Please Play Fatego With Me

The audience seats were almost full by this point, everyone looking expectantly towards the entrance.

Then it was time for the next group of contestants to enter. The archers, clad in their kyudo attire, filed in one by one. When one particular participant stepped onto the stage, the audience's eyes lit up with excitement. The aura he exuded was so unique that it overshadowed all the other competitors.

Shirou, dressed in a white top and black hakama, entered the venue holding a bamboo bow he had crafted himself. He walked to his designated spot, calmly nocking an arrow onto the string. It was as natural as him walking or eating.

Everyone held their breath, fixated on the every move of this outstanding young man. The hall fell into a profound silence.

A clear twang of the bowstring echoed, and the arrow flew straight, followed by a crisp sound of a hit.

The young man calmly unhooked the bowstring from his elbow, placed his hands on his hips, and stood in place, awaiting the second round.

Kyudo, a product of archery fused with Confucian ideals of ritual and music, centers on "truth, goodness, and beauty." The process of achieving this core involves shooting technique, etiquette, and proper posture. It pursues the most correct way of shooting, meaning a true shot will always hit. This process requires not only aiming but also the correct use of muscles and bodily coordination.

The correct way of shooting will inevitably hit the target; this is truth. The correct way of shooting will ensure the mind and body conform to ritualistic norms; this is goodness. The correct way of shooting will naturally result in graceful posture and form.

During the preparation time, the contestant sits in seiza on the dojo floor. After releasing the arrow, regardless of success or failure, they never show joy or sorrow, maintaining a consistent composure. The entire process is neither arrogant nor servile, but solemn and dignified, like an elegant noble. This is the pursuit of truth.

Every shot is a new beginning.

Only by being sincere in heart, sincere with the bow, and achieving a state of unity between man and bow can one release the best and most beautiful arrow.

In all these aspects, Shirou performed impeccably.

Maintaining this momentum, he fought his way to the finals that afternoon and, without any suspense, won the competition.

If he weren't so young, without a formal school, and hadn't actively pursued it, he would have already achieved a considerable dan rank by now.

Shirou, having won the championship, descended from the shooting range. The award ceremony was scheduled for the third day of the tournament, so after a brief speech, the individual competition concluded.

At this moment, an elderly man in a kimono with white hair emerged from the audience, walking slowly amidst a crowd of admirers.

Shirou knew this was a highly respected elder in Japanese kyudo, a preserver of ancient archery traditions, and a living national treasure: Kato Dan. He might not have been among the world's most accurate or fastest martial artists, but he was undoubtedly among those who understood traditional kyudo the deepest.

"Seeing your effortless movements, especially the beautiful control in your draw and release, it reminds me of Tawara Toda, who legend says slew a rebel leader with a single arrow in the midst of a battle. Shirou-kun, would you be willing to study kyudo under me?" the white-haired elder, Kato Dan, said to the young man with great admiration.

"Thank you for your kind offer, but kyudo is merely a hobby for me to cultivate my mind and character. I have no intention of pursuing it professionally," Shirou politely declined the elder's offer.

"Is that so? That's fine too. Whether it's kendo or kyudo, in the end, they are both paths to self-cultivation. Before that, there is life and career, and sometimes one must set them aside. But it's truly a shame. Your hands have the potential to become a golden finger of the Kato Style," the elder sighed and turned to leave.

Those around them looked at the young man with incomprehension. It was an invitation from a top figure in Japanese kyudo.

Thinking he was just young and foolish, they all shook their heads and turned to follow the elder.

"Master, if you wanted to take that student as your disciple, why did you give up so easily?" one of his disciples asked, confused.

"Because I saw the boy's eyes," the elder replied calmly.

"Eyes?" the disciples became even more bewildered.

"Those are not the eyes of someone content with the status quo. It would be too cruel to keep him confined to a room performing kyudo. Those are the eyes of an eagle; they should soar freely in the sky like an eagle, pursuing his lofty ideals," the elder said.

"A genius boy with the eyes of an eagle?" the disciples murmured, half-understanding.

"If he can truly complete the world's trials for his pursuit of ideals, to what heights will his tempered mind and spirit reach? How much stronger will his kyudo become? It truly makes one yearn to know," the elder muttered to himself and slowly walked out the door.

"Master, where are you going? There are still other matches," a disciple asked, catching up to him.

"Home! There's nothing else worth watching. Kyudo's strength doesn't come from physical power, but from spiritual power. If souls exist in this world, by constantly honing oneself, perhaps one could even reach the realm of the God of Archery," the elder said as he walked out of the venue. This kyudo competition was enough for him, having seen this young man.

He only hoped that in his lifetime, he could glimpse the arrow of the legendary God of Archery through this young man.

"Hey, hey, isn't that a waste? If he doesn't want to join Kato Dan's school, I'll go!" A curly-haired male contestant from Kyoto's Number One Powerhouse School, Fuuma High School, who had taken everything in from the sidelines, said regretfully. For students practicing kyudo, Kato Dan was at least among the top five, if not the best in the country.

"Perhaps because he doesn't need to," a black-haired man, ranked second in the competition, said thoughtfully.

"What are you talking about? I really don't understand you geniuses," the curly-haired man grumbled, looking at his team's ace.

"No, compared to him, I can hardly be called a genius. When it comes to Japanese archery, even among adults, there are probably very few people in the country who could defeat him. In fact, when I saw his shooting posture just now, I thought I saw the shadow of the ancient divine archer who could kill enemy generals from a hundred meters away with unerring accuracy," the black-haired ace of Fuuma High School said.

"Captain! Are you just going to give up like this?" the curly-haired man asked.

"No, although the individual competition is impossible, I have no intention of conceding the team competition!" the ace declared.

"That's the spirit! Even if the opponent is inhumanly strong, our painstaking practice day and night won't be in vain!" the curly-haired man's fighting spirit also ignited.

As Shirou came down from the stage and changed out of his kyudo uniform, he was met by Shizuka Hiratsuka just as he exited the locker room.

"Well done! Shirou, I'm so moved! How are you feeling? Can you keep winning tomorrow?" Shizuka Hiratsuka laughed heartily, patting the young man's back. She felt her gacha funds for next month were probably safe.

"I'm doing alright. Tomorrow's team competition will depend on everyone's performance," Shirou replied.

Chapter 61: The Divine Archer Beauty

The next morning, during the kyudo team competition, the contestants marched into the venue in neat rows. Three people took their positions, with a 28-meter target range in front of them.

Since it was a team competition, participants were from various schools, so there were fewer people than yesterday.

The team competition rule was a three-person team, competing in 3 rounds of 10 shots each. The final winner was determined by the total number of hits.

The entering contestants spread their legs and drew their bows, nocking arrows.

Next, Fuuma High School, Kyoto's powerhouse, took the stage. The black-haired man displayed an extraordinary presence, and the curly-haired man also showed solid training developed over many years.

Finally, the International High School secured third place with 17 hits, while Fuuma High School took first place with 19 hits.

After the competition ended and the champion team gave their acceptance speech.

Shirou walked off the shooting range to change out of his kyudo uniform. Several girls also descended from the audience seats.

"Congratulations, that was amazing! You almost got second place," Asuna said kindly and considerately.

"Thanks, it's pretty good for a team match," Shirou replied with a smile. At least the club president and vice-president were happily discussing the prize money they'd receive from the school after they got back.

"I believe that when it comes to glory, individual performance is enough. Team matches are just a compromise to allow more people to participate," Yukino added from the side.

"Shirou! You looked so cool shooting just now! So Kyudo isn't that boring after all. I'll come with Mash to the Kyudo club to watch you practice next time," Yuihama exclaimed with a laugh.

"No, it's better if you don't. It'll cause trouble for the other club members," Shirou said. Bringing a bunch of pampered girls to the Kyudo club and not practicing properly would surely annoy those who genuinely wanted to practice.

"What!" Yuihama pouted in dissatisfaction.

"Shirou-senpai, I practice Kyudo too," Mash corrected her, displeased. If she hadn't just started learning a few months ago, the teacher might have let her compete.

"Mm, Mash, keep practicing. If you have any problems, I'll guide you. Let's participate together in the next competition," Shirou said with a smile.

"Okay! Shirou-senpai!" Mash agreed with a nod, wanting to excel in everything, whether it was work, studies, or club activities.

"Damn it! Why? Why? I won, but I can't feel happy at all!" As the curly-haired young man from Kyoto's powerhouse Fuuma High School's Kyudo club walked out, he saw Shirou and grabbed his hair in frustration.

In the team match, although they were startled by Shirou's rapid-fire shots, they managed to win first place without much trouble, as the subsequent competitors were all quite average.

He had come out enthusiastically, wanting to call his family and friends to brag a little. After all, he had defeated the 'genius with the eagle eyes' who had been all over the news yesterday. Even though the opponent had hit all ten shots, it was only because his teammates were too weak.

But a win was a win.

He had initially thought Shirou was just putting on an act when he saw him calmly walk off the stage.

He hadn't expected him to be chatting so familiarly with a group of girls the moment he stepped outside.

The curly-haired young man understood that he had indeed lost. Although he had won a match, he felt like he had lost his entire life.

"Don't be like that. For those of us who have dedicated our lives to Kyudo, let's just take victory as our dowry and marry the bow and arrow!" the ace, a black-haired young man, said dismissively, his eyes filled with faith and deep emotion for Kyudo.

"I refuse!" the curly-haired young man roared. His dream was to practice Kyudo diligently, become a professional athlete, and one day marry a virtuous wife who also loved Kyudo.

With how he spent all his time practicing every day, he didn't even have much time to play FGO. But he would definitely pull for any Archer that appeared! His Second Sister was already max NP! Would Tomoe Gozen be far behind?

"Why do I feel like your current thoughts aren't much better than mine?" the black-haired young man asked his friend, looking confused.

"Never mind that. Even the wives in mobile games might jump out and find you someday. Why don't you play FGO too? Archers and us archers have great compatibility," the curly-haired young man said.

"I actually do play. I got Arjuna on my first ten-pull!" the black-haired young man replied with a smile.

With the Kyudo competition over, they were completely free. After packing their archery equipment, they would do some sightseeing around Tokyo, and then after the awards ceremony tomorrow, they could return to their school in Kyoto.

Meanwhile, after chatting with the girls for a while, Shirou had to put down his bamboo bow and pick up his competition recurve bow to head to the recurve archery venue. He still had three or four matches waiting for him.

In the individual recurve competition, the archers stand in a line and shoot 36 arrows over 6 rounds. The one with the highest score wins.

The target at the 30-meter range was twice as large as the one in Kyudo, the 50-meter target was even larger, and the 70-meter target had a diameter of 122 centimeters.

The target was divided into ten scoring rings and had five colors: white, black, blue, red, and yellow. Hitting within the yellow ring at the center of the target awarded the highest score of ten points.

Each competitor would engrave their mark on their arrows, which would be confirmed one by one by the range officials, who would then record the scores.

This was a competition where rings determined heroes, and the outcome was self-evident.

After just a few matches, the people around looked at him as if he were a monster.

"Go Shirou~!" a girl behind him kept shouting his name.

As soon as Shirou's match ended, he hurried outside. He had to rush to the green field range on the other side because the compound bow competition was about to begin.

"Here, Senpai," Mash, his assistant, who had followed him, handed him the bow case she had been keeping for him.

"Thanks," Shirou took the case and went to the preparation area of the compound bow range to adjust his compound bow.

Unlike the previous competitions, this was a friendly match, more like a promotional event than a competition. Any compound bow could participate, and there were even small shops set up under large tents renting out mass-produced competition compound bows.

Of course, enthusiasts who brought their own high-poundage hunting compound bows were welcome to participate as long as they followed the basic rules and accepted responsibility for any damaged arrows.

At this moment, other competitors also entered the field. A young man wearing a hat walked over, carrying a purple compound bow, and stepped onto the lane next to Shirou.

The other person seemed to notice Shirou's gaze and glared fiercely at him, as if seeing his lifelong rival.

"?" Shirou thought he hadn't offended him.

"Erina-chan! Go! Ah, and Brother, good luck too!" Komachi's voice called out from the side.

Shirou turned his head and saw his sister waving and shouting in their direction.

Looking at the young man beside him, his features were filled with the arrogance of a young lady. Upon closer inspection, golden long hair was visible from under his hat, suggesting he had tied his long hair up before putting on the hat.

"Hm?" Shirou felt a strange aura of magic from the young lady, similar to a possession or summoning.

"You're Komachi's brother, aren't you! Challenge me to a match!" the hatted young lady said, looking at him sharply.

Chapter 62: The Tsundere Girl's Challenge

The compound bow friendly match, as a promotional event to popularize archery among enthusiasts, was currently in full swing.

Since there were no restrictions on the rules here, all sorts of compound bows and participants appeared.

There were students who were beginners in archery, as well as adult men who were ordinary enthusiasts.

There was a soldier in a military uniform, holding a compound bow as if it were a weapon, looking at the target as if it were prey.

There was also someone in hunting attire, seemingly a professional, holding a compound hunting bow. The arrowheads seemed to glow red, as if stained with the blood of wild boars and black bears.

It's understandable to hold such a chaotic event. After all, for a sport aiming to attract more attention, both for promotion and sponsorship, recurve bows and compound bows, which can be standardized and mass-produced, would indeed be better.

Traditional bows are difficult to get into, and in this impatient era, few people have the conditions to calm down and learn.

Moreover, there are many types. In the Chinese cultural sphere alone, there are Japanese bows, Qing bows, Han bows, and Mongolian bows, each with different manufacturing processes.

Bows made by master craftsmen or legendary artisans, known as 'national treasures,' are vastly different from those made by ordinary bowyers.

These handmade bows, like people, are unique. Each bow is different, whether it's the feel of holding it or the sound of the string when drawn, each is distinct. If used for competition, it's truly difficult to guarantee fairness.

In fact, in modern times, even with a compound bow, being able to consistently hit within the 9-ring at seventy meters without the aid of sights or other equipment is already considered the level of a contemporary divine archer.

And for Shirou to display his true strength, even shooting at frisbees wouldn't be enough; he would need at least a sharpshooter skilled in wilderness combat as an opponent.

At this very moment, the young woman who suddenly challenged Shirou also displayed extraordinary strength.

Swish, swish, swish!

The young woman made six shots with swift precision.

All hit the bullseye!

The immense power, upon hitting the target, erupted with a sound entirely different from its surroundings. If what was shot before were bullets, this time it was artillery.

Judging by the young woman's shooting stance, although it adhered to the rules of compound bow shooting, it resembled battlefield-honed assassination techniques more than the standard posture of modern competitive archery. Perhaps she could draw the bow and hit the bullseye with the same swiftness even while riding a horse.

Shirou had looked at her a few more times before because he recognized the 85-pound, purple-painted Monster Safari in the girl's hands. Without the aid of sights, stabilizers, or other equipment, she shot with swift decisiveness, possessing a beauty that combined a modern steel beast with the streamlined form of bows refined over thousands of years.

Compound bows have pulleys on the string, making them more energy-efficient compared to other types of bows. However, this efficiency applies to maintaining the draw strength, while the wrist and arm strength required to draw the bow is similar to that of a traditional straight-pull bow.

An 85-pound bow requires about 40 kilograms of draw force, making this a formidable weapon that even an adult strongman would struggle to draw fully.