Artoria's Place / Shirou vs. Artoria...

"Please, senior." Sakura handed Shirou chopsticks and sat down next to him.

"Okay, Sakura, you should eat too." Shirou took the chopsticks and agreed with a light laugh.

"Yes, I'll start eating." Sakura was also tempted and picked up a piece of well-cooked beef.

But once it cooled down a bit and they tasted it, a blissful smile appeared on their faces. On this chilly night, being able to eat such a hot and delicious meal filled their mouths with happiness, warmed their whole bodies, and seemed to make them forget all their troubles.

Chapter 1107 Artoria's Residence

Shirou only took a small bite of the oden in the pot, and Bazett and Sakura, having already eaten their third meal, couldn't eat much either, so the blonde girl ate about 80% of the food in the pot.

There's a buffet for eating, but good food needs to be savored slowly. Although the portions weren't large, Artoria ate very happily, perhaps because Shirou was the one who cooked it. The girl's heart and stomach were both very satisfied.

"Thank you for the treat, I'm full," the blonde girl said.

"You're welcome," Shirou replied with a smile.

Sakura helped to gather the dishes and chopsticks and take them to the sink to wash them.

After enjoying a delicious late-night snack, it was time to get down to business.

"Speaking of which, Miss Artoria, have you encountered the problem of the rift passage disappearing?" Bazett asked. He could put aside the matter of her losing her job for the time being, but the disappearance of the rift passage was something he couldn't ignore.

She is human too, with her own life, memories, and friends on the other side of the world. Even if she doesn't exist for as long as ordinary people, she is no less than other humans while she is alive. At least, that's what Bazett believes.

If other beings like her found themselves in a world where light novels exposed their private lives and they couldn't return to their original world, they would definitely be very anxious.

Especially those who possess extraordinary powers, once they become impulsive and angry, can cause unimaginable destruction.

"I've also looked into this matter. I've been searching for the guy who destroyed the rift passage these past few days, but I haven't been able to find him. I don't know what his intentions are," Artoria said with a serious expression.

That's why, even though Artoria sensed Shirou, she didn't come looking for him immediately. Rather than reuniting with Shirou, her top priority was protecting the world Shirou lived in.

"So he really is from this world? He's the mastermind behind it all, the one who doesn't want us here!" Bazett guessed.

However, Artoria shook her head, dismissing the red-haired girl's guess.

"No, I'm actually living with two new friends now. They're in the same situation as me. One of them is a mage who can communicate with the spirits in the atmosphere, and the other is a goddess who has a close relationship with water."

According to their investigation, this world is indeed a very ordinary place, and the source of any special power is from outside the world. Therefore, if someone has the ability to make the rift passage disappear, they must also be an outsider."

"Then why is that? Doesn't he want to go back? Is that why he told everyone not to go back?" Bazett asked, puzzled.

If someone does something like this not for their own ulterior motives, then wouldn't they be a madman doing something that harms others without benefiting themselves? Bazett found it hard to imagine, but it seems that light novels are never short of hysterical villains.

"Perhaps. After all, besides the honest ones, there are some unsavory characters who have come here, and there are even other species besides humans. I am no match for them right now," Artoria said with a serious expression.

After all, what she currently wields is just an ordinary blade with no real effect. Although it is sharp, it is merely a common weapon. It cannot be compared to Excalibur at all. Her body also lacks the King's Wind Barrier and the blessing of the elves.

Now, Artoria can only rely on her own mind and body, fighting by mastering combat experience and skills.

Shirou's novels mostly lean towards slice-of-life, although they do incorporate some fantasy and battle elements. However, there are very few scenes where ordinary people die, and the endings are all happy endings. Therefore, the fighting power of the girls is greatly reduced compared to their Servant days.

"In that case, it's too dangerous for someone to do it alone. Let's exchange phone numbers first. If you run into any troublesome people, be sure to let them know in advance. This world is my world! I have the right and the obligation to do my part!" Shirou said earnestly to the blonde girl, silencing her refusal.

"I understand, let's do it this way." Artoria knew she couldn't persuade the stubborn Shirou.

"However, this agreement applies to both of us. If Shirou encounters any danger, you must notify us!" Artoria said seriously.

"That's right! That's what I meant too, senpai!" Sakura nodded in agreement.

"I know! This is an agreement between both parties." Shirou had no choice but to assure the girls. In the end, he was just a mortal, and there wasn't much he could actually do.

Thinking of this, Shirou reached into his pocket and touched the few Noble Phantasm Shana had given him.

"Then I'll head back to the dojo." Artoria said, standing up.

"Let me see you off, and also help you get familiar with the way. I'll come over tomorrow to pay my formal respects," Shirou said.

"Hmm." Artoria nodded.

Sakura's lips parted slightly as she looked at the two of them, but she didn't say anything. She knew how her senior felt at that moment, so she didn't try to stop them.

"Goodbye then, Miss Artoria. Senior, please come back soon."

"Yes, Sakura," Shirou replied.

Shirou and Artoria walked outside. The night wind ruffled the girl's hair, and the streetlights cast a glow on her. It should have been the first time they had walked together like this, but it felt like they hadn't done it in a very, very long time.

"Artoria, what's the environment like at the kendo dojo you're in?" Shirou asked.

There are also big differences between different dojos. If it is a dojo founded by a famous master or the headquarters of an ancient school, the conditions will be quite good, and everyone will be vying to get there.

However, if it's a small, unknown sect, it might even go into debt. It's somewhat like the difference between the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song and a small, unremarkable temple in the wilderness.

"My current place is pretty good. I share a room with two friends, and it's quite spacious." I do morning exercises with my disciples, and the breakfasts are plentiful and plentiful. I have no complaints about my living conditions."

"Is that so? That's good." Shirou nodded.

"The owners of the temple are a couple in their sixties. Their children have already moved out and live separately. They are both very kind people."

Chapter 1108 Shirou vs. Artoria

"It's probably too late today. I'll introduce them to you next time. One is a wonderful child, like an elf, and the other is very interesting too," Artoria said with a smile.

"Okay, I'll visit again tomorrow morning," Shirou replied.

"Ah, we're here. It's just ahead," Artoria said.

Shirou looked in the direction Artoria was looking, his first instinct being to recognize the plaque on her signboard.

Famous temples fall into two categories.

One type is the official temples that served the imperial relatives, nobles, and high-ranking officials in ancient times. These temples were established in the capital city with imperial favor. For example, the Temple of Great Compassion, presided over by the Tang Dynasty Master Xuanzang, was a national temple built by Crown Prince Li Zhi during the reign of Empress Zhangsun Emperor Taizong of Tang. Later, Xuanzang also built the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda there, which has been passed down to the present day and is now a world-famous tourist attraction.

The monks here not only chanted scriptures and recited Buddhist sutras for the royal family, but also served as advisors to the emperor. For example, during Xuanzang's lifetime, when the Tang Dynasty army was on a expedition to the Western Regions, his experiences and observations from his travels there played a significant role.

Monks from all over the world, having heard of the wisdom of the Master Xuanzang, came to pay homage, bringing not only Buddhist teachings but also information.

After Xuanzang's death, the court under Li Longji's rule lost its sensitivity to external affairs and no longer understood the customs and characteristics of ethnic groups other than the Han ethnicity, thus beginning to suffer setbacks.

Another option is that eminent monks, after achieving great success, choose to build magnificent temples near famous mountains and scenic spots. Even in modern times, this would be impossible without considerable resources, let alone in ancient times.

Believers would naturally travel great distances to visit the mountain, enduring bumpy rides by carriage and sedan chair to show their sincerity.

Those with less strength can only establish themselves in downtown areas, and their operations are limited to small-scale operations.

The same principle applies to kendo dojos. Schools like Hokushin Ittō-ryū, Shinmei-ryū, Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, Nen-ryū were all leaders of their time. The only ones that have survived to this day are Shaolin and Wudang within the kendo circle. No one can shake their influence anymore.

However, there are only one or two such dojos. The others that came later, the better ones, are just disciples who have been sent out from the main altar and have a sign saying that they are a branch of a famous school and that their teachers are kendo masters of 5th dan or above.

However, if it's even worse, there might be unlicensed or counterfeit businesses operating, resulting in third-rate dojos.

The girl's residence was a traditional Japanese-style mansion, next to which was a building connected to a kendo dojo. The overall size of the dojo was several times larger than that of the Emiya Residence, as it was a famous Yamashiryu kendo dojo in the area, and the owner of the dojo was an eighth-dan master. He was one of the most renowned figures in the entire Japanese kendo circle.

The place the girl was staying seemed quite nice, so Shirou felt relieved.

The next morning, Shirou visited the mansion again. Artoria first invited Shirou to the kendo dojo.

This time, both of them changed into kendo uniforms, grabbed bamboo swords, and arrived at a designated area of the dojo. They did not use protective gear and prepared to have a match.

Artoria held a bamboo sword at her waist, while Shirou held two bamboo swords.

"Is that someone Ria knows? Wow... Dual-wielding. Are there still young people these days who can use this kind of technique well?" An old man came over, looked Shirou up and down, and said with a thoughtful expression.

"Good morning, Master Yamashiro," the silver-haired girl greeted the old man.

"Well, let's enjoy the match now," the old man said, watching the dojo with great interest.

On the dojo grounds.

"Shirou, let's have a morning workout after all this time!" Artoria said, standing on the ground with her hands on her bamboo sword, exuding an imposing aura.

"You're not going to hold back this time either?" Shirou asked with a smile.

"Yes! I never hold back," Artoria said.

"I know! Come over here!" Shirou replied loudly.

It's been a long time since we've had a match. Thinking about it carefully, isn't the girl in front of me the teacher who truly led me into the 'door'? If it weren't for her, Shirou's life would probably have ended with the fire when he was six years old.

At first, he was just blindly training, but he finally got a glimpse of what a hero looked like. Taking him as an example, he honed his skills and eventually mastered true power.

Shirou felt that the reason he was able to become Servant later was due to luck, coincidence, or perhaps because his fate was intertwined with the Holy Grail from the very beginning.

During his kendo match with Artoria, Shirou regained some of his fighting spirit. Although he had put down his sword to write novels, he was ready to abandon his pen for the sword if the world needed him.

The battle is about to begin!!!

Bang!!!

The bamboo knives collided violently, leaving afterimages, and produced a loud bang.

The leaves on the leaves outside remained perfectly still, but strong winds swept through the dojo.

"Whoa..." The silver-haired girl beside her was worried about the two on the field. Didn't Miss Artoria say that the other was her important best friend? Why are they fighting so seriously? And neither of them is wearing protective gear. If they get hit, they will be seriously injured.

Japan has many schools of Kendo, most of which are killing techniques developed from battlefield combat.

For example, the term "Ittō-ryū" doesn't refer to a single sword, but rather to the pursuit of a single, decisive strike.

Nen-ryū emphasizes willpower. Its founder was a monk. Only with a high degree of mental concentration can one avoid revealing any flaws and then strike decisively when the enemy makes a mistake.

Ultimately, the essence of swordsmanship lies in the martial art of focusing the mind, seizing the opponent's weaknesses, and delivering a decisive blow.

It was developed as a method of moral cultivation and character building, and as a form of sports competition. In fact, it only began to become popular after China's defeat in modern times.

The parries Shirou used, though originating from his childhood instruction by Fujimura Taiga, had essentially deviated from the scope of Japanese swordsmanship. Yes, these were originally techniques from the Gan Jiang · Mo Ye swords, but Shirou was now employing them with bamboo swords.

Artoria launched the main attack, slashing with great force at Shirou's head, waist, and arm.

Shirou defended himself, deflecting the girl's imposing and sharp slashes time and again, his hands deftly changing angles to deflect the force.

This was the pinnacle of two fighting styles. The surrounding disciples stopped practicing, their eyes glued to the two combatants, completely mesmerized. This was the ultimate goal that all martial arts practitioners strive for, the heroines and valiant figures of history who inspire awe.

That's a realm that ordinary people can never reach, even if they strive their whole lives, but people still can't help but look at it, and people still deeply yearn for that figure.

It's like the battles between generals in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms amidst thousands of troops, or the earth-shattering duel between Sasaki Kojiro and Miyamoto Musashi on Ganryu Island.

Chapter 1109 Shirou: The True Samurai

Two figures flashed past each other like lightning. In that instant, the bamboo sword aimed for the opponent's vitals at lightning speed, but was simultaneously anticipated by the opponent, and the two swords collided.

A crisp sound rang out! The entire dojo fell silent.

At this moment, the apprentices who came here for morning exercise, as well as the masters and teaching assistants in charge, all held their breath.

Everyone stared at the two who had stopped moving on the field, wanting to know who had won and who had lost, yet daring not to utter a sound and interrupt the duel between the powerful swordsmen.

The silver-haired girl looked around, trying to find out the outcome of the battle from the kendo masters. However, not only the middle-aged masters who were instructing the students, but even the eighth-dan master of the dojo was speechless with shock.

Shirou and Artoria fought for ten rounds, and at this moment, neither of them showed any signs of injury, and the battle was evenly matched.

"I'd say it's a draw this time," Shirou said with a smile.

"No, this time it should be Shirou who wins. At the very last moment, you still had a wooden sword that you didn't swing." Artoria shook her head and said with a light laugh.

"No, if you, Artoria, had the real sword, my weapon would probably have been knocked away on the final blow, and I'd have been killed," Shirou said with a smile and a shrug.

In any case, this kind of sparring is very good, and the whole body moves very smoothly.

"Fine, then. But I won't accept this result. At least I know Shirou hasn't slacked off on his training. However, next time we'll have to be twice as serious and give it my all."

"Yes, if there's a chance, definitely." Shirou nodded and agreed with a smile.

"If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening... The ancients were truly right." The Old Man Yamaishi exhaled and said.

Japan, as a defeated nation, seems to uphold the spirit of craftsmanship and the concept of "ichi-go ichi-e" (once-in-a-lifetime encounter) in its development to this day. But deep down, it has actually lost far too much.

Many things are actually forced into this state because there is no other choice but to master a skill.

No one wants to change anything. Rather than trying to do something well, most people just want to follow the rules, do their job, and not take responsibility for the trouble caused by others.

Therefore, true swordsmen no longer exist. They are merely a group of competitive athletes who would struggle to succeed without the protection of rules.

Swordsmanship was originally a killing art, a skill that samurai relied on for survival. They joined the domains of feudal lords and daimyo, killing enemy soldiers for them, either bringing victory to the war and winning glory and official titles, or dying in the war, which could be considered a worthy death.

However, as a defeated nation, it could no longer tolerate such blatant militarism, so it had to shift its focus from violence to the pursuit of spiritual will. The competition imposed various rules, prohibiting attacks on vital organs; hitting areas outside the rules would result in point deductions.

Saying that character and morality are more important than winning or losing may seem wise, but it actually deviates from the fundamental principles of human nature.

While it did have some effect, allowing Kendo to survive and develop relatively well, it gradually drifted away from the realm of practical combat.

Although this is why the Old Man Yamaishi was able to enjoy a comfortable old age, he still couldn't help but feel lost sometimes, uncertain about the future of swordsmanship.

Of course, in modern peaceful societies, the profession of samurai is no longer necessary. However, they symbolize the martial spirit of a nation, and although they committed various acts of killing, they also upheld justice at times. Should they be completely erased and consigned to the dustbin of history as a symbol of violence?

But to ignore what happened in the past, to constantly shirk responsibility, to portray oneself as a victim, to evade accountability while simultaneously condemning barbarity and violence—is that civilization or cowardice?