Please Play FGO With Me

In Chaldea on the other side of the world, they were currently facing increasingly fierce attacks from monsters. The Heroic Spirits left behind in Chaldea repelled them each time, but after a while, they would return, and the greater their numbers, the greater the threat.

"Seriously! It never ends!" Da Vinci shouted in frustration.

"Director! The unknown magic power source has been detected! It's confirmed to be a Holy Grail!"

There stood a black-clad male Heroic Spirit. With the black beast-taming reins in his hand, empowered by the Holy Grail, he could summon hundreds and thousands of demonic beasts. He controlled their minds, turning them into mindless destructive weapons that continuously attacked both worlds.

The black-clad man was also abnormal. His black skin was covered in a black mud-like substance, like filth. His expression was usually blank, with only hatred visible in his eyes. When his emotions fluctuated, black mud would surge on his body, like wriggling earthworms, making him look as if he had crawled out of the mire.

"Chaldea, and the world over there, must be destroyed. Revenge must be taken. For mother, for dignity."

Chapter 37: The Junior Classmate Archetype is Redundant

At seven in the morning, the Hachiman family left the house on time, heading to work and school. After dropping Komachi off near her school, Hachiman returned to the alley and walked towards the international school he attended.

A week later, the damaged wall at the school entrance had been repaired. Just then, footsteps approached from behind.

"Good morning, Shirou-senpai," Mash said cheerfully as she quickened her pace.

"Oh, good morning, Mash," Hachiman replied with a smile, greeting the pink-haired girl. The junior seemed genuinely fond of school, enjoying both cultural classes and physical activities.

"Will you be practicing at the Kyudo Club this morning too?" Mash asked.

"Yeah, after all, I'm on a scholarship and the captain. It wouldn't be right if I didn't practice diligently," Hachiman agreed with a light chuckle.

"I understand. I'll come over after I change, then," Mash said.

"Okay," Hachiman nodded.

Although the Kyudo Club had a changing room, it was generally used by the boys. The girls would change into their kyudo uniforms in the separate women's changing room before coming over.

"Senpai! Shirou-senpai~!" At that moment, another junior student ran over. She had a pretty face and a cute voice, though she always seemed to speak with a slightly affected tone. Her light brown hair was slightly curled, reaching just the right length to cover her neck. She was the first-year student council president, Iroha Isshiki.

"Yo, isn't this Isshiki? It's rare to see you at school this early," Hachiman greeted her.

"Now isn't the time for 'yo,' Senpai! Listen to me... Ah!" Iroha Isshiki stopped when she saw Mash.

"..." Mash silently looked at the girl who had suddenly appeared. She seemed to understand why Fou would react that way when seeing little pigs or puppies.

"Forget it! Senpai, you should come with me so I can tell you properly!" The girl directly grabbed Hachiman's arm and pulled him away.

"Why are you dragging me along? Is it something I can't say with Mash here?" Hachiman asked as he was being pulled.

"But if that child is here, my value as a junior classmate would be redundant!" Iroha Isshiki stopped only after dragging Hachiman behind the school building, stating her case righteously.

"You know, you could probably get away with not acting like a junior classmate," Hachiman told her. He hadn't felt particularly respected by her anyway.

"Eh? What! Senpai, are you trying to say 'I don't see you as a junior classmate, but rather as a girlfriend'? Are you confessing to me here and now? I'm sorry! That's so out of line! I can't accept it! Please find a place with candlelight dinner and try again!"

"Why am I being rejected three times in a row when I haven't said anything? Fine, what are you thinking about all day? You're the student council president, aren't you?" Hachiman retorted, looking at the girl lost in her overactive imagination.

"Oh, stop it~! You were the one who encouraged me to run for student council president, senpai! You're not going to go back on your word, are you?" Iroha Isshiki playfully patted Hachiman's shoulder and asked with a sweet smile.

This girl, despite her sweet, cutesy smile, could speak with a terrifying tone, as if she were a ventriloquist.

"Well, that is true," Hachiman couldn't argue.

The girl was the type who wanted to be liked by everyone, so she would adapt to others and play a likable role, interacting in ways that pleased them. She would act cute and clingy in front of others, making her very popular with the boys. However, among the girls, many found her act insincere and disliked her, finding her quite unpopular.

Consequently, she was targeted by the girls in her class, and dozens of them jointly recommended her for the student council president election.

At the time, the previous student council president brought Iroha Isshiki to the Service Club, saying she wanted to lose the student council president election gracefully.

Because this international high school was a prestigious school focused on university admissions, students here were either top scholars aiming for scholarships, elites who had qualified for national competitions in sports or arts, candidates for future politicians with influential families, or simply the children of the wealthy.

Therefore, hardly anyone was interested in the position of student council president, which was thankless, unrewarding, and lacked significant power. Thus, there were no opponents to compete with her.

However, Hachiman realized at the time that the girl didn't actually not want to be student council president. On the contrary, with her mischievous nature, she would be absolutely delighted to find an opportunity to shut down the women who disliked her.

"Then why don't you just become the student council president? If you need any help, you can ask me," Hachiman had said at the time.

"Eh? Senpai? If you say so, then I'll do it," Iroha Isshiki hesitated for a moment before saying.

"But~ senpai, you have to take responsibility," the girl blinked her watery eyes and said in a soft, alluring voice.

And so, the boy was now being sought out.

"Senpai~~ You have to help me, otherwise it's going to be super bad. Waaah..." Iroha Isshiki whined, grabbing Hachiman's sleeve with one hand while rubbing her eyes with the other, as if wiping away tears.

No, no, it's too late for that. Even if you act cute and try to evoke a boy's protective instincts, it's too late. But is crying really that unfair? What if someone misunderstands if this continues?

"...Tell me, what's going on?" Hachiman asked helplessly.

"You'll help me? That's great!" Isshiki immediately broke into a radiant smile, as if the person crying moments ago was someone else entirely.

"Alright, what is it that's super bad?" Hachiman asked.

"Mhm, well, the student council received a super troublesome job," Isshiki lowered her head, her whole demeanor becoming dejected as if recalling the troublesome nature of the task.

"A troublesome job? What kind is it?" Hachiman asked, looking at the suddenly somber girl. He had a feeling the matter was indeed very troublesome, which was why she had come to him.

"Christmas is coming soon, right? We have to collaborate with nearby high schools to organize a Christmas event for the elderly and children in the neighborhood," Isshiki explained slowly.

"Collaborate? That does sound troublesome. Who proposed this?" Hachiman asked, puzzled.

"Senpai~ How could I possibly propose such a troublesome plan?" Iroha Isshiki winked playfully and smiled, acting as if he knew the answer and was teasing her.

"They made a request, and you just agreed to it?" Based on the girl's personality, Hachiman tried to piece together the truth of the situation.

"You really are amazing, senpai! You're so smart~!" the girl exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"Is that so? Then I'll be heading back to the club room. Good luck," Shirou said, turning to walk towards the Kyudo Club.

"Waaah, don't go, senpai~! I really can't do this by myself! Besides, everyone's busy with Christmas, right? Some have friends to hang out with, and those without friends are grinding FGO's Christmas event! If you don't help me, I'll never be able to max-bond Attila the Hun riding her sheep!" Iroha Isshiki shouted, grabbing the back of Shirou's clothes and stubbornly pulling him back.

Chapter 38: Shirou and the Student Council

Hearing the girl's plea, Shirou, who had been pulled back, finally stopped. He realized this girl wasn't just similar to Mash in her kouhai traits.

"That really is a problem," Shirou nodded.

"Senpai, you're playing FGO too, so you understand, right?! The Great King, baa baa baa~! Her overwhelming cuteness! No matter how much pressure I'm under, I feel completely healed. If I don't listen to it for a day, I feel like I can't go on, baa hehe~!" Iroha Isshiki said, pulling out her phone to open the event preview video that was about to start.

"You're already seriously addicted," Shirou said helplessly, looking at the girl who seemed possessed.

"Ahhh, the Christmas Great King is so cute, I'm being healed, baa~. If that's the case, I'll help you max-bond her even if I have to stay up all night," the girl said, rubbing her face against the Attila poster on her phone screen with determination.

"I understand. For now, come to the Service Club around noon so we can discuss it," Shirou said, seeing the girl like this. The monsters from the other dimension had been mostly cleared up, so he might as well help her.

"Really! Thank you! Senpai~! Then I'll head back to the classroom first. See you!" Iroha Isshiki said excitedly.

After parting ways with the girl, Shirou ran towards the Kyudo Club. As soon as he opened the door, he saw a pink-haired girl already in her kyudo uniform, waiting for him at the entrance.

"Welcome back, Shirou-senpai," Mash greeted him with a light smile.

"Sorry, Mash, for making you wait here alone," Shirou said.

"No, I wanted to learn archery from you, senpai, so please come in quickly and let's start practicing!" Mash shook her head and said to Shirou.

"Okay," Shirou agreed. He quickly changed into his kyudo uniform and they hurried to class after their practice session.

Until noon.

"Excuse me," a small head poked through the door from the outside.

"Come in and sit down, Iroha-chan," Yuihama greeted her with a smile.

"Thank you, Yuihama-senpai," Iroha Isshiki walked in and curiously looked at Asuna and Mash sitting nearby. "Hello everyone. When did the Service Club get so crowded?"

"Well, a few things happened, haha," Yuihama said with a smile, unsure how to explain.

"So, Iroha-chan, why are you here this time?" Yukino asked, putting down her book and looking at the girl.

"Actually, the school's student council is co-hosting a Christmas event for the elderly and children with a neighboring school. But the students from the other school are all upperclassmen, and as a first-year, I'm being looked down upon. So I was assigned to do errands, but the crucial preparations haven't progressed at all," Iroha Isshiki explained the situation to everyone.

"If you didn't like it, why didn't you just refuse from the start?" Yukino said, unable to understand.

"Well, Yukino, sometimes there are things you can't easily refuse," Yuihama said.

"Mmm... I do have plans during Christmas, but Teacher Hiratsuka insisted we participate," Iroha mumbled dejectedly, her shoulders slumping. This matter was really bothering her, to the point where she even forgot about maintaining her cute image.

"Ah, I see. That's understandable," Yukino and Yuihama said in realization.

"Yeah, if it's Teacher Shizuka Hiratsuka, then there's no way we could have turned it down."

Speaking of the "Iron Fist Teacher" Shizuka Hiratsuka, she's a terrifying presence who will relentlessly text and call students if she doesn't get a reply. If calls go unanswered, she'll use every connection she has to find the student's junior sister's phone number and contact them.

"That's true," Shirou nodded. Setting aside the fact that the girl was more interested in grinding events than student council work, being assigned a task by Teacher Hiratsuka was indeed pitiable.

"The event is expanding, and even elementary school students are being roped in. But we can't seem to get everyone on the same page, and it's really troublesome. Right now, the only ones I can rely on are you, senpai! So please, help me!" Iroha Isshiki clasped her hands together and bowed her head in entreaty.

"Alright, let's pause the discussion here for now. Iroha, you should go back first. We'll discuss the details amongst ourselves," Shirou said, standing up and ushering the girl towards the door.

"Eh? Senpai, I haven't gotten an answer yet," Iroha said as she was being pushed out.

"Okay, we'll talk about it outside," Shirou said.

"Shirou-senpai, remember you already agreed to help me," Iroha Isshiki said, pouting with her cheeks puffed out as she looked at Shirou from outside the door.

"This isn't something I can decide alone. We'll let you know once we come to a conclusion. Give me your account ID," Shirou said, taking out his phone.

"Oh..." Iroha had no choice but to obediently take out her phone.

Then, the girl's expression changed, and she took two steps back, looking at Shirou warily. "Senpai... do you actually have feelings for me? I'm sorry! That method of asking for contact information is too cliché, your intentions are completely obvious. Please try again next time!"

"Hey, this is the second time today you've rejected me so forcefully. Fine... I'll come find you after school this afternoon then," Shirou said, defeated by the little devil and reluctantly compromising.

"Okay, I'm counting on you, senpai!" Iroha Isshiki stuck out her tongue, clasped her hands together in a plea, and ran off.

At that moment, his phone vibrated. He opened it and saw a message.

"Because I already had it! (sticks tongue out)" - Sakura Sheep

"This is really..." Shirou hadn't expected Iroha Isshiki to be in the game chat group. And how did she know this account was his?

Shirou looked curiously in the direction the girl had run off, but she was already out of sight.

"What do you guys think?" Shirou asked his companions in the Service Club for their opinions.

Yuihama habitually smoothed her twin buns and thought for a moment. "Should we help her? She seems so pitiful otherwise."

"While this is Service Club work, Shirou, you know we have very important things to do right now, don't you?" Yukino asked.

"But I think we can handle both things at the same time," Shirou countered.

"Yukino, let's all work together to solve both these issues!" Yuihama said with a smile.

"Well, club activities are also very important, and the monsters from the other dimension have been mostly cleared. If any new monsters appear, Mash and I will handle them first. We'll call you if we can't resolve it," Asuna added.

With Mash acting as her guard, the Berserker-class Minamoto no Yorimitsu could handle most situations.

"Yes, I'll do my best to support Asuna-senpai. You all, please do your best with your club activities too," Mash said, clenching her fist to cheer on her seniors. She was determined to do her best, whether it was in battle or being embraced and petted by the Heroic Spirit Minamoto no Yorimitsu afterward!

"And me too!" Da Vinci chimed in from the phone screen.

"Is that so? Then I'll be counting on you. I'll finish things up here as quickly as possible," Shirou promised.

"Thank you. And speaking of which, if we don't help, Teacher Hiratsuka will definitely come over and ask why," Yuihama said with a wry smile.

"I know. In that case, let's resolve this quickly," Yukino agreed, nodding. This applied to both monsters and the Service Club's work!

Chapter 39: The Meeting Makes No Progress

After that, Shirou contacted Isshiki via the mobile chat application and quickly received a reply. The meeting place was a community center near the station.

This community center, which was also the venue for the event, was similar to a senior activity center. It was essentially a place where the community held various activities for the elderly. However, this event was for all elderly people and children, making its scope and scale larger.

A room had been specifically set aside for the student council to use as a conference room for the two student councils to meet and discuss matters. However, recent meetings had made virtually no progress.

As the newly appointed first-year student council president, Iroha Isshiki lacked experience. Coupled with her personality, she only knew how to constantly cater to the other party's proposals.

Since the plan was proposed by the other school, it was natural for the International High School Student Council, as the invited party, to be on the defensive. Consequently, they were assigned a large number of trivial tasks.

At this point, they were out of options, which was why they came to Shirou and the Service Club for help.

After a brief inquiry, the young men and women arrived at the conference room. Several long tables were arranged to form a rectangular conference table, allowing both sides to sit opposite each other and discuss matters.

At the far end were the boys from the nearby business high school. Looking towards the entrance, Shirou saw individuals wearing the International High School uniform. They looked somewhat familiar, and Shirou recalled that one of them was the student council's vice president.