Chapter 21: Day 6 ⑤

Roughly ten minutes passed since Alto had rushed out into the city to buy taiyaki (fish-shaped sweet cakes). She returned at a terrifying speed, though her hair was a mess as a consequence.

The distance was definitely not one that could be covered on foot in ten minutes, including the return trip. She must have undoubtedly used her Servant's superhuman physical abilities in the city, but considering the strangely intense auras of Lia and Tohsaka at that time, I couldn't bring myself to lecture Alto.

In any case, led by Tohsaka, who now held the bag of taiyaki, I was heading toward the annex. Apparently, what we were about to do was crucial for mastering Magecraft, but since I had absolutely no idea what it was, I couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"Well then, ideally I'd like to check your magic's precision, but first, we need to make a switch."

"Um, what exactly is this 'switch'?"

Responding to the words muttered by Tohsaka, who was walking ahead, I asked my question frankly. I understood that this "switch" was necessary, but I hadn't yet heard a concrete explanation.

Tohsaka looked back at me over her shoulder once in response to the question.

"Ah, right, we need to start from there. Well, just come in for now."

It seemed we had arrived at the Western-style room that had been assigned as Tohsaka's personal room.

The owner of the room had already entered and was sitting on the bed, seemingly unconcerned. I, who had been following behind her during the walk, inadvertently stopped at the entrance.

I felt quite hesitant about entering a girl's room. I had been inside Fujinee's private room before, but... well, in any case, this was the first time I was entering a non-relative girl's room.

Moreover, the person involved was a girl I had admired to some extent. It would be stranger not to be nervous as a guy.

Right now, by some twist of fate, we are supposedly dating, even if it's just on the surface. Speaking of which, it just occurred to me: is it not a bad idea for both of us to skip school the day after the news of us dating spread?

Recalling the great commotion from the other day, I was already dreading the day we go back to school. I might have thought for the first time in my life that I didn't want to go to school.

"What's wrong? We can't talk if you don't come in."

I looked up at the room while thinking, and quickly snapped back to reality. I glanced at Tohsaka, but she was rummaging through a Boston bag without looking at me.

"No, it's just, entering a girl's room is, well..."

"...Hmph. I thought Emiya-kun was used to this kind of thing."

Tohsaka stopped what she was doing for a moment and turned around after hearing my words. An unpleasant smirk was on her face. Tohsaka is scary in many ways when she makes that face.

"What do you mean by 'this kind of thing'?"

"Just come in, come in."

I felt like she was trying to dodge the question, but I was afraid of prodding further and making things worse. I entered as she urged, pulled a chair from the corner, and sat down opposite the bed.

I blankly gazed around the room. I know it's not good to stare at someone's room, but if I'm in a room alone with Tohsaka, staring only at her is also difficult.

As for Tohsaka, she seemed to have found what she was looking for and pulled a tin can out of her bag. I could hear the rattling of something hard rolling around inside the can, confirming that it contained something. The shape was exactly like the old-fashioned drops candy tins I often saw. So, the contents must be candy, right?

"Ngh!"

She was struggling to open the tin lid, her face turning red with the effort.

"Would you like me to open it?"

"O-Oh, really? Then, please."

"There you go."

I took the handed-over tin, put light pressure on the lid, and the lid popped off with a pleasant kapan sound. She had been struggling so hard, yet I didn't need much strength to open it. But why candy, of all things? I returned the opened tin while wondering.

"Thanks. Now, hold out your hand."

"Thanks."

Tohsaka tilted the can she had received toward me. I said thanks and held out my hand, and one piece rolled out. The drops tin was immediately closed and put back into the bag.

There was a red drop in my palm. Red was usually strawberry flavor, wasn't it? I popped it into my mouth, but for some reason, it had no taste. It felt like I was eating some inorganic matter.

"Tohsaka, this doesn't have any taste."

"Of course not. You're supposed to swallow it."

When she said that, I swallowed the drop without questioning that this was how it was supposed to be.

I see. Wow, there are now candies that you just swallow. First time I've heard of it... However, I hope it's just my imagination, but my throat is stinging oddly.

"Hey, Tohsaka. Is this really candy?"

"Huh? Who said anything about candy? That's a Jewel."

"Ah. It was a jewel."

No wonder it had no taste. I thought it felt like I was eating inorganic matter—and I literally was. True, Tohsaka never once said it was candy.

"...Tohsaka."

"What?"

"Why did you make me swallow a jewel?"

"Why? Because it's the fastest way. There are also medicines, but you've been practicing Magecraft for several years without creating a switch, right? Then, a mere medicine probably won't be very effective. More importantly, you need to focus your mind, or you'll pass out."

"Pass out, what are you even talking about..."

THUMP

"――!?"

A single, loud heartbeat.

It was hot. Heat spread from inside my body, instantly boiling over. My nerves were being churned, and I lost feeling from my extremities inward. As this sensation reached my entire body and my consciousness began to fade, a sharp pain shot down my spine.

"It looks like it has begun."

"Ha――"

Now, the pain was so intense that my thoughts were clouded. I tried to move my lungs to gasp for air, but my body refused to obey.

I thought about at least yelling a complaint at Tohsaka, but I had absolutely no capacity to do so.

"A switch is what separates an ordinary human from a Magus. While Magic Circuits can spontaneously occur in ordinary people, a switch only appears in those who practice Magecraft. Even with the knowledge to create a switch, you can't practice Magecraft without a Circuit. And even with a Circuit, you originally couldn't generate magical energy without a switch. Put simply, the existence of a Circuit doesn't determine if someone is a Magus. It's the step beyond that—possessing a switch—that makes a Magus."

"Gu――U――"

"Shiro, you've been needlessly repeating the first step—creating a Circuit. You would put the Circuit you created to sleep, only to create another one, over and over. The act of creating a Circuit is, as you said, flirting with death. Normally, even Magi wouldn't repeat such a reckless act. The risk and the return simply don't balance out. Even so, Shiro, I don't know how you've survived until now."

"――Kuh, hah, ha. T-Tell me, tell me that first, Tohsaka."

I somehow managed to force out the words. I finally understood that this physical distress was due to the overflowing magical energy rebelling and seeking an outlet.

Once I realized that, it was simple. All I had to do was create a flow within my body and circulate it, just like when I practice Magecraft. The paralysis and the pain remaining in my body hadn't completely vanished, but I felt like I could manage if I calmed my mind.

"Huh!? Oh, you can already talk. You seem to be quite good at self-control."

While Tohsaka was talking, I calmed my breathing and gradually regained sensation in my body.

"Now, for the continuation: if you can grasp the switch instinctively, it will become much easier when using Magecraft. After all, you'll just need to flip the switch. You won't have to risk death every time, and your speed will increase. The Jewel you swallowed forces the switch ON by infusing it with magical energy. If you don't manually switch the Circuit to OFF, it will stay ON. I know it's hard to do what you can't do, but if you calm yourself and just maintain your current state, your body will automatically switch to OFF."

I felt a little calmer, but the heat in my body hadn't subsided. The Circuit switch probably hadn't finished yet.

"Regarding the switch: once you emerge from this state, the idea will naturally pop into your head. It's different for everyone. For me, it's the image of stabbing a knife into my heart. This part is completely personal, and since it's an internal process for Shiro, I don't know what your image will be. So, how are you doing? Since you can talk, aren't you a little more settled?"

Tohsaka leaned in to look at my face.

The physical distress—or whatever you want to call it—was much calmer compared to the beginning. The discomfort and heat were still there, but they weren't unbearable.

"――Y-Yeah. I still feel sick, but I'm okay somehow."

"Well, it's like sprinting at full power using magical energy as fuel. On the flip side, once the switch is properly formed, it should be a big help in various ways."

"Yeah. It helps a lot. I wouldn't have known about this doing it alone, and I'm grateful to you, Tohsaka."

"No need for thanks. I just acted because I felt it was necessary from a strategic standpoint."

Tohsaka quickly turned her face away. Due to the heat, my mind was unclear, but I watched Tohsaka absently while trying to gather my thoughts.

"W-What is it? Stop staring at me so rudely."

What is it? Seeing Tohsaka's reaction, I felt a kind of happiness—or something I couldn't quite identify—and a smile naturally appeared on my face.

"Ah, no, like I said before, I just think you're a really good person, Tohsaka."

Tohsaka froze stiffly.

Did I say something strange? No, maybe my thoughts aren't working properly because of the fever. Also, I haven't talked to girls much, so I'm not very thoughtful.

"I-Is that so? U-Ah, right, Shiro, take your top off. Since we're here, I'll check on the condition of your Circuits."

"No, that's fine. I can't trouble you that much."

"Just be a good boy and do as I say. This is the first time even for me that someone is forming a switch with a Jewel, so it would be bad if something went wrong, wouldn't it?"

She pulled me toward the bed, her face flushed red. Since my body had no strength due to the Jewel, I was pulled along, helpless.

I was seated on the edge of the bed, and Tohsaka sat on the chair. Our seating positions were now reversed.

"N-No, I'm fine!"

"I said it's fine! Just accept people's kindness. Now, take your top off."

"I said I'm okay!"

Even as a man, showing my bare upper body to a girl is embarrassing. Even with my dazed and barely functioning mind, I understood that much.

And the person is the infamous Rin Tohsaka, and the place is her room, even if it's only temporary. I wish the person I had admired wasn't the one doing this.

"Aaaargh! That's enough! Just surrender!"

I was pushed down onto the bed. She pushed lightly, but my body had no strength, so I lost my balance and fell over. Tohsaka immediately mounted me, sitting on my abdomen. I tried to resist with my powerless hands, but she pinned one down with a single hand. Her other hand rolled up my shirt.

I know she doesn't mean anything bad and is doing this out of kindness, but this position is bad. The feeling against my stomach is devastating. I was flustered by Tohsaka's weight and the sensation I'd never felt before.

Why is this happening?

"Wait, wait, wait! This is bad, Tohsaka. Please, spare me! Hey... Lia! Alto! Help me! Mmmph!"

"You-You idiot!! If you yell that loud, Lia and Alto will really..."

Tohsaka pushed the hand that was rolling up my shirt onto my mouth and yelled at me. But it was fatally too late. I could already hear multiple footsteps running from outside the room.

"What's wrong! Shiro!!"

The sound of the door being violently flung open echoed, and then time stopped.

Lia, the intruder, froze the moment she saw us. Behind her, Alto was holding a container of rice crackers, with one in her mouth, similarly frozen.

After registering that much, my consciousness abruptly cut off.