well."

"Ah... Um, thank you..." The pink-haired girl was taken aback by his words, then shyly lowered her head. Unconcealed joy, however, bloomed on her face. She lowered her head, cupped her face with both hands, and whispered.

In the pure girl's mind, Gudako, who was now far away, appeared. She thought, 'Senpai... what should I do? If you don't come over soon, I... I'll...'

'She's so easily fooled, this kouhai,' the boy thought, a light chuckle escaping his lips. He picked up his bow again, his arm held level. At this moment, his drawing hand and the arrow formed a perfectly straight horizontal line as he shot.

This wooden bow was made by the boy himself. Every part had been polished multiple times. The bow and the boy's body and mind were in harmony, becoming one. Every movement, every breath was so coordinated, as precise as a shooting machine. With a swish, the arrow hit the 'target' character precisely in the center of the archery target.

The boy's posture when shooting was always a pleasure to watch, almost like a performance of art. The pink-haired girl by his side was mesmerized by the scene.

Chinese civilization has long spoken of the gentleman mastering the Five Classics and Six Arts, among which 'Archery' was one of the Six Arts. Confucius once said, "Archery is like the cultivation of a gentleman; if you miss the bullseye, you must look for the reason within yourself."

This meant that archery, like a gentleman's self-cultivation, required one to find the reason for missing the target within oneself.

Due to practicing in two lifetimes, the boy had now reached the realm of a grandmaster, elevating his archery skills to an art form, just as the ancient sage had said.

His archery was already near perfect. As long as he concentrated, adopted the correct posture, and aimed, there was no reason for him to miss. Before the arrow was even shot, its hitting the target was already a certainty.

"Wait! That's not what I meant, Shirou-senpai! I'm serious!" Mash finally reacted and protested with dissatisfaction.

"Anyway! You just want to invite me to play a game, right?" The boy waved his hand, pointing at the two "marshmallows" on Mash's chest that gathered people's hearts, and stated it directly.

The boy had long ago noticed the faint imprint of a mobile phone hidden beneath the girl's prominent cleavage.

Your intentions are already exposed, you busty, shallow, internet-addicted girl!

"Shirou-senpai, this game is different! Playing FGO is justice! No bad people play FGO! Everyone who plays FGO is my senpai! All players are working hard every day to save the world and save human history. Senpai, won't you also become an Ally of Justice with me!" Mash said, reaching into her Kyudo uniform and brandishing the phone she pulled from her chest, trying hard to explain.

Hikigaya Shirou looked helplessly at his disappointing kouhai.

She looked like a well-behaved, quiet, and beautiful girl, but she had an active side that contrasted with her appearance, always full of curiosity, cute like a puppy.

This girl was usually sensible and capable, good at everything, except that as a fervent FGO mobile game player, she not only grinded every day but also desperately tried to convert everyone around her. If he refused to play with her, she would chatter endlessly. She even joined the Kyudo club, which was something he found hard to accept.

Mash was a foreign girl who transferred here half a year ago. Judging by her name, she was from the EU, but she was proficient in the language of the Huaxia Alliance, speaking both Mandarin and the local dialect fluently, making communication effortless. However, she wasn't very knowledgeable about common sense things.

Since joining the Kyudo club, she had been trying her best to convert him to the FGO mobile game every day, just like today.

Just as the boy was about to firmly refuse, he heard the sound of the door being pushed open from outside. A tall, beautiful woman with long black hair walked in.

"Hello, Teacher Hiratsuka," Mash greeted obediently.

She was the advisor for the Kyudo club. Wearing a white lab coat over a suit vest and tie, she spoke to the boy and girl in a cheerful voice, "Hey! Shirou! Mash! It's about time to go home."

"It's only five o'clock," Shirou asked in confusion.

"This is an order the principal just gave at a meeting. I've already notified the other club members. There have been many accidents outside recently, you know? The news reported a bus suddenly flipping over, and a gas explosion when residents were outside."

"Got it! Pack up your things quickly and go home obediently!" The teacher's tone shifted from negotiation to a direct command.

"Understood." Hearing about the accidents, the boy frowned and agreed.

As the boy jumped down from the platform to retrieve his arrows from the target, Teacher Shizuka took out her phone and complained to Mash, who had initially recommended the game to her.

"Mash, look at this FGO limited gacha banner, it's so toxic! Did they lower the rates? I've spent my entire salary this month, why is Saber still not showing up?"

Hearing her teacher's words, Mash revealed a smile that seemed sacred and inviolable.

"Teacher, one of the game's strengths is the bond with Heroic Spirits. When a Master chooses a Heroic Spirit, that Heroic Spirit is also choosing a Master. If you have a connection or common ground with this Heroic Spirit, you will surely meet them. Perhaps the fate hasn't arrived yet."

"That's strange. Look, aren't both you and Saber teachers? And both passionate? And both old maids... Could it be because Saber is so popular, and I..." Hiratsuka Shizuka suddenly became self-deprecating.

"How could that be! Teacher, you're super popular! Look, you already have Saber in the Assassin class, and you'll definitely get Saber in the Lancer class too! If you try a little harder, maybe you're just one step away. But since it's a limited banner, if you miss it, you'll have to wait a long time. Or maybe you could use a bit of your savings..."

"Is... is that so? Haha. Then I'll try a few more pulls tonight. Goodbye." Hiratsuka Shizuka smiled a little shyly and walked out.

"Okay, Teacher, see you tomorrow." Mash replied with a well-behaved smile.

'Mash... what's with that sinister smile of a greedy merchant from the game company? Are all pink-haired characters secretly dark inside?' the boy thought to himself. That was precisely why he didn't want to play such a scam game. He felt like there was some conspiracy hidden behind it.

Chapter 02: Please Play FGO With Me

The pink-haired girl stood at the doorway, waving goodbye to Teacher Hiratsuka with a standard, toothy, professional smile.

"Shirou-senpai, I'm here to help!" After seeing the teacher off, Mash ran back and said enthusiastically to the young man.

"Oh, I'll leave the left side to you then. Let's finish cleaning up quickly, and I'll take you home first," the young man agreed.

"No need, senpai. Instead, why don't you play games with me! Look, everyone else is playing. You can play with friends, and you can even interact with your sister through games at school," Mash suggested again. She possessed a strong will forged through countless trials; how could she give up so easily?

"But I don't have that much time to play." Friends were one thing, but the last sentence piqued the young man's interest.

"It's okay! I'll give you my sub-account, and I'll log in to collect rewards for you every day, so let's play together! Shirou-senpai!" Mash immediately proposed, looking at the young man with expectant eyes like a puppy.

"Hmm... I'll think about it. But to be clear, I can't play with you during club activities or work," the young man said, feeling pressured, and turned his head away, avoiding the girl's innocent gaze.

"I know! I'll send the account to your phone later, senpai." Mash's eyes lit up, and she happily agreed. Her hands clenched into fists in excitement, and her voice rose in pitch.

"Okay, I'll count on you," the young man said, reaching out to pat his kouhai's head with a light smile. If he had known from the beginning that playing a game would make her smile so happily, he probably would have agreed sooner.

Entertainment, games, and such things, he didn't quite understand them, but making the people around him smile happily felt quite good.

After that, the young man and woman began tidying up the club room. The young man looked at the clean archery club room with its polished floor and nodded in satisfaction. Besides being known as the 'Wish Machine of International High,' he was also known as the 'Vacuum Cleaner of the Archery Club.' This level of cleaning was no challenge for him.

Thus, Shirou and his kouhai Mash locked the door and walked out of the campus together.

The school they attended was International High School, short for the International High School of China and the Alliance of Nations. It was essentially an international school jointly funded by multiple countries, with branches all over the world.

You could find a memorial stone for Shakespeare at the school, Gandhi's famous quotes posted on the walls, a statue of Confucius in the courtyard, and the "Song of Everlasting Regret" carved in the pavilion connecting the corridors. In the auditorium, there were stained-glass windows of the French saint, and the Mona Lisa's smile hung in the art classroom...

Those who studied here were either outstanding students, professional elites with special talents, or the children of high-ranking officials and wealthy families. Foreigners like Mash were not uncommon.

The international school was like a commercial plaza, occupying a large area. On both sides of the grand main entrance were tree-lined pedestrian walkways. Straight ahead was a main road connecting to the city. Following the pedestrian walkways on either side, after crossing the crosswalk, there were various shops, and the entrance to the subway station was nearby.

"Do you really not need me to escort you home? If it's inconvenient, I can take you to the intersection near your house," Shirou suggested, trying to put himself in her shoes and consider what would be best for his kouhai.

After all, young girls might have some concerns about such matters, like being seen walking with another man by someone they liked.

Yes, if that were the case, it would indeed be quite unpleasant.

"Really, no need. You might not even be able to beat me now, senpai. See you tomorrow!" the pink-haired girl said with a smile, waving her hands as she ran off to the right of the school gate.

"My kouhai really has a big mouth," Hikigaya Shirou chuckled. In his previous life, he could confront top Heroic Spirits head-on. Although he no longer had magic aptitude in this body, he was just an ordinary person who could barely use 강화 마술 (enhanced magic) a few times through special means.

Gazing at the pink-haired girl's retreating figure, she ran along the pedestrian path under the trees beside the road, along the tall campus wall, and finally crossed the crosswalk, disappearing around the street corner. It was still early, and there were plenty of pedestrians around. The public safety was always good, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about.

Thinking this, the young man turned and walked in the other direction. As he entered his house and changed his shoes, his phone chimed with a message notification.

"This kid... could she have calculated my arrival time home? That's a bit scary," Hikigaya Shirou shook his head with a laugh at the absurd thought.

When he entered the living room, he saw two tender pink feet dangling and swinging from the sofa.

"Welcome home! Onii-chan." His sister, Hikigaya Komachi, was lying on the sofa, tapping on her phone.

At that moment, a familiar voice blared from the phone: "One step beyond, two steps unbroken, three steps of ultimate blade! — Mumyo Sandan Zuki!!!"

"Oh, I'm back. Komachi, are you playing this game again? What about your studies?" the young man asked, putting down his bag and pouring himself a glass of water from the refrigerator.

"I'll do it after dinner. By the way, Onii-chan, why don't you change your grandpa-like routine? Why not play this game that's popular among young people? And for your information, my favorite is Sakura Saber, Souji-chan!" Komachi casually recommended.

"But Komachi, you said you liked your brother even if he was a grandpa," the young man said indifferently.

"But the only person in the world who would like that kind of brother is me! If we hadn't lived together for over ten years, I would definitely think, 'Ah! Look at this person, prematurely aged, he's going to be completely bald soon!' It's because we're siblings that I can be so understanding of your old-fashioned personality, Onii-chan," Komachi listed, counting on her fingers.

"Well, thank you very much..." Shirou said, turning his head away. Although he was touched, he wouldn't say it out loud. My sister is so cute, she's practically an angel!

"If you're not going to play games, then why don't you take advantage of the time you have now and find a girlfriend who understands you? That way, both Mom and I can rest easy," Komachi suggested again.

"Hmm... What do you want for dinner, Komachi?" This was the second time today he had been recommended this game. The young man considered it for a moment, then silently took out his phone, automatically connected to Wi-Fi, and started downloading the game.

"Komachi likes anything that Onii-chan cooks for me! And I scored very high just now!" the sister said with a grin, sitting up from the sofa and lifting her leg high.

"If it weren't for that last sentence," the young man said, flipping through the ingredients in the refrigerator, finally settling on the purple vegetable that looked delicious. He proposed, "How about an eggplant and tofu casserole?"

"Okay, let's have that. You can add a little chili, but no cilantro!"

"Understood!" the young man thought, knowing she would have demands.

Thus, the super god Hikigaya Shirou, who combined the obsession of a househusband with the refined skills of a culinary master, officially logged in.

After washing rice and preparing the meal, and stewing the soup.

Then came the main dish. The washed eggplants were cut into strips and soaked in water, the pork was minced and marinated, and the chili, scallions, ginger, and garlic were chopped. The meat and eggplant were stir-fried one after another over low heat until they turned a tempting golden yellow. Seasonings like cooking wine were added, and finally, along with the tofu, everything was poured into a clay pot and covered. All that was left was to simmer over low heat for half an hour.

After that, a simple stir-fry of vegetables for two people would complete the meal, a dish filled with brotherly love.

During the free time, he picked up his phone to check. The game had finished downloading and installing.

Shirou logged into the game using the account his pink-haired kouhai had sent. After a screen of blue sky and white clouds, he entered the game's main interface.

"It's not eggplant?" he said with a laugh, looking at the game's name.

Chapter 03: The FGO I Can't Draw

"Playing this game still feels a bit awkward. Hmm? There's a login bonus to claim." Shirou tapped the gift box on his phone. Although he hadn't played before, he had heard about it enough to understand the basics.

Because of his login, he received a Saint Quartz. He now had three, just enough for one draw.

At this moment, the young man recalled what Mash had said to Teacher Hiratsuka earlier.

"The Master and the Heroic Spirit who respond to the summon are connected by fate?"

"Heroic Spirits only respond to Masters who share commonalities with them?"

The young man found himself lost in thought, reminiscing. There was a reason he was so resistant to playing this game.

Hikigaya Shirou was no stranger to the concept of Heroic Spirits. Once, in another world, he had fought alongside Heroic Spirits as a Master. So, when he discovered that Heroic Spirits were appearing in this world in the form of a game, his first reaction was fear, followed by resistance.

Fortunately, the mages and various calamities closely associated with Heroic Spirits had not appeared; this was truly just a game.

This game, jokingly called FGO, had suddenly appeared a year ago and spread like a pandemic throughout the Chinese cultural sphere. Even the European Union had many enthusiasts, with figures like the Dragon-Slaying Swordsaint, the Great Hero, and the Cake Queen, who spoke with a mouth full of Black gangster slang, being quite famous.

Although the epic stories within differed greatly from the history of this world, people had become addicted to the game.

Several Heroic Spirits he was familiar with from his past life were popular characters in the game, such as the blonde girl players affectionately nicknamed Bed King, the Berserker Heracles, and the Luck E Lancer, among others.

However, Emiya had not appeared in the game, which was a relief to him.

In his previous life, his name had been Shirou Emiya, a warrior who fought alone until his death. He hadn't become a Heroic Spirit like Red Archer; instead, he had died in a nuclear power plant and was reborn into a new world.

This current world had no war. It was ordinary and mundane, yet happy and peaceful. He was content with his current life and didn't want anything to disrupt this everyday existence.

Magic, the Counter Force, Heroic Spirits – these were things that shouldn't appear here.

Perhaps their appearance in the form of a game was the best possible outcome.

In this life, he was no longer Shirou Emiya. This world was truly peaceful; he didn't need to rush onto battlefields to uphold justice. Under the joint leadership of the Sino-European Alliance, humanity had largely achieved a state of material well-being.

He was also not alone in this life. His family and his sister had changed him a great deal.

Although Hikigaya Shirou was not perfect, he was determined to live for himself, to find a way to achieve happiness with his family and friends.

Perhaps this was the first step towards letting go.

The young man made up his mind, clicked summon, and pressed confirm.