Going to Watch the Fireworks Together

Yukino continued:

"You all know about the Holy Grail War on that network before, right? Chaldea screened those who privately possessed and summoned others. Those who would harm society were disqualified, while the others returned to their respective residences after agreeing to abide by the rules."

They, like us, have made a pact with Chaldea to maintain peace in this world and deal with the rampaging Demonic Beast from other dimensions.

"From now on, I hope you will also abide by the rules set by Chaldea and not display your strength casually in this world. After all, things like Servant and Demonic Beast are still kept secret from the public. If they were exposed, the world could very well fall into chaos and panic. Of course, please keep it in check outside of school as well," Yukino said.

"Yes, they all know all this, and they made an agreement with me," Shirou said on behalf of the girls.

"Well, as long as it doesn't cause me any inconvenience, I have no interest in oppressing others," Artoria replied aloofly.

"Well, I made a promise with Shirou that I wouldn't hurt any of the humans here. Of course... if the people here come looking for trouble, that's a different story." Jeanne d'Arc d'Arc shrugged nonchalantly.

After reaching a consensus, Yukino and the others gladly accepted the girls into the Service Club, and they all became good friends.

As time went by, the girls gradually integrated into the class. However, Jeanne d'Arc and Artoria continued to compete both inside and outside of class, so Shirou had to handle various matters for them from behind.

From birth, he constantly learned to read, calculate, military strategy, and swordsmanship. Even in his dreams, Merlin would teach him about Emperor matters. After pulling the Caliburn, he continued to learn about politics and accumulated experience in actual combat. From birth to death, King Arthur studied diligently day after day for ten years without ever letting up.

This girl is a top student who excels at learning and summarizing, and she quickly mastered the new knowledge taught at school.

For Jeanne d'Arc, a village girl, it was a real struggle. While her language was generally acceptable as Servant, she struggled with grammar and sentence structures, especially mathematics, which she found utterly incomprehensible despite her best efforts. What exactly was a function? What was a quadratic inequality?

So in physical education class, Jeanne d'Arc always competed with Artoria. Although Artoria always had the upper hand against Jeanne d'Arc, she was also quite unwilling to admit defeat and would respond with all her might to any challenge.

Whether it was a coincidence or someone deliberately arranged it, Shirou's class happened to have the same physical education class as the international class.

In the void, I always felt the enigmatic smile of Da Vinci, that black-haired noblewoman.

During his soccer lesson, Shirou glanced to the other side and could see two people shouting and sprinting forward on the track, kicking up dust as they pushed each other. Even after crossing the finish line, they couldn't stop their momentum and continued to rush forward.

It seems they won't give up until they've left the other side behind.

The girl who was left behind at the finish line and was in charge of pressing the stopwatch stared blankly at the stopwatch in her hand, looking utterly incredulous.

Shirou quickly used his Magic Eye to modify the stopwatch in the sports committee girl's hand. The data on it kept changing and showed no signs of stopping.

"I knew it! Both of them broke world records just now. It really is broken," the sports committee member said with a wry smile.

"What's wrong?" asked the girls who were close to the sports representative.

"No, the timer is broken; it didn't record the speed just now," the sports committee member said.

"What should we do then? Let Ria and Jenny come back and compete again?" one of the girls suggested.

Looking into the distance, the two figures, who were running further and further away, raising clouds of dust, created a sandstorm-like atmosphere wherever they went. The aura that the blonde and silver-haired girls unintentionally released during their confrontation was enough to make those around them tremble with fear, even if they were only affected by it.

"Will you go and say it for me?" The sports committee member smiled at his friend and asked in a coquettish tone.

My friend smiled sweetly and waved her hand, saying, "No, no, how could I possibly have the courage to strike up a conversation with that kind of domineering aura from the end of the world?"

"But seriously, those two are really fast. Maybe the fastest in the whole class," the girls said with a laugh.

"Yes, let's just record the top speed." The sports committee member's eyes lit up, and he casually wrote down two identical numbers on the record sheet, which was the safest choice.

"Mmm-hmm." The girls around them nodded in agreement.

The boy in the distance finally breathed a sigh of relief, at least averting a potential crisis. Otherwise, even if he wasn't mistaken for a mutant or alien and dissected by the authorities, being targeted by talent scouts in the sports world would still be troublesome.

Because her hands are used for drawing, Mashiro, who possesses special privileges, initially stayed away from the dangerous track where Ria and Jeanne d'Arc were. Instead, she came to observe Shirou was sweating it out in the soccer match, and thus took in the boy's every move.

Mashiro, seeing the worried boy, softly cheered him on, "Shirou, do your best!"

Then there was the indoor volleyball lesson.

White afterimages flew through the air, landing on the floor with dull thuds.

Apart from the gold and silver medalists standing on either side of the court, the other girls in red and white sports uniforms pretended to be dead, crawling on their hands and feet like recruits climbing barbed wire during military training, slowly making their way out of the court.

At that moment, the net in the middle was blown to the other side by the strong wind. It turned out that Artoria had served the volleyball. The spinning ball created a whirlwind in the gymnasium, and then suddenly disappeared in the storm.

This is the legendary invisible magic ball!

Jeanne d'Arc, standing opposite, quickly put her hands in front of her face. The next moment, the volleyball appeared in front of Joan of Jeanne d'Arc's palms. Even though she caught it, it was still spinning wildly, like a runaway horse.

Jeanne d'Arc gritted her teeth and forcefully squeezed the volleyball to hold it in place. The white ball was squeezed so hard that it bulged and dented, and finally, with a bang, it exploded.

"Hey, you cold-blooded woman, you just hit me in the face, didn't you?" Jeanne d'Arc of Arc tossed the tattered volleyball aside.

"Oh ho, if you're scared, why don't you just tuck your tail between your legs and back out now?" Artoria said with a sneer.

"... Is that so!" Jeanne d'Arc, enraged yet surprisingly calm, silently turned around, walked to the corner, picked up a spare ball, turned back, and grinned maliciously, saying, "Again! Hehehehehe!"

Her long silver hair fluttered in the air as she leaped high into the air. Then, with a forceful flick of her hand, the volleyball flew out, heading straight for Artoria's face. Halfway through its flight, it suddenly burst into flames invisible to ordinary people.

A crimson fireball, like a cannonball, struck the blonde girl opposite.

The burning flames created a wave of heat, blowing the blonde girl's hair high in the air, and the surrounding space seemed to become dry.

This is no longer just a volleyball match; in short, no one in the first-year international class will find this semester boring. Every day is as exciting as watching a blockbuster movie in a theater.

"Hmph!" Artoria clenched her fists together, making a swinging motion, her magic covering her fists, and slammed the incoming fireball away.

The fireball, already moving at high speed, was propelled back at more than double its previous speed, flying towards the silver-haired girl.

"Do you think it will turn out the way you want it to be!" Jeanne d'Arc raised her right hand high, as if grasping a flag, and the demonic flames that formed in the void surged, with flames exploding above the crimson fireball.

The volleyball, which was supposed to be blasted back and stuck to Artoria's face, suddenly went berserk, turning into multiple irregularly floating afterimages and emitting a rapidly spinning shriek.

Irregular afterimages flew rapidly downwards with a bang, heading straight for the girls who were watching in a daze.

"Oh no!!" Jeanne d'Arc cried out in alarm.

However, all of this happened far too fast. The afterimage of the flying volleyball was like a steel bullet being fired, which humans simply could not dodge or defend against, and their fragile bodies could not withstand it.

At the critical moment, a figure leaped in front of the girls.

Shirou, who had been keeping an eye on the girls, rushed over as soon as he noticed something was wrong. He arrived just in time to shield the girls behind him and protect them.

"Ah!" The girls, who had just cried out in surprise, hurriedly closed their eyes, but after a moment, they felt no pain.

When the girls opened their eyes, they were greeted by the boy's strong and slender back, and they immediately felt at ease. However, their hearts were still beating rapidly. They stared at the boy, momentarily stunned.

Chapter 302 Let's go watch the fireworks together

The fireball, transforming into several afterimages, resembled five or six small meteorites falling simultaneously from the sky, erratically shifting positions. A slight miscalculation could have created a large crater in the floor; if it had struck a person's head, it would have instantly slit its skull.

At that time, eyeballs, teeth, tongues, and blood-tinged saliva will splatter throughout the entire stadium.

Shirou rushed over and stretched out both hands, barely managing to catch the fireball, but the wildly spinning ball was like a grinding machine.

The blades were about to chafe the skin of the boy's hand, and the air seemed to be filled with the stench of burnt flesh. Soon, even the bones inside would be ground to powder, and the extremely high temperature seemed to be burning the entire arm to a charred black.

In an instant, Shirou activated his Magic Eye, a white light flashing within his pupils like lightning streaking across the night. The fireball that had been running rampant was restructured and gradually lost its momentum, coming to a stop.

Shirou flipped his palm over, instantly repairing the wound, then spread his fingers and caught the falling volleyball steadily in his hand.

The burning volleyball, now undamaged and spotless, appears even cleaner than when it was taken out, as white as a brand new product.

To the average person, it was just a volleyball going berserk and almost knocking someone down. But even with the flames in sight, the sheer force and pressure generated by that rapid movement were undeniable.

"It's alright now. As long as I'm here, I won't let you get hurt." Shirou, holding the volleyball, turned to the frightened girls, gave them a gentle smile, and comforted them.

"Yes..." The girls took in the boy's kind, neighborly smile, and their faces flushed red, their expressions a mix of infatuation and daze.

"Sorry to have startled you. I'll go over there right now and have a good talk with them." Shirou smiled at the girls, then turned to look at the two girls on the court.

Artoria and Jeanne d'Arc met the boy's gaze, then simultaneously looked away guiltily.

Artoria tried to remain calm, but cold sweat broke out on her face as she silently prayed, "Please don't say you're cooking for yourself tonight! Please don't say I'm not cooking tonight!"

On the other side, Jeanne d'Arc wanted to avoid Shirou's gaze, after all, she had gone too far again this time. But her body couldn't control her, and she nervously peeked out, trying to glimpse the boy's expression, only to be caught red-handed, and she quickly turned her head away.

Seeing the two girls' subtle expressions, Shirou chuckled. His desire to lecture them faded, and he decided to lead them away from this troublesome place first.

Unbeknownst to the boy, even after he left, the girls' eyes remained fixed on his back. That broad, strong back, which had protected them in the moment of fright, made them feel incredibly safe and secure, filling their hearts with warmth.

"Shirou- senpai..."

"So handsome..."

The girls blushed, gazing at the retreating figure and murmuring to themselves. Even though they were safe now, their hearts, pounding violently from the sudden volleyball flying towards them, didn't stop; in fact, they seemed to be racing. Their bodies felt hot. What was this feeling?

"Really... flirting with other women is no good..."

"They really need to be punished..."

"If I don't do this, won't he stay obediently by my side?"

"Yes... we have no choice but to burn it. Let's proceed according to plan..."

On the second-floor spectator stands of the stadium, several blurry Black Shadow stared at the boy and muttered to themselves.

The Black Shadow in the corner upstairs, illuminated by the dim light streaming through the window, were not clearly visible by their faces, but it was vaguely discernible that they were dressed in various styles of women's clothing. Apart from one long-haired woman, the others were not wearing the uniforms of the International High School, suggesting they were uninvited guests from outside.

Some of the Black Shadow were holding a bouquet of flowers, performing petal divination.

Some held their phones with both hands, pressing them against their chests like talismans, seemingly muttering some ominous curses.

Some of them seemed to be fiddling with some kind of knife in their hands...

The boy, who had just led the two girls out of the gymnasium, suddenly felt a chill run through his body and a cold sensation on his neck. When he turned around, he saw that there was no one there; all the students were still inside the gymnasium.

Lately, he seems to have this feeling more and more often. Ever since the girls started school, he seems to feel more and more gazes from behind when he walks around the school. Sometimes they are intense, and sometimes they are like this, making him feel uneasy.

But I really haven't done anything to warrant such scrutiny? It must be just my imagination.

"What's wrong, Shirou?" Artoria asked Jeanne d'Arc, puzzled.

"No, it's probably just my imagination. Let's go," Shirou replied, shaking his head.

"Seriously, Shirou, what's wrong with you? Why are you so easily startled? Haha? Cheer up!" The oblivious Jeanne d'Arc laughed immediately, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder, seemingly in a much better mood.

The silver-haired girl looked at the boy, and at that moment, she felt an inexplicable surge of affection.

Yes, so Shirou can make silly mistakes too. She's not the only one. Even though she's a country girl who's never seen the world, she still struggles with math despite trying her best to get into school in this world.

She messed up even her PE class, which she was good at, accidentally hitting someone with the volleyball. As a high school girl, she seemed pretty unsuccessful. But no one is perfect, and she still has the dazed Shirou as her partner.

The silver-haired girl looked at the conflicted boy, then grinned again, feeling a warm glow in her heart. She and Shirou were indeed good friends.

'It seems I'm being treated like one of them...' Shirou thought to himself, smiled helplessly, and then said, 'Oh well, let's go. We can't continue with PE class, let's find somewhere to kill time.'

"Yes, let's go, let's go," Jeanne d'Arc replied with a smile.

"..." Artoria, who was behind, stopped and looked back at the top of the stadium. Because of the backlighting, she couldn't see anything through the glass windows, but she had just had a bad feeling.

That feeling was very similar to the ominous feeling she had when she was targeted by a crazed woman before her death. It's just that because the target wasn't her, the perception wasn't as acute.

However, Artoria still seriously mentioned it to the boy.

"Shirou, I think you'd better be careful."

"Okay, I understand. I'll be careful." Since Artoria said that, Shirou had no choice but to take it seriously; the girl's Instinct was always very accurate.

However, the following days were unexpectedly peaceful. After Valentine's Day, the amount of chocolates I received was several times that of previous years for some reason, which almost caused public outrage, but nothing else happened.

During this rare moment of peace, Shirou invites everyone to join him at the Lunar New Year festival.

On the way there, Yukino explained the origins of the Lunar New Year festival to everyone, who were getting drowsy. However, when they arrived at their destination, everyone showed excited smiles.

This is a grand carnival for the people, with red lanterns, dragon dances, and lion dances parading through the streets.

Speaking of watching fireworks with the girls, the last time was at a summer fireworks festival. We were harassed by Demonic Beast, and by the time we cleared the alternate dimension, the fireworks were already over.

Thanks to everyone's efforts, the entire Tokyo area has been cleared, and there are no more hidden dangers from other dimensions. Now we can finally enjoy the fireworks in peace.

Before the fireworks started, everyone strolled around the stalls. Yuihama and Artoria agreed to each go and buy snacks, and then Yukino and Asuna went from the other side to buy them.

To prevent accidental consumption, Artoria brought Jeanne d'Arc along, ate one portion herself, and then gave the other portion to the silver-haired girl.

Meanwhile, Komachi and BB-chan started playing games and ended up at a shooting game stall.

Komachi took a liking to the teddy bear on the shelf.

Komachi, who is very good at games, promptly bought five bullets and aimed to fire.

The bullet struck the teddy bear above its nose, right in the center of its face—a perfectly executed shot. Shirou knew that she had spent a considerable amount of money honing this technique.

Unfortunately, the plastic pellet hit the bear's fur and bounced off without even being shaken.

"Wait! Uncle! You're supposed to be completely still, right in the center of my face, but you're not moving at all!"

"No, no, little girl, you were just unlucky. You were definitely going to fall in. Why don't you try again?" the shopkeeper said with a laugh.

"Komachi, let me give it a try," BB-chan volunteered.