Ally of Justice? / Please Play FGO with Me...

Please Play FGO with Me Author: Qian Yu

"Those who play FGO are Allies of Justice!"

by: Mash Kyrielight

PS: This was the story of Shirou Emiya not becoming a Servant, but instead being reborn into a new world.

Ally of Justice?

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

"Huh?"

This was the Kyudo Club room. A row of wooden bows and carbon bows rested on the rack in the corner, quivers were stacked beside them, and two pairs of shoes—one large and one small—were placed in the cabinet by the entrance.

The pink-haired girl in a black-and-white kyudo uniform leaned forward, watching the Youth who was lowering his head to fiddle with his archery gear, and asked with complete seriousness.

The Youth, also dressed in a kyudo uniform, was surprised by her words. He looked up at the pink-haired girl staring at him so earnestly and wondered why this child knew about the ideal he had held in his previous life.

She wore red-framed glasses, and her long bangs covered her right eye. Her purple eye held the pure, unblemished light of a child. At times, she seemed like a child who knew nothing of the world.

Yet she also had a great figure. Though she was only a first-year student, two marshmallow-like mounds swelled beneath her fitted kyudo uniform. She was practically the embodiment of an angelic face paired with a devilish body.

After considering her question, the Youth smiled and replied, "Mash, the kyudo uniform and glasses suit you very well."

"Ah... Mm, thank you..." The pink-haired girl froze at his words, then shyly lowered her head. The joy she could not hide crept into her brows as she covered her face with both hands and spoke softly.

In her innocent mind, Gudako, who was currently far away, appeared. Senpai... what should I do? If you don't come back soon, I... I'm going to...

She's so easy to fool, this junior. The Youth chuckled inwardly, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He raised his bow again, his arms level. At that moment, the hand drawing the bow and the arrow formed a perfectly straight horizontal line. He released.

The wooden bow had been made by the Youth himself, each part polished over and over. The bow was harmoniously connected to his body and mind, as though they were one. Every movement and every breath was so coordinated, as precise as a shooting machine. With a sharp swish, the arrow struck the "bull's-eye" at the center of the target.

The sight of the Youth shooting arrows was never tiresome; it was practically an artistic performance. The pink-haired girl watching from the side could not help becoming entranced.

Since ancient times, Chinese civilization had spoken of a gentleman mastering the Five Classics and the Six Arts. Among those Six Arts was archery. Confucius had once said, "Archery resembles the gentleman; when one misses the bull's-eye, one seeks the cause within oneself."

It meant that archery was like the cultivation of a gentleman. If one failed to hit the target, the reason should be sought within oneself.

After training through two lifetimes, the Youth had already reached the realm of a master. He had elevated his archery into art, just as that ancient Sage King had said.

His archery was nearly perfect. As long as he concentrated, assumed the correct posture, and aimed properly, there was no reason for him to miss. Before the arrow was even released, it was already destined to hit its target.

"Wait! That's not what I meant, Shirou-senpai! I'm serious!" Mash finally came to her senses and protested indignantly.

"Anyway, you only wanted to invite me to play a game, right?" The Youth waved a hand and pointed at the two marshmallow-like mounds that drew everyone's attention on Mash's chest, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

He had noticed the faint outline of a phone beneath the girl's raised chest long ago.

Your thoughts had already been exposed, you big-chested, shallow gaming addict!

"Shirou-senpai, this game is different! Playing FGO is justice! No one who plays FGO is a bad person! Everyone who plays FGO is my senpai! Every player works hard every day to save the world and restore humanity! Senpai, come become an Ally of Justice too!" Mash said as she reached into her kyudo uniform, waved the phone she pulled from her chest, and tried her best to explain.

Hikigaya Shirou looked helplessly at this disappointing junior.

She clearly looked like a well-behaved, quiet, beautiful girl, but she had an unexpectedly lively side. She was always brimming with curiosity and as adorable as a puppy.

Normally, she was sensible and capable, good at everything. The only problem was that, as a fanatical FGO mobile game player, she not only grinded every day herself but desperately preached the game to everyone around her. If they refused to play with her, she would nag endlessly. She had even joined the Kyudo Club just to follow him. That was truly hard to accept.

Mash was a foreign girl who had transferred here half a year ago. One could tell from her name that she was from the European Union, but she was proficient in the languages of the Chinese Alliance. Whether Mandarin or the local dialect, she spoke fluently, with no obstacle to communication at all. On the other hand, she was not very familiar with certain common-sense matters.

Ever since joining the Kyudo Club, she had been doing her utmost to preach FGO to him every day, just like this.

Just as the Youth was preparing to reject her sternly, the sound of the door opening came from outside. A beautiful, tall woman with long black hair walked in.

"Hello, Teacher Hiratsuka," Mash greeted obediently.

She was the Advisor Teacher of the Kyudo Club. Wearing a white lab coat over a suit vest and tie, she spoke in a cheerful voice to the two students. "Hey! Shirou! Mash! It's about time to head home."

"It's only five o'clock, isn't it?" Shirou asked in confusion.

"This was an order the principal just passed down at the meeting earlier. I've already informed the other club members. There have been a lot of accidents lately, haven't there? The news has been reporting things like buses suddenly overturning and gas explosions in people's homes while they were out."

"Got it? Pack up your things quickly and go home like good children!" The teacher simply dropped the negotiable tone and spoke directly as if giving an order.

"Got it." Hearing about the accidents, the Youth frowned and agreed.

Just as the Youth jumped down from the platform to retrieve the arrows from the targets, Teacher Shizuka took out her phone and walked toward Mash, who had originally recommended this game to her, complaining as she did so.

"Mash, look at how poisonous this limited FGO banner is! Did they lower the rates or something? I've spent this month's entire salary pulling, so why won't Saber show up?"

Hearing her teacher's words, Mash wore a sacred smile that could not be profaned and said:

"Teacher, one of this game's merits is the bond between Servants. When a Master chooses a Servant, every Servant is also choosing a Master. If you and that Servant are fated, if you share something in common, you'll definitely meet. Perhaps the time simply has not come yet."

"That's strange. Look, aren't Saber and I both teachers? We're both passionate too, and we're both older single wom... Could it be because Saber is popular, while I..." Shizuka Hiratsuka suddenly began to wallow in self-pity.

"How could that be! Teacher, you're super popular! Look, you already have Assassin class Saber, so you'll definitely get Lancer class Saber too! Try a little harder; maybe you're only one step away. But since this is limited, if you miss it, you'll have to wait a long time. Why not take a little advance from your savings or something..."

"I-is that so? Ahaha. Then I'll pull a few more times tonight. See you." Shizuka Hiratsuka smiled awkwardly and headed outside.

"Okay, see you tomorrow, Teacher." Mash agreed with an obedient smile.

Mash... what's with that sinister face of a greedy game operator? Are all pink-haired girls black inside after all? The Youth complained inwardly. That was exactly why he did not want to play such a scammy game. It felt as though some conspiracy was hiding behind it.

Please Play FGO with Me

The pink-haired girl stood at the doorway with a standard business smile that showed eight teeth, lightly waving goodbye as she saw Teacher Shizuka Hiratsuka off.

"Shirou-senpai, I'll help!" After seeing the teacher off, Mash ran back and said eagerly to the Youth.

"Oh, then the left side is yours. Let's finish cleaning quickly. I'll take you home first," the Youth agreed.

"No need! Rather than that, Shirou-senpai, you should play games with me! Look, everyone is playing. Shirou-senpai can play with your friends, and when you're at school, you can use the game to interact with your younger sister too." Mash made her proposal again. She possessed a powerful will tempered through countless trials; how could she possibly give up so easily?

"But I don't have that much time to play." Friends aside, hearing that last sentence made the Youth somewhat tempted.

"It's fine! I'll give you my alt account, and I'll log in every day to collect the rewards for you. So come play with me, Shirou-senpai!" Mash immediately suggested, looking at him with puppy-like eyes full of expectation.

"Mm... I'll consider it. But let's be clear beforehand: I can't keep you company during club activities or while I'm working part-time," the Youth said, feeling pressured as he turned his head away to avoid her innocent eyes.

"I understand! I'll send the account to your phone later, Senpai." Mash's eyes lit up. She agreed happily, clenching her hands into fists in excitement, her voice rising with joy.

"Mm, I'll leave it to you." The Youth reached out and rubbed his junior's head, smiling softly. If he had known from the start that simply playing a game could make her smile so happily, he probably would have agreed long ago.

Entertainment, games, and such—he did not really understand them. But seeing the people around him smile happily felt rather nice.

After that, the Youth and the girl began tidying the clubroom. Looking at the spotless Kyudo Club room and its gleaming floor, the Youth nodded in satisfaction. Aside from being known as "International High School's wishing machine," he was also known as "the Kyudo Club's vacuum cleaner." This much could not stump him.

After Shirou and his junior Mash locked the door, they left the campus together.

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

At the school, one could see Shakespeare's commemorative stone tablet, Gandhi's quotes pasted on the walls, Confucius's statue in the courtyard, and Bai Juyi's Song of Everlasting Regret and Song of the Pipa engraved on the pavilion connecting the corridors. High in the auditorium stood stained-glass windows depicting the french Saintess, while Mona Lisa's smile hung in the art classroom...

Those who studied here were either exceptional academic talents, professional elites with special skills, or young masters and Misses from wealthy and influential families. Foreigners like Mash were not uncommon either.

Like a commercial plaza, the international school occupied an enormous area of its own. Tree-lined pedestrian paths stretched along both sides of the imposing main gate, while a broad road leading into the city extended straight ahead. Following either pedestrian path and crossing the zebra crossing would bring one to all kinds of shops, with a subway entrance nearby.

"Are you sure you don't need me to take you home? If it's inconvenient, I can at least walk you to the intersection near your house," Shirou suggested after trying to put himself in her shoes.

After all, young girls might have concerns about such things, such as being seen walking with another man by the person they liked.

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

"There's really no need. The current Senpai might not even be able to beat me. See you tomorrow!" The pink-haired girl waved with both hands and ran off to the right of the school gate.

"That junior sure talks big." Hikigaya Shirou smiled. In his past life, he had been someone who could confront top-tier Servants head-on. Though now, having lost his magical aptitude along with his old body, he was merely an ordinary person who could barely use Reinforcement Magic a few times through special means.

Watching the pink-haired girl's retreating figure, he saw her run along the sidewalk beneath the trees beside the road and the school's tall walls. Finally, she crossed the zebra crossing and disappeared around the corner of the street on the other side. It was still early, pedestrians filled the area, and public safety had always been good. There was really nothing to worry about.

With that thought, the Youth turned and headed the other way. When he entered his home and had just changed out of his shoes, his phone chimed with a message notification.

"This girl... did she calculate exactly when I'd get home? That's a little scary." Hikigaya Shirou shook his head with an amused smile at the absurd thought.

When he entered the living room, he saw two pink little feet sticking high up from the sofa, swinging back and forth.

"Welcome home, Brother." His younger sister, Hikigaya Komachi, was lying facedown on the sofa, tapping away at something on her phone.

At that moment, a familiar voice rang out from the phone: *"One step beyond sound, two steps without interruption, three steps—absolute sword!—**Mumyo Sandan Zuki!!!***"

"Oh, I'm home. Komachi, you're playing this game again? What about studying?" The Youth put down his schoolbag, opened the fridge, and poured himself a glass of water.

"I'll do it after dinner. By the way, Brother, shouldn't you change your old man-like routine already? Come play this game that's popular among young people. By the way, Komachi's favorite is Sakura Saber Souji!" Komachi casually recommended.

"Komachi, didn't you say you would like me even if I were an old man?" the Youth said unconcernedly.

"But Komachi is the only person in the world who could like a Brother like that! If we hadn't lived together for more than ten years, Komachi would definitely think, Ah! Look at this person aging before his time. It feels like he'll soon have a head full of white hair, poi! It's only because we're siblings that Komachi can be this understanding of Brother's rigid personality." Komachi held up a finger as she lectured him.

"Thanks a lot..." Shirou turned his head away. He was touched, but he would not say it aloud. My little sister is so adorable, she's practically an angel!

"If you won't play games, then why not use your free time to find a girlfriend who can understand you? That way, both Mom and I can rest easy." Komachi suggested again.

"Mm... what do you want for dinner, Komachi?" This was the second time today someone had recommended the game to him. After thinking about it, the Youth silently took out his phone, automatically connected to the Wi-Fi, and began downloading the game.

"Komachi likes anything Brother cooks for me! What you said just now scored very highly on the Komachi scale!" His younger sister swung her legs down and sat up from the sofa, saying with a grin.

"If not for that last part." The Youth looked through the ingredients in the refrigerator and finally settled on the appetizing purple vegetable. "How about eggplant and tofu casserole?"

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

"Got it!" The Youth thought knowingly. I knew you'd have requests.

Thus, Hikigaya Shirou, the super male god born from the domestic devotion of the Great Teacher and the battle-hardened culinary skills of Shirou Emiya, officially went online.

After washing the rice, cooking it, and setting soup to simmer,

he moved on to the main dish. He washed the eggplants, cut them into strips, and soaked them in water. He minced and marinated pork, then chopped the chili, scallions, ginger, and garlic. He slowly stir-fried the meat and eggplant in turn until they became an enticing golden brown. After adding cooking wine and other seasonings, he combined them with tofu, poured everything into a clay pot, and covered it. All that remained was to let it simmer over low heat for half an hour.

Afterward, he only needed to make a serving of stir-fried greens for two, and the meal overflowing with brotherly love would be complete.

During this free time, he picked up his phone and saw that the game had finished downloading and installing.

Following the account details sent by his pink-haired junior, Shirou logged into the game. After an image of blue skies and white clouds, he entered the game's main interface.

"Not a Eggplant?" He laughed when he saw the username.

The Useless Dog That Couldn't Pull Anything

"Playing this game really does feel a little strange. Hm? There's a login reward to claim." Shirou tapped the gift box on his phone. Although he had never played before, he had seen and heard enough that he understood some of the mechanics.

His login had given him one Saint Quartz. He now had exactly three Saint Quartz, just enough for one pull.

At that moment, the Youth recalled what Mash had said to Teacher Shizuka Hiratsuka earlier.

"Masters and the Servants who answer their summons are connected by fate?"

"Servants only answer the summons of Masters with something in common with them?"

The Youth could not help sinking into recollection. There was actually a reason he had resisted playing this game so strongly.

Hikigaya Shirou was not unfamiliar with the concept of Servants. Once, in another world, he had also fought side by side with Servants as a Master. So when he discovered that Servants existed in this world in the form of a game, his first reaction had been fear, followed by rejection.

Fortunately, Mages and all kinds of disasters closely associated with Servants had not appeared. This really was just a game.

This game mockingly called FGO had suddenly appeared a year ago. It spread throughout the entire Chinese cultural sphere like an infectious flu virus, and even the European Union had many fans. Figures such as the Dragon-Slaying Swordsaint, the Great Hero, and the Cake Queen who spoke in nothing but black gang slang were all famous within it.

Though the epic stories inside differed greatly from this world's history, people had still fallen in love with the game as if addicted to it.

Several Servants he knew were in it. The blonde girl players nicknamed Bed King, Berserker Heracles, the Luck E Lancer, and others were all popular characters in the game.

However, Emiya did not appear in it, which did let him breathe a sigh of relief.

In his previous life, his name had been Shirou Emiya. He had been a warrior who fought alone until his death. Unlike Red Archer, he had not become a Servant. Instead, he had died inside a nuclear power plant and been reborn in a new world.

There was no war in this world. It was ordinary and dull, but also happy and peaceful. He was satisfied with his current life and did not want anything that could destroy this everyday existence to appear.

Magecraft, the Counter Force, and Servants were all things that should not exist here.

Perhaps appearing 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. It did not need him running across battlefields to uphold justice. Under the joint leadership of the Chinese Alliance and the European Union, all humanity had basically achieved a life free from worries about food and clothing.

In this life, he was not alone either. His family and younger sister had changed him greatly.

Hikigaya Shirou was not perfect, but he was ready to live for himself and find a way for himself, his family, and his friends to attain happiness together.

Perhaps this was the first step toward letting go.

Having made up his mind, the Youth tapped Summon and pressed confirm.