Shirou Falls Off a Cliff

"Um... Iroha... Iroha-chan?" Shirou asked the girl awkwardly.

"..." Isshiki raised his head, his face turning bright red, and shouted excitedly, waving his arms and legs. "This body isn't mine! Even if it looks similar, it's not mine! If you dare to take responsibility, then bring it on! I'm not shy at all! Bring it on! I'll cling to you for the rest of my life!"

"No, Isshiki, you're rambling incoherently." Shirou said, looking at Iroha Isshiki who seemed to be in a state of possession or summoning.

"Whoa! What did I say? Forget it! Senpai! Forget it!" Isshiki yelled, covering his face.

"Don't go! You bastard woman who owes you money! Don't run away!" A group of people caught up from behind, including a burly man with a thick beard wielding a samurai sword who was the first to run up.

"Whoa, they're catching up! Shirou-senpai, let's run!" Iroha Isshiki's expression changed, and she grabbed the boy's hand in a panic, running forward again.

"Running like this isn't going to work!" Shirou as he ran, glancing at his pursuers behind him. Each samurai was flushed with anger, long swords in hand, like vengeful demons.

"What are you saying! Shirou-senpai, if we get caught, we're all doomed! Let's go!" Iroha Isshiki pulled Shirou and ran inside.

"That's enough! Just run away!" Shirou quickly ran forward, grabbed the girl's hand, and ran ahead.

"Oh my, it's such a rare opportunity for me to run hand in hand with a young, handsome man like this. Even though it's just a dream, it feels pretty good." The woman said with a smile, letting Shirou pull her away, and cupping her face in her hands.

"Um? Isshiki? Why do you seem so unsettled?" Shirou felt as if the girl he was holding had suddenly changed, and he turned around curiously to ask.

"Ugh, you dragged me away and called me by the wrong name! Remember this time, I'm Musashi!" the woman said, touching Shirou's face with her finger.

"Musashi? Have your consciousnesses switched?" Shirou asked in surprise.

"What are you talking about, Shirou-senpai! Don't stop, run! Those guys are so annoying! Even in my dreams, I don't want to be caught by them." Iroha Isshiki looked at Shirou strangely and said.

"Ugh, I don't understand at all." Shirou grabbed Iroha Isshiki and charged up the mountain with all his might.

The two fled from the bustling streets all the way to the woodlands in the mountains. Along the way, they passed large official residences and heard the shouts of small vendors on both sides of the road. The further they went from the city center, the poorer their lives became, and their clothes were patched and very worn.

Judging from the architecture and the attire of the people around, this should be the ancient kingdom of He.

If this refers to Musashi's era, wouldn't it be the late Sengoku period?

Now, being chased like this, the two ran back to the mountain where Shirou had appeared before, running all the way up until they were trapped on the edge of a cliff.

"Still running?! I never expected that you would try to run away after borrowing money from us, and now you even have accomplices!" said a medium-sized, slightly overweight man dressed like a small-time vendor, with a towel draped over his shoulders.

"If that's still not enough, then put your weapon away and use your beauty to perform or sell yourself. Just go out on the streets and find a way to earn the money back for us! Yahoo!" The ronin shouted, brandishing his Ōdachi.

"Eh, complimenting someone's beauty..." The woman scratched the back of her head somewhat embarrassedly. However, Iroha Isshiki quickly switched back to her original expression, waving her hands and saying, "No! No! I already told you you've mistaken me for someone else."

"Don't come any closer! If you take another step, I'll jump off this cliff, and you'll never get the money I owe you back!" Iroha Isshiki threatened.

"Hey, miss, is it really appropriate for a talented swordsman like you to do something like this?" the bald, middle-aged man said, stroking his beard.

"That's right! Musashi, little girl! Let me beat her up! It's okay if I pay you back a couple more days later, hahaha!" the ronin man said with a loud laugh.

"I've already said it! I'm neither Shinmen Musashi no Kami Fujiwara no Genshin nor Niten Kojiro!" Iroha Isshiki waved her hands.

"Hahaha!" The warriors who caught up with them burst into laughter, as if they had heard a funny joke.

"Of course we know that. How could a woman like you possibly be the Musashi? But you didn't say that before," the bald middle-aged man said with amusement.

"Then why are you still chasing me?" Iroha Isshiki shouted irritably.

"But it was you who borrowed money from us. You claim to be Musashi, and your Niten Ichi-ryū swordsmanship is genuine. The only difference between you and Musashi is that you haven't reached the 'emptiness' realm yet," the bald, bearded man said.

"That's why we lent you the money! We only lent it to you because you're quite interesting!" the vendor said.

"If you don't have money, go to the red-light district and sell yourself. A powerful woman like you would definitely have big shots willing to pay a fortune for your virginity. Perfect! If any woman is willing to pay to sleep with me, I'd be willing to go out and sell myself every day," the burly ruffian said with a sneer.

"How could I possibly do something like that! I'm not one of those female college students who wear high school uniforms and work part-time at night! The only people I'd act cute and offer fanservice to are the ones I care about!" Iroha Isshiki shouted in exasperation.

Chapter 209 Shirou Falls Off a Cliff

"You just mentioned 'female college student'? What's that? It sounds pretty erotic. Is that some new brothel thing to do? You know a lot, young lady," the bearded man said with a smirk.

"Don't ask me! Shut up! You harassing old man!" Iroha Isshiki shouted angrily, waving her fists and about to rush at him to fight. Although she was now a woman, it was clear that her whole body had been well-trained, making her very agile and powerful, definitely not an ordinary person. Unfortunately, the user of her body was completely disorganized.

"Isshiki, calm down. Tell me how you got here." Shirou grabbed the girl's shoulder, stopping her from going to her death, and then said.

"No, Shirou-senpai? This must be a dream, right? Ugh! I've been having these weird dreams for days! Even in my dreams I get lectured by you, senpai?" Iroha Isshiki said, lowering her head in despair.

"Hmm? Think about it, have you encountered anything strange recently?" Shirou frowned. Was this girl's first time here?

"I don't know! I can't figure it out at all. I've been having these weird dreams lately. At first, it seemed like I was filming a Taiga drama, which was quite fun. But today I was suddenly being chased for debts. I haven't spent a single penny of it. I haven't even eaten many mochi, snacks, or desserts. Seriously! I've had enough!" Iroha Isshiki exclaimed.

"Hey! Don't play dumb! You used the money you borrowed to buy clothes! You said that whether you're an adult or a young girl, the most important thing is your clothes. That's why we lent you the money!" the bearded man cursed.

"Shirou-senpai, you actually appeared in my dream! You're like a Prince Charming! Chase them away!" Iroha Isshiki grabbed Shirou's collar, who was wearing a samurai robe, and shouted.

"Wait, Isshiki, I think it would be better to talk things out." Shirou felt that he and the girl were in the wrong, even though the one who borrowed the money might be Musashi himself.

"Wait! You two, stop arguing amongst yourselves!" the samurai said impatiently.

"Don't rush, let me sort things out first," Shirou said.

Although the other party seemed aggressive, Shirou realized they weren't someone he couldn't talk to, so he decided to observe the situation calmly.

Samurai were also divided into upper, middle, and lower classes. At the top of the ranks of warriors were the Shogun, who had the power to establish a shogunate and to enfeoff feudal lords, daimyo, and castle lords in various regions. The middle class consisted of retainers who were loyal to these military officers. The lowest class consisted of warriors from families that had fallen on hard times and who had lost their allegiance. They had no choice but to leave their hometowns to find work and thus became ronin.

Judging from Shirou's experience, the samurai in front of him were probably the worst kind, somewhere between gangsters and thugs. Samurai means samurai, representing the "scholars" in the first class of Wa Province. They were officially supported and could choose not to engage in farming, but instead serve the warlords, lords, or daimyo.

Of course, this class was not entirely limited. If one could gain the favor of those in power or achieve military merit, even a refugee could become a samurai.

Three Heroes of the Warring States was Monkey Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who ambitiously unified Japan and then wanted to invade Korea. His father, who died young, was just a foot soldier under Oda Nobunaga's father, who commanded five men. Because he was malnourished from childhood, he had a pointed mouth and monkey-like face, so he was nicknamed "Monkey".

He rose from a peasant in Owari to become a feudal lord, eventually becoming the most powerful warlord in the island nation. His ambitions included conquering Korea, defeating China, and then annexing India. Even Tokugawa Ieyasu, the "tanuki" who established the most powerful shogunate in Japanese history, was suppressed by him until his death.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi perfectly exemplified the saying, "Are kings and nobles born with Are there any predestined ones??" and that even commoners can produce heroes.

Any warrior with a skill, whether it be swordsmanship, spearmanship, horsemanship, or archery, can become an instructor for the sons of officials. Those with profound knowledge, extensive learning, and expertise in military strategy may also be appointed as military advisors.

Of course, within these aristocratic families that judged solely on military strength and power, because the positions were hereditary, there were bound to be some rogues. If they lost their stipends, they could only work as mercenaries in wars.

Penniless and starving rogues, defeated samurai on the battlefield, sometimes even worse off than farmers, might take up jobs such as thugs or bodyguards.

Even in modern times, there are still people who make a living by selling violence; they've just moved from the open to the gray area.

Following the age-old convention that those who owe a large sum of money are usually the big shots, Shirou figured that since the girl had attracted the attention of five or six high-ranking samurai, she must also owe quite a bit.

The current situation actually makes things easier to negotiate, since the other party can't accept such a loss either. Agree on the interest rate for repayment, give them a grace period, and repay in installments.

While modern society still employs methods like kidney and organ harvesting, it operates within a society governed by the rule of law. At least in his past life, Shirou's neighbor's grandfather, though not exactly a good person, wouldn't engage in the kind of robbery that bullies men and women or harms innocent people. On the contrary, he was more courageous and responsible than the Self-Defense Forces, readily contributing his manpower and resources during natural disasters and man-made calamities.

This is somewhat similar to the Yakuza gangs. Their profit-making methods are mostly in the gray area, such as running debt companies. On the one hand, they lend money to wealthy people who don't have enough cash at underground casinos, and on the other hand, they remind those who borrow money at high interest rates to quickly sell their assets to repay their debts.

They run idol companies, make movies, and run nightclubs, employing male escorts and hostesses to sell alcohol and medicine. They also collect protection money and sometimes even stop people from handing out pink service business cards to small hotels and inns—all in remote, gray-area income industries.

Although members of the group occasionally have conflicts of interest with other groups, there are bound to be incidents such as armed fights and shootings.

However, they don't usually interact much with ordinary people who lead normal lives and have no connection with them. Of course, if someone has taken out a high-interest loan or been tricked into signing a contract to shoot several films a year, that's a different story.

'If this were ancient times, perhaps we would have had no choice but to accept it. Of course, someone who could borrow so much money without any investment is quite remarkable.'

The boy looked at his junior, whose pink hair had become strangely styled, and thought, "Judging from her appearance, she should be Musashi, a Servant, but inside she is her junior Iroha Isshiki, as if she is in a state of possession or summoning."

However, every now and then another Spirit Core will emerge and speak, and the two seem to have no shared memories.

Shirou also noticed the strangeness in his body, feeling as if his Spirit Core had possessed this place. The original owner of this body was probably a stranger who was very similar to him but not the same.

If that's the case, then it makes sense.

His red hair is the color of iron burning at high temperatures, and he exudes a fiery aura. He lives in the Warring States period, is a strong and capable man, and looks very similar to Shirou Emiya. He is also a person with a strong sense of justice, skilled in forging, and fights with weapons he has forged himself.

Shirou does know of one such being, and he has a significant connection to one of his possibilities in other worlds.

He and Iroha Isshiki possessed each other in a dream, either in a reverse connection with Servant in a strange world, or they were in the same body as a special Heroic Servant, having the same dream.

If we're talking about the dream world here, it seems different from the one I encountered in France. It's hard to sense any magic here. If it were a world created by the black mud Heroic Spirit using the Holy Grail or other means, the air would usually have a level of magic close to that of the Age of Gods. But this world is more like the Shirou is currently living in.

"Hey! Have you two made up your minds? Don't try to play dumb! We're not letting you go until you give us an explanation," the bearded man urged.

"This is really troublesome." Shirou's gaze quickly swept over the samurai present.

Because he couldn't sense much magic in this world, he changed bodies and lost contact with the Holy Grail. Now, he seems unable to even use Reinforcement Magic. Under the premise of protecting the girl, he has to face not some thugs, but well-trained professional warriors who have been on the battlefield.

A warrior who has studied military strategy and martial arts since childhood and is skilled in archery and horsemanship can be worth at least five soldiers on the battlefield. It would be quite difficult to fight five or six such individuals in close combat.

Shirou surveyed his surroundings. When he pulled the girl to escape to this hillside, he had already confirmed that this place was a dead end, ending at a sheer cliff. Originally, this was high ground; if they fell from here, even a straight drop of over three hundred meters wouldn't reach the bottom. Looking down, he saw a deep green forest, and he could vaguely hear the roars of hungry wolves and other wild beasts.

If the body falls, it won't be long before it returns to nature and is completely devoured. Apart from the hardest part of the skull, even the contents of the intestines will likely be burrowed in and eaten by worms.

It seems the escape routes have also been blocked...

"Isshiki." Shirou pulled the girl back, then stood in front of her and spoke.

"What? Senior?" Iroha Isshiki asked in confusion.

"You're carrying a sword, aren't you confident you can hold off one of them?" Shirou asked. If the girl could help restrain one of them—no, as long as she could protect him—he was ready to risk everything with his weapon.

"No! No! Not even in a dream! What do you take me for, senpai? A samurai girl? I'll be killed by that kind of fierce old man!" Iroha Isshiki waved her hands and refused.

The Musashi Shirou, who used to appear from time to time, has suddenly become silent.

At this moment, the bald man, the most experienced among them, stroked his beard, looked at the young man with a smile, and advised, "Young man, give up. Although it's clear you've trained well and your skills are indeed quite good, you can't possibly win against us in a full-scale battle. We just want our money back; as long as we get it..."

"That's it! Little girl! Hurry up and come to the brothel with me! Otherwise, you'd better find a way to pay me back quickly!" the bearded man laughed loudly.

"I'm sorry, neither she nor I can come up with that much money right now, but no matter what, I can't let you leave with my junior." Shirou said, looking directly at his opponent, his right hand simultaneously resting on the hilt of his sword. Now that his intentions had been seen through, winning was even more difficult.

Shirou felt a chill run down his spine and began to simulate battle tactics.

'First, relying on the sharpness of the treasured sword, in the instant of Drawing Sword Slash, cut the swords of the samurai on both sides. Then, before they could react, deliver a slash, cutting two more swords in half. Next, stun one with the back of the sword, and finally use the sword to coerce the leader.'

'The whole process must be completed in one go; everything is on the sharpness of this precious sword. If it chipps or gets stuck halfway through, I might die...'

"What excellent eyesight! Courageous yet upright! Young man, you might achieve great things in the future, but paying back debts is a matter of course, isn't it?" the vendor said, drawing his katana.

"To kill someone like you would be to tarnish the reputation of my sword!" said the samurai beside him, drawing his own sword.

"Young lady, are you going to watch this fine young man die for you?" the bald leader asked.

Iroha Isshiki, feeling the stare, stomped her foot. "Ugh! That's enough! That's enough! This is infuriating! Shirou-senpai too! It was just a dream! Did you have to make me so emotional? If I find out in reality that I was just imagining things, I'll be really bothered!"

"You're not leaving, huh! I might as well jump right now!"

As she spoke, Iroha Isshiki Hatake glared at the samurai and took off running towards the edge of the cliff. However, as expected, she stopped just before reaching the edge, but accidentally tripped over a protruding rock and flew off.

"Waaaaaah!!!"

"Wait! Little Musashi?!" shouted the bald, bearded man was leading the group.

"No way! They really fell!" the samurai exclaimed.

No sooner said than done, in the instant the girl flew out, a figure rushed forward and grabbed one of her wrists.

"Honestly, I told you to calm down. Even if you're going to argue, at least be mindful of the environment."

"I'm sorry... Senpai, sob, this dream was just too real!" Iroha Isshiki looked shaken, tears welling up in her eyes.

Shirou arrived just in time. Before the girl fell off the cliff, he crouched down and grabbed her hand, managing to stop her from falling any further. He pulled his junior up little by little, allowing her to use the rock for leverage and climb back up.

Iroha Isshiki protruding rock with both feet and grabbed onto a rock with her other hand, finally managing to steady herself.

"Thank you, Shirou-senpai, ah..." At that moment Iroha Isshiki felt her body begin to lean backward, and the rock she was holding suddenly became useless. A large section of the ground at the edge of the cliff cracked open and then collapsed outward.

Even the spot where Shirou was standing was detached, tilting and sinking little by little.

"Waaaaah! We're really going to fall this time!" Iroha Isshiki cried out in tears.

"Isshiki! Grit your teeth!" Shirou felt the rock about to fall, so he jumped up, grabbed Iroha Isshiki's waist, and threw her with all his might onto the cliff with a broken corner.

But now he had nowhere to hold on, and could only fall downwards with gravity. He gave a helpless bitter laugh, "What a terrible dream. Can the Noble Phantasm be Projection?"

"Shirou-senpai!!" Iroha Isshiki was thrown off the cliff and lay sprawled on the ground. She stretched out her hand and leaned forward, crying out in anguish, "I had a dream where I was with you, senpai, but it ended so tragically."

"This isn't the time to talk about this!" the samurai cursed.

"Such a fine young man, and he's died for a Baga woman!" several warriors exclaimed in regret.

"Hahaha! Although Baga isn't very pretty, have you ever been intimate with her? Have you slept with her? Well, it's not a complete loss!" The bearded man laughed strangely.

"It's not working as expected! Ahh!" Shirou tried to Projection his Noble Phantasm, the Flying Shoes, but he couldn't use them. He could only keep falling. The cold wind whistling through the air made his face feel icy cold, and a chill seeped into his skin, making his bones feel cold and slightly painful.

Shirou opened his eyes, startled awake from his bed in his room. "What kind of bizarre dream was that! I hadn't even started fighting yet, and my teammates had already tricked me into falling off a cliff. This is really..."

Shirou shook his head helplessly, checked his phone, and saw that it wasn't even six o'clock yet. So he lay back down on the bed and went back to sleep.

The boy who had entered his dream found himself still in the air, as if the dream was continuing. He felt weightless, floating in the air like a kite, rising higher and higher, farther and farther away from the cliff he had been on before.

Then a gust of wind blew, carrying him to a small town further away.