When Shirou Emiya grasped that golden ticket, he seemed to hear, as if in an illusion, the whistle of a train from a distant age, along with people's laughter and singing...
"Preservation, Joy, Destruction, Trailblaze..."
"If I used the Age-Age Fruit to temporarily twist myself into my future self, would I be able to reach the threshold of an Emanator?"
"Hunt, Remembrance, Equilibrium, Abundance..."
"If I get more opportunities to unlock them, there should be some possibility. Eight Paths, perhaps even ten... I might find it difficult to travel far while focusing on a single Path, but if I stack enough Paths together, perhaps it'll have miraculous effects."
Moreover, the Paths themselves had unique effects on the Imaginary Internal Energy he could draw upon. Reality was not a game, but there were still certain patterns to it.
Preservation was suited for defense.
Destruction was suited for devastation.
Compared with those two, Trailblaze was not as direct, but specialized in adaptability and variability.
The Path of Joy, meanwhile, specialized in stirring emotions.
"As long as I stack enough traits, one slap will saddle you with dozens of debuffs."
Each Path he unlocked meant another channel through which he could draw Imaginary energy. The difference between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive needed no explanation. No matter how powerful the two-wheel drive was, if the four-wheel drive could be made to move, it would certainly be more advantageous. The cost, however, was... being able to bear the burden of four-wheel drive.
"So we're back to the original question."
"How do I increase my vitality... and strengthen my body?"
A strange communication device. It did not seem to be a magical artifact.
Was there someone from another world? If you can truly hear me, please tell us how we can defeat the evil dragons...