Chapter 2: Fem-Shirou (2)

Shirou sat still, her gaze fixed on the horizon where the beautiful morning sun was gracefully ascending. The world around her was coming to life, the serene atmosphere of the park slowly being replaced by the bustling sounds of a new day. People passed by, each on their journey—some heading to work, others enjoying a brisk morning run. Birds sang in harmony, their melodies weaving through the peaceful symphony of the awakening world. "Hey..." Ruby's attention shifted to Shirou. "Hmmm?" "It's been a while, but something is bothering me." Curiosity piqued, "Oh? What is it, Shirou-chan?" Shirou brought her gaze down to the magical wand she held in her hand. "Say, why don't I feel anything under these clothes?" A moment of silence passed as Ruby contemplated the peculiar predicament. "Y-You mean-" "I am not wearing any panties down there... Why?" Ruby bobbed in the air shocked, "I-Impossible!! I spent three hours just to find the perfect panties for the perfect magical girl, it should be there—Huh?" The magical wand stopped suddenly as Shirou's hand grabbed it, and a red glow enveloped her body. "W-Wait, Shirou-chan! A cute girl like you shouldn't be violent...WAIT!! WAIT" Ruby's frantic protests fell on deaf ears as Shirou's grip tightened. As Ruby panicked and tried to escape Shirou's grasp, the magical wand found itself in a rather precarious situation. And so, once again, The poor Ruby was flung through the air, this time with considerably more force, crashing into the nearest tree. Part 2: Shirou, now bearing a mischievous grin, began to swirl the magical wand around like a conductor's baton. "Oh, we're going on an adventure now, Ruby!" Ruby, caught in the whirlwind of Shirou's newfound enthusiasm, helplessly flailed in the air. "I-I don't think this is how magical girls are supposed to use their wands!" Putting the jokes aside, Shirou decided to be serious, "Alright, let's get this straight, Ruby. Any idea for what to do now?" "First, we need to figure out where we are exactly." It was now 8 AM, and both of them decided to leave the park and explore the city they were in. However, Shirou found something more bothersome than walking without pants. "It's awkward walking in these clothes..." The people's eyes around her kept scanning her body. Some looked confused, while others were just plain creepy. I am literally in a little girl's body, what's wrong with those people? Raising her gaze toward the towering buildings around her, she came to a conclusion. "We are still in Japan, and it seems to be still the modern times." "The TV here says it's 2017." "A whole 14 years into the future? I'm kind of glad we're not in our original world, or else that would be sad for me." As they strolled through the streets of the city, Shirou decided to make a stop at a small convenience store. She wasn't hungry or anything; as she had become a living servant, technically, she didn't need food anymore. Instead, the discount advertisements on the side of the entrance caught her attention. "30% Discount on Frozen vegetables, 10% on Dairy products...the prices are already cheap, why are there discounts?" "Oh? Why does this matter to you, Shirou-chan?" "If those prices were in my hometown, I would save so much while feeding Saber. The prices in Fuyuki are higher." The little girl's eyes shone with excitement as she analyzed the offers available. "1 KG (2.2 Pounds) of meat for only 10,000 yen (about $66)? One gallon of milk (3.7L) for just 120 Yen (0.8$)? Is this heaven?" "Oh, Shirou-chan~ you're too young to act like a housewife~" The comment suddenly triggered something inside her, and without hesitation, she started bending the wand without mercy. "OW!! OW!! STOP, STOP, YOU'LL BREAK ME!!!" "I've had enough of you!" She tightened her grip on the wand and threw it away with all her strength, not knowing who was approaching her. "AKh!!" "C-Crap..." A certain boy with blue hair fell to the ground unconscious after Ruby hit him directly in the face. Part 3: 30 Min ago "So, what's the plan?" "Just do what you used to do. You've become more experienced, right? So everything should be fine. I have an exam, so I can't help. Make sure to handle things without taking risks." That was the summary of the conversation he had with Kotori. Now, he was alone, receiving instructions from Maria through his earpiece, guiding him toward where the spirit was located. "Take the first turn, and you should find her in front of a small convenience store. It seems she has taken an interest in the store's discounts," the Fraxinus AI, Maria, said through the earpiece. Shido responded with a nod. "Acting like a housewife? That might help, actually," he mumbled under his breath as he took the first turn. And there she was, just a few steps away from him, the spirit he was supposed to approach. "Is she talking to a wand?" He muttered to himself, puzzled. However, before he could receive an answer, he received the wand directly between his eyes. Present: "It's a miracle I didn't get any brain damage through all those years..." That was the first thing he thought about as he opened his eyes. He could feel his head resting on something soft and realized what it was after he fully opened his eyes. "Oh, you're finally awake?" a voice greeted him. His blurred vision met the face of a beautiful little girl. He could feel the girl's pink hair brushing against his face as she leaned closer to him, and he noticed the nervous smile on the little spirit's face. "Fufu~~ to think you let a boy rest in your lap that quickly. My Shirou-chan is growing up~" "Can you shut the heck up for a second!!" Shido saw the once nervous smile on the girl's face transform into something more akin to a demon in a split second. Quite the mood swings. "Offf..." Shido lifted his head and adjusted his sitting position. He realized they were sitting on a bench by the side of the road. People passed by, casting inquisitive glances their way. It was quite a miracle that the cops hadn't shown up Yet, But it was worth it. "That was a 5-star nap," he thought to himself. Without any regret. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to throw it at you. It was an accident. You really shouldn't force yourself if you're not okay," the spirit said nervously, raising both hands as if to reach out to check if he was alright. "Oh, don't worry, I have a pretty solid head, so I should be okay," Shido reassured her. "I-I see, that's good to hear, and sorry again," she replied, bowing her head slightly. Shido waved his hand - It's okay, and then pointed at the wand in her hand, "By the way, how does that thing talk?" She hesitated to answer, but before she could explain, the wand itself started to speak excitedly, "Fufufu, glad you asked. I am th-" But Shirou quickly hushed the wand and turned it away from Shido's sight, "Are you stupid? You can't just tell him what you are. He's just a normal guy." "Normal guy? There's nothing normal about hi-" "Hmm? Is everything okay?" "Ah, y-yes, everything's okay. Anyway, as you can see, I am cosplaying as a magical girl. A- And this wand is my friend. It has higher technology that can make small conversation with its holder..." "Like an AI?" "Y-yes, AI, those kinds of stuff..." (What the fuck is AI?) Shirou thought in her mind (She's really bad at lying... No, it's like she can't lie. Her morals don't allow her... She truly is a magical girl from a magical anime.) These were Shido's thoughts as he watched the guilt play on the young girl's face. "Anyway, I have to go now. Sorry again about what happened." Shirou, after making sure the boy was alright, decided to go on her way. She stood up and prepared to leave. "And just like that, our magical girl, Shirou-chan, raised a green flag~~" "Can you please just shut up for a mere second?" He watched the spirit and her magical wand walking away, seemingly in some sort of agreement, They gave off a vibe similar to Yoshino and Yoshinon for him, but their relationship seemed to be more...unfriendly. "Huh..." He let out a sigh as he glanced at the road clock. "7:45 AM, I have to go back and make breakfast. Also, I should check in with Mukuro in case she's upset about what happened. That spirit huh" He looked at where the spirit had been walking, only to find her disappearing. "She seems like a kind person, so I shouldn't worry too much about the safety of people around her for now... Her name is Shirou, huh..." Part 3: 19th October, Thursday. There was an uproar inside the Itsuka house. "Shidou! I'm hungry, Shidou!" "Hey, Origami! Where's my darling picture album?! It suddenly disappeared from my room!" "I don't have any idea what you're talking about, and it's rude to directly suspect me out of everyone." "Kuku, and that Uno game, I win!" "Protest! That was an impossible tactic. There's a 99% chance Kaguya cheated." "Auah!! Boy, beers in the early morning are the best!!" Naturally, Itsuka Shidou was clutching his head, sweat dripping down his cheeks. Even though he had a headache from the lack of sleep under normal circumstances, the continuous echoing high-pitched voices and bata**bata footsteps were mercilessly pounding in his head. "What's taking them so long?" He wondered as he leaned on the kitchen counter. After returning from his early check-in with the new spirit, he found Tohka, Miku, Kaguya, Yuzuru, Origami, and Nia waiting for him in the living room. They had asked him where he had been, but he simply avoided their questions as he got ready to prepare breakfast for them. Unfortunately, he discovered the fridge was nearly empty. He was disappointed that he had forgotten something so important, even though he was just a few steps from a convenience store. But what's done was done. He was about to go out shopping, but Origami told him that both Natsumi and Yoshino had already taken care of it to help him, and they were probably on their way back. However, it had already been half an hour since Origami told him that, and there was still no sign of them. As Shido puzzled over the situation, akin to a homeroom teacher in a rowdy classroom, he heard the house door suddenly open. He recognized the familiar two voices he had been waiting for behind the door. But they weren't the only voices he recognized. "Thanks for the help, it was quite a bother we gave you," said Natsumi's voice, unmistakably hers. "T-Thank you for the help, miss," came Yoshino's voice, equally unmistakable. "Oh, don't worry about it. I love helping people!" It was the voice of the girl he had parted ways with just an hour ago. Shido swiftly walked toward the exit door, accompanied by curious spirits following closely behind him, to confirm his suspicions. He opened the living room door cautiously, and his suspicions were confirmed. His eyes were now locked with those of Shirou, and both entered a motionless state of shock, leaving the girls around them glancing back and forth in confusion. "FUFUFU, see, I told you, Shirou-chan, it was a green flag Fufufuf, that's just perfect~" Ruby was the first one to break the silence, followed by a reply from the rabbit doll in Yoshino's hand, Yoshinon. "OH? So it was Shido you were talking about. No wonder your description of the boy was familiar. Hehehehe." The doll and the wand started to laugh creepily between each other. Shido, despite his initial shock, regained his composure and gave Shirou a wry smile. "Well, it seems we meet again?" Shirou sighed and scratched her head. "Yeah, this is Not even funny..." "How did you even meet in the first place?" "Well..." Shirou exchanged glances with both Yoshino and the loli Natsumi. 45 Min ago: "Did you find the milk, Yoshino?" "Y-Yes, is this the one, Natsumi-san?" Natsumi checked off 'milk' from their shopping list and nodded in approval. "Yeah, that's the one. Good job, Yoshino. Now, let's see... What's next on our list?" Natsumi peered into their shopping cart, mentally checking off the items they had already acquired. "We have the eggs, bread, and milk. What's next on the list? Ah, right, we need some vegetables. Let's go over to the produce section." Yoshino nodded, her shy smile showing her agreement. She followed Natsumi to the vegetable aisle. "Oh, Thank you so much sweety, It was a big help" As they headed towards the checkout, they encountered a friendly elderly woman. And she seemed to thank a little girl who seemed to be cosplaying in a magical girl uniform. "Don't worry, ma'am," the Litlle girl replied kindly. "There's an offer when you buy half a kilogram of potatoes, it comes with free coupons for another half a kilogram. Even though this type of potato is slightly more expensive by 200 yen, when you calculate the price per 100 grams, it's cheaper. You didn't have the full price for 1 kilogram, so that solved your problem and even saved an extra 200 yen. So bad it's a one-time deal and you can't use it again." The elderly lady smiled gratefully. "Oh, no, dear. It was my mistake for not bringing enough money. But thank you for your help." "If you need anything else, please wait for me near the cashier. I'll be back there every 3 to 5 minutes to check if anyone needs assistance," The little magical girl offered kindly, before heading toward another troublesome person to help. Yoshino leaned in towards Natsumi, her voice barely above a whisper, "Do you think she's working here, Natsumi-san? She looks so different from the store's regular employees, And she is so small" Natsumi tilted her head slightly, taking a moment to observe the girl. "Hmm, it's possible. Maybe she's the daughter of someone working here? She seems to be enjoying herself, though." They continued their shopping, meticulously selecting items from their list. Filling their baskets with items for breakfast and the day ahead. As they approached the checkout counter, Natsumi began to calculate the cost of their groceries. Her expression slowly shifted from contentment to concern. She realized that they didn't have enough money to pay for everything they needed. "We might need to put a few things back... We didn't bring enough yen." Yoshino nodded, her voice barely above a whisper, "I think you're right..." "Let's prioritize the essentials, and we can come back for the rest later." They started to put back a few items that weren't necessary for breakfast, making sure to keep the basics like eggs, bread, and milk. "Is something wrong? Do you need help?" A voice asked from behind, and they turned around to face a magical girl who had just approached them. Natsumi glanced at her and then back at the basket, before smiling at her, "Thank you, but we're just trying to stay within our budget. It's nothing you need to worry about." The magical girl nodded, then reached for her cheek, as if in deep thought. "I hope I won't be a bother, but can you tell me the budget you have?" Exchanging glances with Yoshino, Natsumi decided there was no harm in answering, "About 8500 Yen." "Hmm... And the total of what you've bought is 10500 Yen. You're off by 2000 Yen," the magical girl replied after she analyzed their cart of collectibles. "Y-Yes... How did you know?" "Ah, by the way, sorry, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Shirou Emiya. Nice to meet you." "...Natsumi, and this is Yoshino." "N-Nice to meet you." "And I am Yoshinon!! Nice to meet you, miss Magical Girl!" Shirou tilted her head to one side, not sure where the third voice came from, until Yoshino, the shy little girl, raised her hand, revealing a bunny puppet. "T-This is Yoshinon..." "D-Did the puppet just talk?" "Why shouldn't I? Don't be rude on our first meeting." "Ah, yes, sorry about that." "Oh, did you see that, Shirou-chan? It talked!" "C-Crap, be quiet!" The wand in Shirou's hand suddenly started moving and talking, making her jump as she tried to make it stop. "Oh, not fair. Why can't you be a lovely little girl like Yoshino-chan?" Upon hearing the magical wand's words, Yoshino hid her face in embarrassment. "Ohhoo, another one who can see how good my Yoshinon is!" Yoshino said. "She is. You're really lucky to have such a kind girl. She would make a wonderful magical girl!!" Ruby answered. "Stop talking to normal people without my permission!" "Normal people? They're just like you, Shirou-chan, but a little different." "Huh?" While all this banter continued, Natsumi watched from the side, her face confused as hell... Present: "And so, in the end, she helped us. She guided us towards some available coupons and even used some tricks to buy things cheaper. For example, the store usually takes items off the shelf two days before their expiry date. She talked with the cashier and got them to sell it to us at half price and so on. With her help, we were able to buy everything within our budget." Natsumi continued with her explanation, "She also decided to help us carry the bags, even though we said it was fine. She kept insisting to help, as she didn't have anything else to do after the store kicked her out..." Shirou chimed in, her face frowning, "I don't know why they kicked me out, I wouldn't really mind working there...I don't have any money..." "Nah, I think they just didn't want the cops to close their shop if they saw a small girl in a magical girl cosplay working there..." Shido added as he scratched the back of his head. "Shido! Shido! who is she?" "KuKuKu, another servant to work under my service!!" "Mockery. You said 'another,' but you don't have anyone to serve you," Kurumi pointed out. "Huh?" "Why do I feel she doesn't have any panties?" "Oh, boy, another girl? Your skills didn't rust, huh," Kaguya commented. "How cute, darling, can I take her to my house? I promise I'll bring her back tomorrow!" Miku chimed in. "No, Miku, you can't... Man, that became suddenly nostalgic..." Shido sighed deeply, realizing that his life had taken a unique turn once again. " Shido sighed deeply, realizing that his life had taken a unique turn once again.