The Black-and-White Panda / The Twin Goddesses

In his dream, the little tiger felt himself enveloped by soft, fluffy clouds, with the incredibly delicious fried meat patty he had just eaten floating around him. The agile little tiger opened his mouth wide and jumped up, wanting to bite the fried meat patty into his mouth, but found that his body wouldn't obey him and he fell directly to the ground, his upper and lower teeth clashing together violently.

The pain brought tears to her eyes, and she woke up from her sleep, opening her eyes wide in confusion as she looked around.

"Gah...? Gah gah!!" After regaining consciousness, the little tiger found itself unable to move and let out a panicked cry.

She didn't know when it started, but she had already been wrapped in the soft, warm down blanket that Shirou had brought. Her neck and below were completely covered, and then she was tightly bound with rattan. Her hands and feet were trapped inside the blanket, unable to move, wave, or pull them out.

The little tiger now looks like a quilted monster with only its head sticking out.

Because it suited her so well, Shirou didn't know her real name, so he took the liberty of naming her Fujimura. As for her incredibly agile movements, more like a leopard, let's not dwell on that.

In terms of swordsmanship, Shirou has never beaten his teacher, Fujiwara no Sister Fuji. When Shirou was a child, he came to the Emiya Residence and was taken care of by the neighbor's older sister. Although Fujiwara no Sister Fuji didn't have any other merits besides swordsmanship and spirit, her companionship was truly a great help.

Fujimura Taiga, or 'tiger' for short, holds the highest kendo rank in his age group: Fujimura 5th Dan.

Because in Japan, Kendo, like Kyudo, is not just about competition, nor is it like a musical instrument with grading exams. After obtaining the first dan, one must maintain practice and solidify one's Kendo skills for a year before being eligible to take the second dan exam. After that, one must continue to solidify one's skills for another two years before being eligible to take the third dan exam. Each dan advancement requires an additional year of practice.

When Sister Fuji was in school, she was always at the level of competing for the national championship in kendo. She passed the first dan exam at the age of fourteen, and then at the age of twenty-four, she obtained the fifth dan. She continued to rise smoothly until she obtained the eighth dan at the age of 42. The ninth and tenth dan were awarded to people who had made special contributions to kendo.

There are more schools of Kendo than Kyudo, including those that emphasize spiritual training as well as those that focus on practical application on the battlefield. Generally, regardless of the school, a disciple who achieves the sixth dan can apply to take the priest exam and formally accept disciples and preach. Reaching the eighth dan grants the initial qualification to establish a school.

So even if Sister Fuji is fired as an English teacher, there's no need to worry about her life being affected. Under the guise of training, members of the Fujimura Group can continuously join her dojo.

Even in high school, when they played games like hitting each other on the head with paper fans and newspapers, it was the same. That person possessed a strong physique and Divine Power solely through training. Even a curse from Servant could be cured overnight. Even his luck was extraordinary.

During the Fifth Holy Grail War, all the students who were with her, though injured, recovered after treatment. She herself was almost unharmed, always managing to escape danger unscathed.

In fact, when I went to the Clock Tower in London with Tohsaka, I asked Sister Fuji to buy me a retro game console. She just wandered around a secondhand shop and bought a rare, out-of-print game console that was coveted by a small group of enthusiasts for very little money. It received high praise from our mentor, Lord El-Melloi II.

Shirou always felt that these two teachers from different countries and different fields might have some special connection.

Now that he's reverted to his childlike state, Shirou seems somewhat sentimental, often reminiscing about his childhood. Seeing a little tiger that looks so much like Sister Fuji evokes a deep sense of nostalgia. He wonders how Sister Fuji is faring in Fuyuki and subsequent death.

Just as Shirou was lost in reminiscence, the little tiger was surprised to find Lion Saber squinting beside him, surrounded by a pink aura, happily eating. Seeing how much she enjoyed her meal, the little tiger couldn't help but drool.

Recalling the exquisite taste she had just experienced, she would do anything to eat something so delicious again.

Just then, a fried meat patty appeared in front of her. Shirou looked at the little tiger and said, "I know you can understand me. I'll share some of the fried meat patty with you, but in return, you have to behave and not pounce on me again! Understand?"

"Gah! Ohhh!" Fujimura the little tiger nodded repeatedly, not caring about any requests, as long as he ate something delicious first.

The little tiger grinned as it ate the fried meat patty, but its eyes were constantly glancing at the human child who had given it food and untied it. The beast girl possessed incredible fighting abilities while retaining her innate animal instincts, making her as sensitive as a human infant, able to sense whether others were being genuine or feigning kindness towards her.

The human child before him spoke and acted with utmost sincerity, radiating an inexplicable warmth, as if facing a close relative. The little tiger recalled that he had only ever felt something similar when he was nursing in his mother's arms.

The more Fujimura little tiger looked at the child, the more he found him appealing. He had pounced on him without thinking because of the delicious smell he smelled. He was completely unaware that there was a lion cub beast girl next to him.

She only ended up like this because of a moment of carelessness. Otherwise, as the leader of this area, even if there were beings in the entire forest that she couldn't defeat, there would never be anyone she couldn't escape.

However, it seems the human child is quite sensible and surprisingly good at taking care of beasts; taking him as a follower wouldn't be a bad choice.

Since the fried meat patties made by humans are so delicious, she decided to postpone eating the human child for now. The little tiger, who had originally planned to jump out as soon as she broke free of the vines, snatch the human child while the lion cub wasn't looking, and run away into the jungle, thought to herself.

To show friendliness, it's perfectly acceptable to let him touch your beautiful fur...

Shirou finally untied the rattan cane, only to find that the little tiger had retracted its claws and lay down on its side on the blanket, its raised tail curling around Shirou's hand as if inviting him to sit down.

Shirou looked at the little tiger slumped there in surprise and asked, "Huh? Did I tie you up too tightly and hurt you? Is anything bothering you?"

"Gah..." Fujimura, the little tiger, swayed his body, tugging at Shirou with his tail, and urged, "I'll only let you touch me for a little while, okay?"

Seeing that the little tiger didn't seem to resist, Shirou examined her body and gently massaged any areas that might be injured.

"Gah~~~Purr." The little tiger Fujimura, lying on the down blanket, had long since abandoned his previous reserve. He lay down on the blanket, and under Shirou's massage, his whole body felt weak and his throat made comfortable meows like a kitten. His two little legs were also swinging comfortably up and down.

'What's going on? What's wrong with this human child? Such advanced petting techniques, such a gentle stroking motion... Is he some kind of expert who has raised rare and exotic animals?! Yes! Yes~! This feeling~! This feeling~! I can't live without you, sister~!'

"Haha, is it that comfortable?" Shirou asked as his hand touched the little tiger's body and massaged it with a little force.

"Snoring... so comfortable~! Please massage me a few more times~! I love this feeling, snoring~!" Fujimura the little tiger showed an expression of blissful enjoyment.

"Huh? What? Is it this comfortable? What a cute little guy." Shirou said with a smile, feeling especially doting on the little tiger because he was thinking of Sister Fuji, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

At this moment, the Lion Saber, who had finished eating the fried meat patty, was stunned by what she saw. As if struck by lightning, tears welled up in her eyes. She quickly jumped up and pounced on Shirou's knees, turning over to indicate that she also wanted to have her belly rubbed and her fur brushed!

"Alright, alright, what's wrong? Why are you suddenly acting so spoiled?" Shirou smiled and replied to the little lion.

"Snoring... Bliss, bliss, sister is satisfied."

"Hoo hoo... Shirou is mine~!"

Receiving Shirou's massage, the two beast girl lay comfortably limp on the down blanket, their faces filled with blissful intoxication. Shirou continued to stroke the Lion Saber and the little tiger until they were satisfied. However, it was not a chore at all; the fluffy, smooth fur and feline paws of the two children were indeed very tempting.

"Let's get acquainted. My name is Shirou. If you'd like, you can stay with us for now." The boy pulled a fried meat patty from his bag and handed it to the little tiger, extending an invitation. It was rare to encounter a familiar face, even though it wasn't the same person, but he still wanted to...

Moreover, raising children is the same whether you raise one or two or three; it's just filling another bowl, so there's no problem at all.

Fujimura Torara understood Shirou's words, nodding repeatedly, looking up with a sweet smile, and calling out, "Shirou!"

"Huh? You can talk?" Shirou asked in surprise.

However, as expected, the beast girl was not Sister Fuji. Fujimura- neechan's vocabulary of human language was quite limited, and she was only repeating Shirou's name without saying anything else.

It seems that even among beast girl, there are differences. Although they all possess high intelligence, their animal instincts and adaptability to humans vary.

"Shirou! Gaaah!" Fujimura Torara exclaimed joyfully, jumping up and down.

"So that's all you can say..." Shirou said with amusement, which really suited Sister Fuji's style.

"Roar!" Lion Saber roared, not to be outdone.

"Yes, yes, I won't forget you." Shirou took out two more fried meat patties wrapped in leaves from his bag and handed them to the little lion.

"Shirou! Gaa!" Fujimura Tora shouted, raising his two little hands after finishing his meal.

"Here you go." Shirou had no choice but to take out the fried meat patties again.

"Roar!" Lion Saber roared again.

The large bag of fried meat patties was quickly devoured by the two adorable little animals. Shirou thought helplessly, 'It seems I must hunt a large animal before nightfall, or dinner will be uncertain. Judging by their appetites, they certainly belong to the category of ferocious beasts.'

"Alright, alright, let's keep going in then. There's bound to be something waiting for me there," Shirou said, lifting his cane that he had been using to probe the way.

Lion Saber and Fujimura Torama raised their meat bones and bamboo spears and shouted in response.

"Awooo! Awooo!" The little lion waved its paws all the way, saying something to its fellow feline companions, as if a king were reprimanding a newcomer.

"Newcomer, since Shirou has agreed to let you join, well, there's no other way but to come along. But you must understand the principle of first come, first served; the Lion King's will must come first! No matter what, Shirou's embrace and leg are mine, and you can only start eating after you see me eat..."

"Gah..." But the little tiger Fujimura was preoccupied with important matters and didn't hear the little lion speaking. 'When is dinner? I want to eat more delicious food!'

Shirou peered through the gaps between the towering trees, gazing at the sky. Judging by the direction the leaves were growing, he knew the sun was beginning to set in the west.

"Alright, let's hurry up and walk another hour further in, then find a place to camp, and then prepare for the hunt and dinner," Shirou said to Lion Saber and the little tiger.

Time spent in the dark, dense forest can feel both incredibly long and incredibly short, like walking through a tunnel where you can easily lose your sense of direction and time. The surroundings are perpetually dark, time seems to stand still, but if you only realize what's happening when the sky suddenly changes, it will already be completely dark outside.

However, for the creatures living here, it's just like any other ordinary day.

"I'm looking for a fruit tree that tastes salty... um, like sweat. Do you know of any similar plants around here?" Shirou asked the little tiger.

"Gah!" Fujimura, the little tiger, thought for a moment and immediately nodded. She was the boss of this forest area and was also very familiar with other areas. Relying on her speed and good luck, she would wander around aimlessly every day, invading the territories of other powerful beasts, and then being chased out. These things were commonplace for her.

"Little Shirou! Leave it to me!" Fujimura, the little tiger, patted his chest, picked up his bamboo spear, and hopped ahead to lead the way.

Following the little tiger into the dense forest, pushing aside clumps of weeds, Shirou emerged and saw a fruit tree with densely packed, tiny, round fruits on its branches. This was sumac, a tree whose fruit skin would have white salt crystals floating on it. It usually grows in warm and tropical regions, and sure enough, it was found in this diverse forest.

Actually, these crystals are not sodium chloride, but rather salty organic acids from the fruit. However, they are perfectly fine as a seasoning. I collected the fruit and the crystals together in a bag, which should be enough for several weeks.

In medicine, sumac is also known as gallnut, a commonly used Chinese medicine. It tastes sour and salty, is cool in nature, and enters the kidney meridian. It has various effects such as clearing heat and detoxifying, dispersing blood stasis and stopping bleeding, and preventing diarrhea.

Shirou looked around. Although the surrounding area was covered in dense grass and the ground was damp, he found some medicinal fruit trees and spices in addition to gallnuts, and picked some of them.

"This is a really nice place. There are no wild animals around, the fruit is edible, the leaves can be eaten after being blanched or stir-fried, and the roots can be used to make soup with the bones," Shirou said, seemingly considering setting up camp here for the day.

Just then, a buzzing sound came from above. Although it was a buzzing sound, it was incredibly loud. Shirou thought to himself as he looked up. Above him, he could vaguely see a mosquito with a body the size of an adult man's palm. Its long, thin needle-like proboscis looked just like a hospital syringe. However, judging by the mosquito's size, it was much larger than the syringe used for blood donation.

"Yeah, we should find a place without insects," Shirou said, wiping away his cold sweat. He felt that with his small size, he probably wouldn't even be able to keep up with the mosquitoes' hunger.

Lion Saber and the little tiger nodded in unison, indicating their strong agreement.

Later, led by the little tiger, Shirou finally found a huge camphor tree. This was a rare haven of peace. Under the protection of the camphor tree, which had insect-repelling properties, he no longer had to worry about being bitten by mosquitoes, so Shirou settled down there.

Along the way, the little lion seemed a bit unhappy about the new member's presence, but when the little tiger Fujimura walked along the roadside and quickly picked up several wild rabbits that had run into trees and died, she wholeheartedly accepted the new member.

Shirou had no choice but to quickly Projection the black and white yin-yang fish kitchenware set to quickly process these wild rabbits, which were as big as the meat pigs raised in later generations and weighed at least two hundred pounds.

For some reason, all the creatures here are unusually large, even rabbits are this big. Humans here are completely at the bottom of the food chain. Little Shirou really had a lot of trouble dealing with these giant beasts, but he didn't seem to doubt that the food he made would be eaten clean by the two small animals in no time.

Just then, the lion cub returned, and together with the tiger cub behind him, they dragged a wild boar the size of an elephant back to the spot.

By this time, Shirou had become somewhat accustomed to it, and he confirmed, 'In this world, size and fighting power are completely different things.'

After everything was prepared, the rabbit meat and the picked spices were put into several tall iron pots and simmered until the tender rabbit meat was so soft that it melted in your mouth.

On the other side, after the wild boars were skinned, they were skillfully chopped into pieces of pork chops, spread with salty jam gathered from the wild boars, and then placed on a rack above the fire to roast.

Shirou scooped out the crispy rabbit ears, sprinkled them with salt, and placed them on two separate plates, handing them to the two children. These big, plump rabbit ears were incredibly satisfying to eat.

Shirou kept grilling and stewing meat, placing the cooked meat into the bowls of the little lion and the little tiger, making them bury their heads and eat heartily, without stopping from the moment they started eating.

Finally, both Lion Saber and the little tiger Fujimura ate until their bellies were bulging, like overinflated balloons. Completely satisfied, they didn't want to move at all and simply lay down on the blanket and fell asleep.

When Shirou woke up the next morning, he found the two little animals cuddling together and fast asleep. They were sleeping so soundly that even when Shirou made breakfast, he couldn't wake them. So Shirou packed his bags by himself.

Shirou simply put the well-fed and sleepy little lion and tiger cub into his backpack and set off with them on his back. After all, the forest here was much larger than he had imagined, and even with his Reinforcement Magic speed, he couldn't get there in time. He had to hurry.

Shirou passed through the jungle area controlled by the little tiger and headed deeper into the forest. Time passed quickly as he went in, and when the sun was high in the sky, the scenery suddenly changed. This area was mostly filled with tall, straight bamboo forests.

This expanse of green is a rare and magnificent sight, not only in its astonishing quantity but also in its wide variety. There are bamboos such as Guizhu, which can be used to make bamboo knives, Nanzhu, which is suitable for papermaking, as well as sword bamboo, tiger bamboo, light-colored green bamboo, and darker-colored Xuan bamboo, etc. There are hundreds of varieties that are easily distinguishable at a glance, making it practically a bamboo forest museum.

The bamboo was a cylindrical tube, with the thickest section exceeding 100 meters in diameter. Shirou walked around the giant bamboo for several hundred steps.

Even more incredible is that this colossal pillar rose all the way to the sky, its middle section already covered by layers of white clouds, yet it didn't collapse. It's practically Babylon Tower built by nature.

The newly sprouted cone-shaped bamboo shoots are tender and plentiful; just one is enough to feed him for a day.

Just as Shirou was about to go further inside, Lion Saber and Fujimura the little tiger woke up and looked around at the scene.

"Shirou! Shirou!" At this moment, Fujimura the little tiger suddenly opened his eyes wide, revealing a panicked expression. He jumped down, tugged at Shirou's trouser leg, and gestured with both his hands and leg to warn Shirou.

"Huh? Is there some kind of monster here that you also find troublesome?" Shirou asked, puzzled.

The little tiger nodded repeatedly, imitating the monster in the story, opening its mouth wide and exhaling into the sky.

"A black and white... bear! Breathing fire, oh my god! So scary!"

"Ah, I see. A bear that breathes fire." Shirou nodded, understanding dawning on him. Although these beast girl seemed to possess fighting power unbelievable to Servant, they were still wild beasts living in nature, and thus inherently carried a fear of fire. Even if that monster wasn't much stronger than them, just the fact that it could breathe fire was enough to make the beast girl wary.

Shirou thought for a moment and decided to be understanding of the beast girl, so he smiled and said, "Okay, I know. If you don't like it, then just go around here."

"Gah!" The little tiger breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, indicating, "Shirou, I'm glad you understand what I mean."

'Hmm? I think I missed something? Wait! A black and white bear?! Isn't that...?' Shirou's mind raced. Could it be a giant panda?! I have to go check it out!

"Gah!!!" the little tiger cried out in pain.

"Don't look at me like Sister Fuji, with that 'I've watched this kid grow up and he's gone astray' expression. Just take a look from afar, that's enough," Shirou retorted, and quickly ran into the bamboo forest.

"Gah..." Fujimura the little tiger had no choice but to follow.

"As expected! It's here, Panda! This forest is truly extraordinary; even beasts that only live in China have appeared here. It was definitely the right decision to take this detour."

If the Chinese people have an innate protective instinct and doting affection for pandas, then the Chinese people are also passionate fans with an extraordinary love for pandas.

Shirou was no exception, especially since, influenced by his current traits, he rediscovered his childlike wonder and gazed at the panda with delight. 'But this panda is a bit small. Are its parents nearby?'

"Shirou! Shirou!" The little tiger beside him nervously patted the boy's trouser leg, hoping he would quickly realize the danger. 'This is the monster I told you about!!!'

"Woo! Woo?" The black and white panda, holding bamboo, turned around cutely, revealing the face of a familiar little girl with silver-white hair. When she saw Shirou standing behind her, both the human boy and the panda beast girl were stunned.

Chapter 333 The Twin Goddesses

'Huh? Could this child be Jeanne d'Arc?! So cute! So perfect! It doesn't look out of place at all!' Shirou thought in shock as he looked at the beast girl panda sitting on the ground in the bamboo forest, hugging a bamboo.

'What's going on? This human? He's kind of handsome? Is this what they call fate? Let's take him home!'

The little Panda Jeanne d'Arc's bright, watery eyes stared at Shirou for a long time, as if they were about to be rubbed dry.

"Awooo!" The Lion Saber, unable to stand it any longer, jumped out and blocked the panda's view.

"Gah..." Fujimura Torama, who was behind, shook his head helplessly.

Although she'd made eye to Shirou, when Panda Jeanne d'Arc saw the little lion and Fujimura Torata, she felt provoked. She raised her bamboo stick and roared back fiercely. She wasn't a cat, she was a bear!