Chapter 16: Day 5 ⑤

Led by an incensed Fuji-nee, it was decided that everyone would eventually gather at the dojo.

It seems she wanted to flaunt her status as a senior member, even inviting the unrelated Tohsaka to spectate.

For Tohsaka and me, who know the strength of her opponent, Lia, we couldn't help but feel sorry for the rampaging Fuji-nee.

Fuji-nee put on her dōgi (martial arts uniform) and was energetically swinging her shinai (bamboo sword) in the center of the dojo. Her expression was not the usual relaxed one; it was dead serious.

The shinai she was holding was quite well-worn, perfectly familiar to Fuji-nee like a long-time friend.

Wait, though. Did we even have such an old, seasoned shinai in our dojo—

“Isn’t that the ‘Tiger Shinai’ sealed away by the Fujimura clan!”

There was no mistaking it. A small tiger strap was attached near the grip.

Despite being a bamboo sword, it was a dangerous article nicknamed ‘Bloody Tiger Fang,’ and both by its name and appearance, it was undoubtedly Fuji-nee’s cherished sword.

I wonder what great feats Fuji-nee accomplished with that shinai. While I find myself wondering, why do I feel absolutely no curiosity about its history?

Regardless, taking out the Tiger Shinai meant she had no intention of holding back or showing mercy.

Now, as for Lia, she was observing the brandished Tiger Shinai with admiration. She was nodding in a way that seemed to say, “I see, as a practice sword, it is perfectly adequate.”

From what I could tell, she was completely relaxed, and I certainly couldn’t sense any atmosphere from her suggesting a match was about to begin.

“Taiga, are you really planning to cross swords?”

“Of course, I am! I couldn't quite gauge Alto-chan’s skill because she said her specialty was the bow, but it won't be that easy with Lia-chan!”

...Is she going to dismiss Alto's spectacular archery as "couldn't quite gauge"?

To say that, even though she’s technically the adviser for the Kyūdō (archery) club, is truly Fuji-nee. Call it reckless or fearless, I suppose.

“In that case, take this!”

A loud sound of feet pushing off the ground echoed in the dojo. Fuji-nee lunged toward Lia.

A men-uchi (a strike to the head) from the seigan no kamae (middle stance). While the way of attacking wasn't unusual, Fuji-nee's lunge was incredibly fast. At the very least, it would be difficult for me, even with my daily training, to react in time.

How will Lia, a Heroic Spirit of the Sword, deal with this… Wait, deal with what? Lia isn’t even holding a shinai yet! Fuji-nee, is it permissible for a swordswoman to attack an unarmed opponent?

I was about to raise my voice to protest, but Fuji-nee’s strike was faster. Just as the shinai was about to hit Lia, I witnessed a strange sight.

As the two crossed paths, the Tiger Shinai that Fuji-nee had been holding was somehow in Lia’s right hand. Fuji-nee remained in the posture of having finished her swing, but her hands were empty.

...I had absolutely no idea what had just happened.

“Huh? What the?”

Fuji-nee looked at the shinai in Lia’s hand, then at her own hands, and tilted her head.

“Um... Seriously?”

I don’t know what the “Seriously?” was in response to, but it was clear to any observer who had won.

Lia didn't bother to assume a stance with the shinai in her hand. She just quietly turned to face Fuji-nee. Facing her head-on, Fuji-nee flinched and backed away like a small animal.

“Will you take a stance? However, with your skill level, you should already understand the difference in ability.”

“U-uuh— Haaa~uuh.”

Overwhelmed, Fuji-nee backed away tearfully and unsteadily. When she reached the wall, she flopped down and sat.

“Shirou has been stolen by Lia-chan and Alto-chan!”

“Huh!?”

And I was utterly terrified by the content of her loud shout.

I don't know what she was thinking, but I really wish she would refrain from making such misleading statements. The Tohsaka next to me was grinning and giving me a lukewarm gaze.

While Tohsaka and I were comforting and calming Fuji-nee, Alto, who was next to Tohsaka, stood up and walked away.

The atmosphere instantly became taut, and the wailing Fuji-nee fell silent. The eyes of the three of us naturally focused on Alto, who had created that atmosphere.

Taking a shinai propped against the wall, Alto walked up to Lia, who was still holding the ‘Tiger Shinai.’

“Lia, may I ask for a match?”

Alto pierced Lia with a sharp gaze. Lia, in turn, fixed a severe look back at Alto.

“...I don’t mind.”

We watched the exchange between the two without making a sound.

Perhaps Lia felt something ominous about the weapon she was holding, for she leaned the ‘Tiger Shinai’ against the wall and picked up a normal shinai instead. She gripped it with both hands as if checking it, then nodded once.

“Then—”

“Yes. Let us begin.”

I don't know which one of them said which phrase. However, despite the words of commencement, neither of them moved. The air rapidly intensified around the two facing each other in the same stance, filling the entire dojo.

After some period of time, I unconsciously cleared my throat. My mouth had been completely dry for who knows how long.

Perhaps that slight sound was the trigger, as Alto attacked from the jōdan (upper stance).

The sound of her footwork was almost nonexistent. It was a smooth, yet tremendously fast attack. Fuji-nee's previous lunge was fast, but just looking at the sheer speed, it absolutely didn't compare to the one before my eyes.

Lia fluidly shifted her body, easily evading the strike, and then launched a sharp counter-attack towards Alto's exposed torso.

A counter-attack launched before the shinai finished its swing should have been impossible to evade. However, Alto sensed it with an unthinkable level of reflex, pushing off the ground by a hair's breadth and escaping the attack's range.

But did Lia read even that movement? She immediately closed the distance and chased after the retreating Alto with a follow-up strike.

A magnificent exploding sound reverberated through the dojo. It took me a moment to realize it was the sound of shinai striking each other.

Alto, who had managed to regain her posture, appeared to have struck back at the follow-up. The two were both thrown backward as if repelled, and they began to put distance between them.

It was an exchange that lasted only a few seconds, and I could barely follow it with my eyes, let alone see the minute details of their movements. All I knew was that the two fighting before me and I lived in different worlds.

The superhuman clash continued even after that.

The sound of the shinai cutting through the air, the sound of the shinai striking each other, the sound of their feet pushing off the ground, the sound of their feet landing—

The competitive sounds never stopped ringing out.

These sounds, combined with their synchronized movements, made it seem like a sword dance.

(...It’s beautiful.)

To my eyes, it looked like the two were happily dancing together.

Tohsaka and Fuji-nee were also captivated by the two. Unable to find the words, they just stared, not daring to move.

When the continuous sounds finally ceased, I noticed that Lia’s shinai was stopped just an inch above Alto’s head.

It was the announcement that the clash, which seemed like it would last forever, had ended with Lia’s victory.

The two put away their swords and turned to face each other. Alto let out a big breath.

“...As expected, I cannot defeat you with the sword.”

“Huh? What do you mean, Alto?”

Tohsaka, puzzled by those words, asked a question. Alto, still looking at Lia, spoke with a slightly dejected tone.

“I’m not saying anything complicated. Simply put, my skill is inferior to Lia’s.”

“...That is true. While Alto's defense is quite solid, her offense is somehow lacking. At times, her swordsmanship seems no different from mine, yet at other times, it lacks so much vitality it makes one think she is an amateur, making it difficult to judge her skills as merely inferior.”

Is that so? While this match ended with Lia winning, I thought Alto was quite formidable too.

I couldn’t see everything clearly, but from my perspective, it looked like they were fighting perfectly equally.

No, more than that, I need to think about myself.

Even setting aside the fact that they are Servants, I believe these two are strong.

Watching their match, I realized my own lack of power. If I can't even follow their movements, I certainly can't stop an opponent.

If I am protected by Lia, the Saber, I might be able to win this war with just that.

But my purpose for participating in the Holy Grail War is not to survive.

It is to save many people, to reduce the number of people who grieve in this war.

I decided to fight for that purpose.

If I win by being protected, then there’s no reason for me to participate as a Master.

If I don't have the strength to protect now, then I just need to gain it.

No, I must gain it. Precisely because I am an immature, half-baked Master, I must become stronger.

“Lia, I have a request.”

“Shirou? What is it?”

“Will you train me in swordsmanship?”

At those words, Lia froze in a dazed manner. Next, she frowned and put on a look of suspicion.

“What are you talking about? Since I am here, there is no need for you to fight.”

“But that doesn’t mean that danger won’t reach me, does it?”

“...That is true. If only I were not so inadequate.”

She must have recalled the battle with the Berserker. Sensing her biting her lip and regretting her inadequacy, I hastily continued my words.

“No, that’s not it. It’s not about you, Lia. I just want to be able to protect myself in an emergency.”

“It is certainly possible that if you commit to this daily, it might help with your judgment...—Very well. Can we start from tomorrow?”

“Yes. I know I’ll be a bother, but I’m counting on you.”

“Hey, hey, Shirou. What are you two talking about?”

Just as I let out a sigh of relief, I heard a probing voice. I turned around, and my thoughts stopped for a moment.

—I messed up. I completely forgot. Fuji-nee was here, too.

I don’t think I said anything related to magic, so it should be fine, but the dangerous topic had her looking at me with suspicion, wondering if I was hiding something.

“It’s nothing, Fuji-nee. There have been a lot of incidents lately, right? I'm just asking Lia to train me so I can handle myself if anything happens.”

I quickly used that as an excuse. Since there have actually been incidents like the mass murder and the collective unconsciousness being reported in the news, it wouldn’t sound unnatural.

“Hmm. Training is fine, but don't go sticking your nose into incidents, Shirou.”

She put her hands on her hips, saying it as if to say, “I’m the one in charge of you.”

Since she didn't offer to train me herself, it seems she has given up on Lia and Alto. After seeing such superhuman displays in her own field of expertise, I suppose she couldn’t intervene.

“Well then, since we’ve worked up a sweat, let’s go take a bath together!”

Singing a bright tune, Fuji-nee dragged Lia and Alto out of the dojo.

Lia looked like she was letting it happen, but Alto was resisting fiercely with a twitching face. It was an uncharacteristically flustered display from her. ...Well, she was dragged away in the end.

In the end, I guess Fuji-nee has grown fond of the two of them—Speaking of which, did Fuji-nee even work up a sweat?

“Emiya-kun, we’re going to skip school tomorrow for a magecraft lecture.”

“Huh? Tohsaka, why so sudden?”

Tohsaka spoke to me so abruptly that I was surprised and made a weird sound. Since I had just managed to fool Fuji-nee and let down my guard, I was completely unprepared.

“You have to create a switch as soon as possible! That is the top priority!”

“O-okay, I understand.”

Tohsaka yelled at me. She was probably angry at me for not understanding anything.

I figured arguing any further wouldn’t end well, so I decided to nod obediently. Besides, I have no reason to complain if I’m going to be taught.

This is an aside, but apparently, Alto had a nosebleed in the bath afterward.

...Did she overheat?