"Who gave you permission to speak here? What right did you have to speak? You were nothing more than a lowly live-in son-in-law of the Zhou Family, yet you dared speak before the family elders? You were not even worthy to carry his shoes."
"Oh? And who might this be? Shirou Emiya, the Zhou Family's live-in son-in-law. How impressive. You are not worthy of the Wa Lord. The Wa Lord will be getting divorced soon enough."
"Sign this divorce agreement..."
"Dragon King, the three-year term has expired..."
Since he had absolutely no idea what the Zhou Family's customs were actually like, a series of absurd Crooked-Mouth Dragon King scenes automatically flashed through Emiya's mind.
He looked carefully at the "Family Elders" the Wa Lord had mentioned. Sure enough, every one of them was a shriveled old man covered in wrinkles, their lower bodies winding serpent tails just like the Wa Lord's. Their pupils were dimmer and colder than hers, and they wore colorful ancient ceremonial robes embroidered with patterns of mountains, rivers, stars, and insects.
One of the men seated at the head spoke. "Which family does this child belong to? What is his bloodline?"
The man looked at Shirou Emiya as though appraising an exquisite object. It made him uncomfortable, but with the Wa Lord beside him, he did not show it.
"Fine features, vigorous blood and qi, brimming with vitality, and his foundation is not bad... But if his bloodline is lowly, he may not enter the gates of the Zhou Family."
Another elder spoke. Though his gaze remained fixed on Emiya, his words were directed at the Wa Lord.
The Wa Lord was not surprised. Bloodline supremacy—those were the rules that had been set in stone for thousands of years. But this time was truly different. In her eyes, Emiya was someone capable of changing the era. "What I value is not bloodline. Open your eyes and look at the world too. What age do you think this is? It is time the rules changed."
"?"
This time, every Family Elder turned his gaze toward the Wa Lord. One of them pointed at her as he panted angrily. "Do you intend to alter the laws of our ancestors for your own selfish desires?"
The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
Shirou Emiya secretly tugged at the little Wa Lord's sleeve as well. Setting aside the fact that he did not have particularly deep feelings for her, though she was cute and beautiful, she looked a little too young. He was not about to enter the Zhou Family's gates and find them as deep as the sea for her sake alone...
Still, the Wa Lord had said the family elders were old-fashioned. People in ancient times generally married early too. Could it be that they thought someone who looked like her was already of marriageable age?
Of course, he absolutely could not say that to the Wa Lord's face. Her reaction would definitely be to fly into a rage and say that looking young did not mean she was actually young—she had long since come of age, all right...
While Emiya was lost in random thoughts, the Wa Lord winked and signaled to him. Her expression was full of confidence, as if she were saying, Relax, relax. This is not really becoming a live-in son-in-law. I have everything under control. Just play along and watch how I handle this, then wait for the surprise at the finale!
Thus, beneath everyone's watchful eyes, the Wa Lord raised a hand and waved it.
"Guards! Bring forth the Dragon Severing Platform!"
The family elders all looked shocked. What the hell was she trying to do? As the head of the Zhou Family, was she planning to stage a coup and rebel against the Zhou Family? Why was she not following the rules?
Then, under everyone's tense gazes, the Wa Lord seized the enormous bronze greatsword presented to her—the family's heirloom treasure—and raised it high...
Before placing it in Emiya's hands.
"What does this mean?"
The family elders, who had nearly been scared into heart attacks just moments ago, relaxed somewhat, but their tone did not soften. In their view, the Wa Lord merely wanted to display her military strength. She had no intention of actually coming to blows, so she had only frightened them. After overwhelming them in presence, she had handed the Dragon Severing Platform to a weak attendant with an inadequate bloodline. (Emiya: ?)
"Hmph. Emiya, draw it and let the family elders have a look. Let them see for themselves!" The Wa Lord put both hands into her pockets, her little face proud and arrogant, as though she did not know the meaning of the word opponent.
...Then Shirou Emiya gripped the Dragon Severing Platform and simply drew it.
"Huh?"
Why had he drawn it just like that? What about the seal? What about the living spirit's trial? How could he skip the procedure?
The family elders were dumbfounded.
Cough, cough. The Wa Lord began signaling to Emiya again at his side. Cooperate a little. Put on some more of a show.
Got it. Emiya nodded, and magic power instantly poured into the blade, awakening the Dragon Spirit.
Rumble—!
A fierce wind first rose from the flat ground. Then a vast, muffled Dragon's Roar rang out from the blade, like wave after wave of rolling thunder exploding. The family elders' faces twisted in shock and fury, their beards and hair standing on end as their splendid ceremonial robes were whipped into disarray. Yet a powerful will seeped from the Dragon's Might, piercing into the old men's decaying spirits and filling them with terror. In a daze, they saw a colossal eye filling the entire sky, staring down at them with cold brutality...
Several screams rang out. Evidently, some of the family elders had made fools of themselves. By the time they all came back to their senses, the world was calm again. Shirou Emiya had already sheathed the sword and was keeping his head lowered, staring at his nose and contemplating his heart as though he knew nothing at all.
The Wa Lord stopped while she was ahead and slightly restrained the smugness on her face. "Emiya's talent is without equal. He is an Artifact Forging Genius, unparalleled in his mastery of magical treasures and artifacts... Now, he has formed a contract of mutual cooperation with the Dragon Spirit of the Dragon Severing Platform and can therefore borrow its power."
The family elders had only just calmed their thoughts when the Wa Lord's words stirred up another raging storm in their hearts... So many years had passed, and they had only ever heard that the Dragon Severing Platform's trials allowed no negotiation—simply put, its living spirit asked a particular ultimate question. Those it judged worthy lived, while those who failed had their consciousness directly extracted and died.
When the Wa Lord had used the Dragon Severing Platform back then, she had been pulled into a spiritual space to undergo the living spirit's trial. At the time, its question concerned the Observer Effect: "When the observer disappears, does the observed world disappear along with them?" The Wa Lord spent two days and two nights within that spiritual space battling it over this question. Their exchange had been a clash of needle against wheat stalk, until she finally ended the debate with a line from the Diamond Sutra: "Let the mind arise without dwelling on anything."
Who would have thought that this young man before them had directly negotiated with the Dragon Severing Platform and even formed a cooperative contract with it? What kind of approach was that?
In the end, an elder with an especially heavy air of decay spoke up to ask, "This so-called cooperation with the Dragon Severing Platform means...?"
Emiya answered, "I may use this sacred artifact's power whenever I wish. In the future, I will help it restore the missing half of its blade and make it whole again."
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" The elder stroked his white beard. "The Dragon Severing Platform is the Zhou Family's symbol and heirloom. How can an outsider use it as he pleases? Unless..."
"Unless what?"
Another Family Elder took over. "Unless he marries into our Zhou Family as a live-in son-in-law." Once he entered the Zhou Family's gates, formed marital ties, and put down roots, he would naturally be bound by the Zhou Family's rules. Then it would no longer count as improper.
Could they seriously not get the words "live-in son-in-law" out of their heads?
Emiya's eyelids twitched. Suddenly inspired, he exchanged a glance with the Wa Lord and lightly tapped the Dragon Severing Platform's scabbard with his hand.
Threads of Dragon's Might leaked out.
That familiar scene returned... The family elders' faces turned alternately green and white, looking utterly awful. Agreeing to let him marry in was already a major concession, and now he wanted to push his luck even further?
Elders, this is exactly like ceding five cities today and ten tomorrow. You might as well submit to the Wa Lord quickly and buy yourselves a moment of peaceful sleep.
At this moment, the Great Qin Wa Lord, who had been glaring down the family elders like the feudal lords of the six states, finally swept her sword aside the clouds and said leisurely, "I have something to say. Please listen quietly..."
Before you continue