Please Play Fate/GO With Me

"That's not right. Think a little harder. You should already have the relevant information in your mind," Shirou reminded her helplessly. It was rare enough to summon a Heroic Spirit that suited her so well; he didn't want anything to go wrong.

"Ah! Come to think of it, after a light pulled me in, I did hear someone saying something to me!" Yuihama tapped her temple, trying hard to recall. A flood of information surged into her mind.

"So that's how it is. We're going to save the world and defeat monsters, like magical girls? Eek, I'm already in high school, being a magical girl feels a bit embarrassing," Yuihama said, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.

"Well, it's not exactly magical girls, it should be a Heroic Spirit possession. But whatever, as long as you like it," Shirou said, feeling too tired to argue. Is this, however, the normal reaction of a twenty-first-century high school girl?

"Ah! Isn't that Mashu-chan? Yahallo~! Good luck!" Yuihama greeted her with a smile.

"Yahallo~! That's not right, Senpai! Senpai! Stop chatting! Hurry up and help!" Mashu complained.

Mashu, who was blocking the front, was caught off guard by a surprise attack from the monster that suddenly changed direction. Just as the Soul Eater's giant palm was about to strike, its tail swept over.

"Waaah!" Mashu quickly raised her shield to block. She was pushed back several meters by the immense force, crashing into the wall.

"I'm... okay..." Mashu said, pushing herself up against the wall. Fortunately, the moment she was hit, she had activated the defensive enhancement, Glory and Steadfast Snowflakes, and combined with the Shielder Class's inherent resilience, she managed to withstand the blow.

"Don't worry about me! Shirou-senpai, think of something! This monster has to be dealt with by Yuihama-senpai!"

"Eh? Eh! Me?" Yuihama Yui asked in surprise, pointing at herself. The girl never expected to be entrusted with such a heavy responsibility on her first transformation. Could it be that I'm actually the protagonist?

"Don't be so surprised. If anything, only you can do it. Think about it, the Heroic Spirit you have should be able to cut down a monster with that kind of evasion speed!" Shirou retorted. Otherwise, why would I have summoned her in the first place?

"I can, I can, but... I think I have two more swords. That's weird. Did I forget them at home?" Yuihama lifted the tail behind her and searched. Indeed, she could only find one.

It seemed this was another issue related to compatibility. When the compatibility wasn't high enough, the power of the possessed Heroic Spirit was also discounted.

"If you had those two swords, could you cut it? What are the swords' names?" Shirou asked.

"Mhm! Great Pass Chain and Small Pass Chain! Trust me! A girl's sixth sense is always accurate!" Yuihama said, forming a V-shape with her fingers and nodding with a cute smile. She felt a bit more energetic than usual, more like a typical JK gal.

"Ah, you're cute, you're cute. But can we talk about this after the fight?"

Shirou praised her without reservation. Yuihama was already very attractive, and now with a pair of canine ears and a fluffy tail, she felt incredibly fresh, combining the charm of a JK, a samurai girl, and a beast girl.

Under this visual stimulation, the girl's cuteness was further highlighted, increasing her eye-catching appeal severalfold.

"Ehehe~! Is that so? Is that so? Very cute..." Yuihama said, smiling proudly with a slight blush.

Although she had gained a lot of new knowledge in her mind, a voice inside her kept urging her that being a "dumb cute" JK was more appealing. Compared to a dignified woman, a ditzy, soft girl would definitely be more popular with boys.

If he had the time, Shirou really wanted to sit down and admire her. If possible, he'd also like to pet her animal ears, which he imagined would feel quite nice. But if they delayed any longer, he felt like he'd be smashed by a shield as big as a dining table by a certain Shielder.

In fact, Mashu in front of them had already widened her eyes and was glaring.

"Yuihama! Leave the weapons to me! I'll count on you to deal with the monster!" Shirou said quickly.

The boy's eyes flashed with a glow like amber gems. His Mystic Eyes connected to the past and future, crossing the deep ocean floor, breaking through the sky, and even reaching distant, alien worlds, searching for information about the Noble Phantasm of the girl before him.

Chapter 23: Gal-Type Heroic Spirit Girl

The amber gem-like Mystic Eyes pierced through space-time, reaching a mystical realm high in the heavens, far from the mortal world. Above a magnificent sea of clouds, crimson and purple walls stood tall, with jade towers and pavilions. This was the world of gods and Buddhas, the dwelling of Maitreya. Through his Mystic Eyes, Shirou saw a young maiden. She was the beloved daughter of the Fourth Heavenly King, a famous princess from the 'Tushita Heaven' on the fourth level of the Desire Realm.

From childhood, she was favored by the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, bestowed with countless precious swords.

When the maiden grew up, under the command of the Heavenly God, she received the mission to transform Japan into a demonic land and was dispatched to the mortal realm.

The maiden descended upon a mountain range in Japan during the Heian period (late Tang Dynasty). This mountain was named Suzuka, and the maiden claimed it as her territory, thus becoming known as 'Suzuka Gozen'.

As the daughter of the Buddhist demon king, the maiden was sometimes kind and sometimes cold-hearted. She drove away evildoers who entered the mountains to hunt indiscriminately and slew bandits who trespassed and caused chaos.

Those who witnessed her magnificent and powerful form praised her beauty, which was unlike anything of the mortal world, calling her a celestial maiden.

The bandits and evildoers she drove away, however, called her a demon.

If nothing unexpected had happened, she would have stayed there for several years, waiting for the opportune moment to turn the island nation into a demonic land before returning to the heavenly court to report.

But she was toyed with by fate and met the one person she should never have encountered.

During the late Three Kingdoms period, a branch of Emperor Xian of Han's descendants fled overseas to seek refuge and traveled east to Japan, where they established roots. One of their descendants became a capable man who later expanded the territory of the Wa people, conquering Ezo (Hokkaido) and becoming the first person in Wa history to wield real power and achieve the highest military achievements. He was later known as 'Sakanoue no Tamuramaro'.

Despite holding the highest military authority and being able to raise an army at any time, he chose to retire. Then, during a time of national crisis, he was invited out of retirement by the Emperor of Wa, turned the tide, and quelled a coup. His life was full of legendary tales, and he was thus revered as the 'God of War' by later generations.

The maiden and the young 'Sakanoue no Tamuramaro' adventured together, traveled together, punished bandits, vanquished evil spirits, and fought demons. They fell in love, which inevitably sealed their tragic fate...

Shirou witnessed scene after scene of the maiden's experiences, witnessing the tragic end of this love-struck girl. She held the Kenmei-ren, a pair of swords that matched her beloved, and engaged in a fated duel with the 'God of War' Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, ultimately falling in blood.

Thus, the evil spirit who intended to harm all living beings and turn the island nation into a demonic land was slain by the God of War.

Was it the result of the maiden's evil deeds, or should the lover's cold-blooded heartlessness be blamed?

The truth has long since faded into the annals of time, leaving only the maiden's sorrowful love song, which still echoes in the world.

Originally, a celestial princess, the daughter of a divine being, should not have become a Heroic Spirit. However, she harbored a certain regret and a lingering attachment to the human world, and as 'Suzuka Gozen,' she possessed the current-day girl.

The amber gem-like Mystic Eyes burned with heat. The data being understood felt like it was igniting. The knowledge and concepts held by gods, Buddhas, and demons, which transcended humanity, were beyond human comprehension. Even those with talent could not analyze or explain them.

Take, for example, Goldbach's Conjecture, simplified to the problem of 1+1=2. It states that any even number greater than 2 can be expressed as the sum of two prime numbers. For thousands of years, people have naturally accepted various mathematical theorems without understanding their explanations. Some remain unproven to this day, and yet, it feels like proving them would be meaningless.

The realm of gods is a forbidden zone for humans. However, the boy's Mystic Eyes forcibly converted the observed phenomena into knowledge that humans could barely understand, importing it into his brain and stimulating the nerves within, causing a tingling sensation like an electric shock.

Trembling! Trembling! The boy's body, strengthened by Heroic Spirit possession, connected to the source of magic. The FGO system connected to the Holy Grail, flashing with light, supplying the vast amount of magic required.

Analysis complete! The boy's brain received all the processes related to these two swords forged by a Bodhisattva. He understood the forger's philosophy, replicated the constituent materials and manufacturing process, and imagined their maximum potential power.

Finally, through Magecraft, he completed the Noble Phantasm, which was the closest to the real thing, by constructing the illusion from his mind's eye.

A golden flash appeared in the boy's left hand, and a silver flash materialized in his right. The sword embryo was generated, gradually completing its transformation. Starting from the exquisite hilt, it extended to the blade, then to the tip, and finally, the scabbard was generated and directly fitted onto the sword. The long sword tassel fluttered in the wind stirred by the magic.

A golden sword and a silver sword appeared in the young man's hands. Shirou raised both hands, holding the two swords, and carefully offered them to the fox-eared girl.

The moment the fox-eared girl saw the two swords, her eyes changed, her jade-gold irises becoming solemn and majestic.

The girl wordlessly extended her hands to receive the swords and nodded at Shirou.

Her demeanor completely changed, becoming cold and stern, like a Valkyrie in charge of life and death.

"Since you're here, let's make some noise." The girl drew the first sword. As the blade left its sheath, the entire sword flashed with dazzling golden light.

"This is a sword known as Great Pass Chain, forged by one of the Four Great Bodhisattvas. Its strike is like the wrath of a Vajra!"

The sword, radiating golden light, floated from the girl's hand, splitting into two, then four, continuously multiplying to form layers of circles that spun above the girl.

The abandoned mall was illuminated by the revealed golden light. Hundreds of divine weapons flew into the air, forming a constantly rotating circular sword formation.

The girl then drew the other, silver sword.

"This sword is the Wisdom Sword, Small Pass Chain, forged by a Bodhisattva. Those who draw it can borrow the Bodhisattva's wisdom;"

—A Blessing of Intellect!

In an instant, the girl gained the Bodhisattva's blessing of wisdom. With great wisdom, she could precisely control hundreds of katanas simultaneously.

Her mind became clear and agile, and her use of Noble Phantasms elevated to a new level. Even the demonic beasts that moved too fast to be seen, appearing as mere afterimages, now seemed to move in slow motion in the girl's golden eyes.

The girl swung the last sword, Kenmei-ren, "Fall! — Tenkiame!"

The circular formation of golden swords in the sky spun rapidly, golden light flashing, and cold glints stirring the wind. For a moment, the space inside the abandoned building was enveloped in golden streams of light emitted by the sword edges.

The monsters running on the ground had nowhere to escape. They were struck by the first katana and froze in place, then were pierced by the second and pinned to the ground.

The third, fourth, and subsequent strikes fell one after another.

The monsters were pierced by hundreds of swords, becoming like hedgehogs. The Soul Eater finally let out a mournful cry and vanished into black mist.

"Hooray! Shirou-senpai! The reactions have completely disappeared," Mash said with an excited smile.

"Huh?" Shirou felt a burning sensation in his eyes, and his vision became blurry. He covered his eyes with his hand.

"Shirou-senpai! What's wrong with your eyes? Let me see," Mash exclaimed and rushed over.

The girl was startled. The boy's pupils were now crimson, bloodshot.

"Are you alright, senpai? I'll treat you right away," Mash said nervously.

"It's fine, I just need to rest for a bit. It's probably because the Noble Phantasms I projected this time were a bit too high-spec," Shirou said, sitting down on the ground and closing his eyes to rest.

He had experienced this before in his past life, similar to the side effects of over-reinforcing one's eyes with magecraft.

It was just that suddenly projecting two Noble Phantasms forged by Bodhisattvas was difficult. Although the Bodhisattva system was different from that of gods, they were all very high-level Noble Phantasms. In his past life, he wouldn't have been able to do it.

Now, with these eyes that could analyze everything, he had broken through human limits, turning the impossible into tangible fantasies.

"Thanks, Mash. I'm really fine, I feel much better now," Shirou said with a light laugh, his eyes closed. It was good that they had dealt with the troublesome monster; the burning in his eyes was nothing.

Chapter 24: Let's Go on a Date with the Fox Girl

"Senpai, do you feel better now? If you need to, you can lean on my shield, and I'll carry you home. We should still go to the hospital!" Mash crouched down, tilting her head to look at the boy's face, and pushed his shoulder, asking nervously.

"Please, don't!" Shirou, swayed back and forth by her push, retorted, "And Mash... even if you give me a protective ward, my eyes won't recover."

"Mash, calm down," Yuihama couldn't stand it and stepped forward, pulling away the increasingly anxious Mash. If left unchecked, Shirou's face would be buried in that ball of marshmallow.

"Shirou, let me take a look. I have some experience with Mystic Eyes. Just sit there and don't move; I'll handle it," Yuihama said, cupping Shirou's face and straightening it. She pulled open his eyelids with her thumb and index finger and leaned in to examine him closely. Although his eyes were red and bloodshot, it was just eye strain, like sore muscles from overexertion, and there were no major issues.

"..." Shirou had one eye opened, and the only thing he could see was half of the girl's face. She was very close, and with his eyes half-closed, his sense of smell became more sensitive. He could smell a faint, pleasant scent emanating from the girl.

With his eye half-open, he could see the girl diligently examining his eyes. Her expression was different from her usual playful demeanor; it was a rare, unfamiliar look that held a unique charm.

At this moment, neither the boy nor the girl felt a ripple in their hearts. It was more like a patient receiving a check-up from a nurse.

Yet, he could feel a warmth, and it felt like it wouldn't be bad if it could continue like this.

After a careful examination, Yuihama said, "Hmm... no injuries. Just let your eyes rest well."

"Really? That's a relief," Mash finally sighed.

"I already said I'm fine. My eyes aren't that fragile," Shirou said, closing his eyes. These Mystic Eyes, which had followed him to this world after his rebirth, weren't that fragile. Rather, each time he used them, they seemed to become a little stronger.

"Honestly, you should take better care of yourself. What would happen if you really injured your eyes and your vision deteriorated?" Yuihama gently stroked the area around his eyelids, massaging his eyes.

"Thanks, Yuihama," Shirou said, closing his eyes and feeling the gentleness of her fingers, clearly understanding her concern for him.

Under the girl's massage, Shirou rested for a while, and his eyes indeed recovered.

"Hey, hey, now it's time to fulfill my wish, right?" The girl's voice suddenly changed, becoming more flippant and mischievous, like a spoiled gal wandering the streets of Shinjuku at night.

"Hmm? So close!" Shirou opened his eyes and saw a pair of jade-gold irises. The girl's face was only a few centimeters away from his, and he could feel her breath.

Shirou quickly leaned back, creating some distance before he could fully take in the girl's smiling face.

Long eyelashes, pink lips, and a beautiful face—it was his familiar friend, but her aura was like a completely different person, more mature and alluring.

The girl leaned down, closing the distance again. She placed her legs down and straddled the boy, leaning in to maintain eye contact with Shirou, who kept leaning back.

Until Shirou was lying flat on the floor with nowhere else to retreat. The girl placed her hands on the floor, pinning him down like a bed-bound situation, and leaned her head down, their noses almost touching. Her eyes gazed intently into his.

"Mhm, I couldn't get a good look inside earlier. You really do have a pair of good eyes. If you keep training them, maybe one day you'll truly reach the realm of gods and buddhas," the golden-eyed, fox-eared girl said with a meaningful smile.

"You are...?" Shirou asked, confused. The Yuihama he knew, while stylishly dressed, was actually quite pure-hearted and wouldn't do something like this.

"Me? I'm the cute Yuihama Yui + parentheses Suzuka-chan~! I'm currently in a state where my spirit leans more towards being a Heroic Spirit." Suzuka Gozen said, striking a cute pose with her hands in a V-shape in front of her face.

Since the host's body seemed too shy to come out earlier, she decided to take over. Because the Heroic Spirit was in control now, the girl's eyes had turned golden.

"Then what about Yuihama?" Shirou immediately asked.

"Isn't it that during possession summoning, the soul and host are combined? I am Yuihama, Yuihama is me. It's just that the spirit rank of Heroic Spirit Suzuka Gozen is currently dominant. Understand?" the fox-eared girl asked.

"Is that so?" Shirou looked at Mash.

Mash nodded. "Yes, Shirou-senpai. Pseudo-Servants are very special existences. Half-Servants like me are exceptions. While there are beings like Zhuge Liang who possess a physical body and their personality takes the lead, like Ishtar and Ereshkigal, their spirit ranks as goddesses are dominant, but they are influenced by some aspects of the personality of their host. Yuihama-senpai should be closer to the latter state right now."

"I see," Shirou nodded, finally understanding. It was similar to how a part of Saint George's spirit rank resided within him now. He was a knight of noble character who adhered to his faith. If Shirou did anything that violated the beliefs of a Heroic Spirit, his compatibility would decrease.

If he were to use the Servant's power to do anything wicked, Saint George might forcefully seize control of the body, or even control it to commit suicide.

"Well, this is a very special world, so even Heroic Spirit summoning is very different from other worlds. Since you understand, can you grant my wish now?" the fox-eared girl asked.

"Yes, I can. What do you want me to do?" Shirou readily agreed. He had witnessed the tragic past of this Heroic Spirit girl, who was toyed with by fate, through his Mystic Eyes and genuinely wanted to do something for her.

Of course, if I could also pet her ears and stroke her tail fur, that would be even better!

"Then let's go on a date!" Suzuka Gozen said with a playful smile, winking at the boy as she stated her request.

"Huh? Is your wish to go on a new romantic relationship?" Shirou asked in surprise. He felt like he had been too presumptuous and overthought things earlier.

In fact, various versions of the girl's legends were still circulating in Japan today, portraying her as a celestial maiden, a dancer, and a thief. Tales of her traveling with a God of War, punishing evil and promoting good, were passed down. But who knew that Suzuka Gozen was actually just a youthful girl yearning for a heart-pounding romance?

Suzuka Gozen gave Shirou a sidelong glance. "Is that not allowed? I'm currently undergoing my JK training. Otherwise, why do you think I transformed into a fox JK? While being a shrine maiden is also good, if I want to date, a high school girl is better. Plus, with these fluffy fox ears and tail, my charm is practically invincible right now, isn't it?"

The fox-eared girl then made a cat-paw shape with her fist, blinked charmingly, and asked in a sweet voice.

The girl's golden eyes at this moment held a uniquely captivating charm. These were the Bewitching Mystic Eyes possessed by a celestial maiden's consort. Shirou quickly averted his gaze.