Celestial Dragon Shirou looked at the two of them speechlessly and complained:
"Don't talk like that. It makes it sound like I'm some kind of scumbag. I was just teasing them. Didn't I end up doing nothing?"
"Good thing you're only eight. Otherwise, they definitely would have fallen victim to you already," Coachman Shirou said darkly.
"Aren't I you? We're all the same person. Insulting me is insulting yourself, isn't it?"
"I would never do something that vile."
"Liar! If you had the status of a prince, you'd definitely be even worse than me."
"Hard to say."
After the two finished arguing, Young Shirou smiled and asked:
"By the way, what do you think about the Nero Festival on my side?"
"Kariya is cheating!" the two said in unison.
"Mm-hm, that's what I thought too." Young Shirou nodded slightly in agreement. "Under normal circumstances, Kariya couldn't possibly beat Kirei. Yet he actually won. It's practically a joke."
"Actually, it's pretty normal," Coachman Shirou said with a smile. "Kariya has the magical Noble Phantasm Nero lent him. It's the strongest Noble Phantasm combining defense and offense, on the same level as an A-rank Noble Phantasm. You could call it an upgraded Moon Cell Liquefaction."
"But the fact that he gave you the Golden Apple he won—that's the truly surprising part."
That was right. About ten minutes ago, Kariya Matou had forcibly shoved the Golden Apple he won into Shirou's hands.
When Shirou came in to store the Golden Apple, he happened to run into his two selves chatting. After exchanging memories, he joined the conversation.
It was around nine at night. Normally, it should have been dark long ago.
Yet the outside remained as bright as a mirror, with the sky still a flawless blue.
The reason was that Nero's Noble Phantasm had thrown time into disorder, reversing day and night.
Outside, the Master Tournament had already ended. No one had signed up for the Heroic Spirit Tournament, while the Citizen Tournament had drawn many applicants and was currently holding preliminaries.
Sakura was talking to Rin Tohsaka—or rather, Rin Tohsaka was talking to her one-sidedly.
"Golden Apple, Fountain of Life, Insect-Insect Fruit, Model: Insect... I wonder if they can cure Kariya?"
Celestial Dragon Shirou pondered for several seconds before slowly speaking:
"I can only say there's some hope. Are you going to try?"
"We have to try. He shouldn't die here," Young Shirou sighed.
"It was his own choice."
"What choice? Who would willingly seek death? He just couldn't see any hope and could only close his eyes and wait to die."
Competition Format
Competition Format
Elsewhere, inside the Colosseum.
"As of just now, the Citizen Tournament preliminaries have finally concluded. Eight contestants have been selected in total. I hereby bestow the Emperor's Blessing upon you all."
Nero, who had already retrieved the Primal Fire from Kariya, stood with her sword planted on the ground and smiled.
"Now then, we shall begin the first match of the Citizen Tournament: Rin Tohsaka versus Taiga Fujimura. Please come onstage and draw the competition format."
"Wait a second! Isn't it supposed to be free combat? Why do we have to draw a competition format?" Taiga Fujimura asked instinctively.
Rin Tohsaka secretly compared their difference in size and said:
"That's perfectly normal. None of my previous matches involved fighting. I won all of them through things like singing and running."
"There are singing contests too?" Taiga Fujimura stared in surprise, then declared, "Even if it's singing, I'll definitely win!"
Idiot.
Rin Tohsaka looked her up and down and thought:
This person is obviously an idiot with simple thoughts and strong limbs. Please don't let it be a fight. It'd better be something I'm good at.
"Please," Nero said with a smile, gesturing to the two of them.
Rin Tohsaka hesitated for several seconds, encouraged herself inwardly, then closed her eyes and reached into the cardboard box.
She picked up the nearest slip of paper, carefully opened her eyes, and focused on it. It read: obstacle course.
I'm finished! I actually drew the worst possible option.
"Now then, contestant Taiga Fujimura, please step forward," referee Nero said with a smile.
"Huh...? Didn't she already draw one? Why do I have to draw too?"
"Then does contestant Taiga Fujimura wish to forfeit this opportunity?"
"That's right, I'll give up drawing. Let's use the obstacle course as the event."
"Very well. I have received your wish."
Nero raised her red sword high and softly recited an incantation.
The next instant, a rain of red petals descended from the sky, and golden light flashed past.
In the blink of an eye, the empty Colosseum transformed into a primeval forest.
The weeds, branches, and rocks on the ground, along with the spiderwebs and beehives in the trees, all made traveling through it more difficult.
Looking at the thorn-covered weeds all around her, Rin Tohsaka felt a trace of hesitation rise within her.
But when she thought of Mom and her little sister watching outside the arena, her expression immediately hardened.
She didn't know why Sakura hated her so much now, but perhaps today's competition could change Sakura's attitude toward her.
If she gave up here, Sakura would definitely hate her even more. Then it would truly be over.
Besides, the Tohsaka family motto had never included giving up halfway.
"Then, I hereby announce, the competition..."
"Wait! Can I make a few preparations first?" Rin Tohsaka suddenly spoke up.
"Oh...? What do you intend to do? If it isn't anything too complicated, perhaps I can lend you a hand."
"I want to change clothes. There's no way I can run through a forest in a skirt, right?"
"I see. A very reasonable request. I permit it."
Nero smiled faintly, pointed her red sword at Rin Tohsaka, and lightly tapped it.
Instantly!
Rin Tohsaka's girls' elementary school uniform transformed into a fitted set of sportswear.
"Thank you."
Overjoyed, Rin Tohsaka hurriedly thanked her.
"No need for thanks. Your earnest efforts in competition are the finest gift to me."
So cool!
"Thank you very much!"
"Prepare yourselves... I hereby announce that the competition begins!"
Rin Tohsaka immediately ran forward.
However, compared to her, Taiga Fujimura was like a human-shaped leopard, instantly pulling ahead of her.
This scene was faithfully displayed before everyone in the city through the projection in the sky.
At a seat beside a street food stall, Shirou watched the sky and said with a smile:
"Sakura, do you think Rin can win?"
"I don't know."
Sakura was also watching the projection in the sky. Though her expression remained gloomy, her eyes had gained a little more color.
"I think Rin definitely wants to compete against Sakura more than she wants to compete against Fuji-nee."
"Shirou... do you know that person?"
"Her name is Taiga Fujimura. Her nickname is Tiger. Ten years from now, she'll happen to be Rin's and my high school teacher."
"What kind of relationship will you and Rin have in the future?"
"You could say we're childhood friends with a fairly good relationship. And, by the way, Sakura ten years from now is also a childhood friend."
Seated beside them, Aoi Tohsaka looked back and forth between the two in confusion.
Since earlier, she had been unable to get a word into their conversation.
Although she had many things she wanted to say to her younger daughter, Sakura lowered her head whenever their eyes met. No matter what Aoi asked, Sakura remained silent.
As a result, she, the mother, had instead become a bystander.
Moreover, she could barely keep up with the rhythm of their conversation.
All this talk about ten years later was completely incomprehensible to her.
Though she wanted to find her husband, she was equally worried about her younger daughter.
They had not seen each other in a long time, and Sakura seemed to have been doing poorly. Had she been excluded in her new home? Or bullied by her new family?
When she noticed that the two had fallen silent again, Aoi Tohsaka seized the chance to ask:
"Did Shirou's family come in with you? It should already be nighttime outside. If your family didn't come in with you, they must be very worried, right?"
Family.
Hearing that word, Shirou could not help but sigh.
After being reborn, it seemed there was no longer anyone who could be his family.
He had no impression whatsoever of his biological parents. They were complete strangers to him.
"I suppose I'm... wandering around now?"
"Huh...?"
Aoi Tohsaka froze slightly and thought:
What does wandering around mean? Did he run away from home?
At that moment, a voice suddenly came from nearby:
"Whoa, that looks painful. Whose child is that girl? She's incredible."
Hearing another customer's voice beside her, Aoi Tohsaka instinctively looked up, and her heart immediately jolted.
In the projection, Little Rin seemed to have just fallen. Her sportswear was covered in weeds and mud, and several leaves were tangled in her hair.
Meanwhile, Taiga Fujimura, her opponent, had already vanished from sight. Only the footprints she had left behind proved that she was ahead.
"Little Rin... isn't she going to give up yet?"
There was obviously no hope of winning anymore.
Under Aoi's gaze, Rin Tohsaka fell again in the projection. The back of her hand struck a nearby rock, leaving a scratch around five centimeters long.
"Why isn't she giving up? The outcome has already been decided."
"She can't give up," Shirou could not help saying. "Rin isn't competing just for the prize anymore. No matter what, she can't give up."
Aoi Tohsaka fell silent for a moment, unable to speak for a long time.
Naturally, she could see what Shirou had seen.
At that moment, intense guilt rose in her heart.
Her daughter was working hard, while she had done nothing but watch from here. This was a failure on her part as a mother.
Thinking of this, she immediately stood up.
"Shirou, if Little Rin comes back later, please tell her for me that I'm going to find Kariya about something."
"Ah... okay."
Shirou quickly came to his senses and nodded slightly, watching her leave while continuously guessing what she intended to do.
Before you continue