Chapter 391: The Southern Island Feast
Wearing a black cross-strap bikini and a white maid headband, Artoria held skewers in one hand and fried chicken in the other. With astonishing momentum, she ate as she ran, charging quickly toward where Shirou was located.
However, there was an even swifter figure faster than Artoria. Like a hurricane, she sprinted ahead of her; having heard the news of Shirou, she had immediately used "Personal Summoning," unleashing the maximum speed of the Demon God Okita, and rampaged toward this side!
"Ooooooh! Onii-chan, you've finally come!" Komachi's energetic voice could be heard from afar as she sprinted at full speed.
"Komachi... you child, so you really missed me that much..." Shirou was very touched by his sister's actions. But on second thought, it made sense; this was the profound bond built over more than a decade of living together.
"Onii-chan!" Having rushed over, Komachi had used her Personal Summoning to become the Demon God Okita, and her skin had turned a healthy, tanned shade—quite fitting for this southern setting. At this moment, her face showed an extremely excited and agitated expression. It seemed that due to her all-out sprint, her breathing had become rapid, and she was puffing hot air from her nostrils.
Shirou couldn't help but feel there was something else to it, as if that breathing pattern only appeared when one was being more faithful to their desires, but that was probably just an illusion. Shirou denied this thought internally; although Komachi looked a bit exaggerated, Shirou understood—this was the emotion of a brother and sister reuniting after a long separation, the manifestation of a heart overflowing with feeling.
"Komachi!" Shirou looked toward her with gratification, opening his arms to welcome his sister.
However, when Komachi ran close enough to clearly see Shirou's appearance, she slammed on the brakes, sliding into a pit in the sand and coming to a stop. She looked up at Shirou, who was more than a head taller than her, and shouted in disappointment and resentment: "Why!"
"Why what? Komachi-san, isn't the swing in your attitude a bit too extreme?" Shirou asked, looking at her in surprise. This sister was simply baffling.
Komachi screamed, losing her mind: "Why!"
"Why what! Is this how you talk to your brother?" Shirou said, conflicted as he looked at his incomprehensible sister; all his previous warmth had been for naught.
"What's going on? Where is Onii-chan? Where is the elementary school student Onii-chan? ...Shouldn't it be a tiny Onii-chan, a cute Onii-chan!? This is getting a bit bad; has Onii-chan become Komachi's little brother now?" Komachi grabbed Shirou by the collar and demanded.
"I recovered a long time ago!" Shirou pried her hands off, saying irritably.
"When did you recover? How can this be!!!" Komachi knelt on the ground in disappointment, as if she had lost a fortune. After a moment, she whispered: "Onii-chan, can you turn back into your tiny self for a moment?"
"Impossible!" Shirou waved his hand, refusing without hesitation. A change in his physical form would affect his mentality, and he didn't want to become infantile in front of the people here.
And most importantly... there was Raikou nearby, her eyes wide and glowing with light. How could he possibly do such a dangerous thing?
"...Pfft, pfft..." Hearing Shirou's words, a certain woman whose breathing had become heavy frowned in disappointment. She looked as though she were holding back tears, lamenting why her rebellious child wouldn't listen to his mother.
'Even if you make that face, it won't go as you wish!' Shirou thought to himself, turning his head away.
At this moment, Komachi was still kneeling on the ground, unable to emerge from her disappointment.
"Alright, don't just kneel there; that happened a long time ago," Shirou said helplessly.
"Stingy! Onii-chan, you're just spouting nonsense! It's only been a few days since we were attacked at the fireworks festival and rolled into the forest!" Komachi jumped up, puffing out her cheeks like a steamed bun in a steamer.
"I keep forgetting that time flows differently in each world. So, it really has only been a few days here... I suppose that's true; otherwise, things would have been in chaos back there," Shirou said helplessly. Although it had only been a few days for Komachi and the others, for him, it truly had been a very long time.
If one had to say, it was something that happened when he was fighting against the Bull of Heaven with the Heroic Spirits who had been turned into Pokémon; that was already thousands of years ago in antiquity.
"Hmmph~ So this is Shirou's sister in this world." Illya walked up at this moment, her ruby eyes open wide as she looked Komachi up and down—her critical gaze holding a hint of provocation.
The two girls stared at each other like this, silent for a long time.
"Who is this kid? An elementary student? SO CUTE!!! Let me hug you~!" Komachi's eyes lit up, and she shrieked, grabbing Illya in a hug.
"No, I'm the big sister," Illya protested, struggling and waving her hands while being held.
"Eh? You want to be my 'big sister'! How cute~! It's okay! Onii-chan is super popular, so let me hug you first, and then I'll help put in a good word for you." Hearing Illya's statement, Komachi hugged the girl even harder, rubbing her face back and forth.
Strengthened by the 100% Personal Summoning status of the Demon God Okita, while Illya was also an Alter-Ego class, the size difference was simply too great. One was a loli elementary student, the other a genius gag-artist... no... a full-spec strengthened swordsman. Illya was completely suppressed in terms of strength and couldn't break free.
"Waaaaah! Save me~!" Illya let out a cry.
"So cute~! Your skin is so smooth, let me rub, let me rub," Komachi shouted, going berserk.
Shirou turned his head with a laugh, just as the blonde girl who had run over arrived before him. Her fair skin matched her black swimsuit, and her platinum-blonde hair shone under the southern sun, like the most proud flower blooming in the brilliant light.
"Shirou~! Welcome back," Artoria said.
"Ah, I'm back, Artoria." Shirou replied with a radiant smile; seeing the girl's face always made him feel at peace.
"..." Upon seeing the boy's smile, Artoria's heart rate accelerated, jumping wildly, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say.
'Think! Think! Right! A gift! Give Shirou something delicious, that will do!'
However, when the girl looked down, she only had a single fried chicken wing left; as she had been gnawing on it while running, the skewers in her hand were already gone by the time she arrived. Artoria hesitated for a moment, ultimately making a difficult choice. Gritting her teeth, she tore half of the fried chicken wing off and handed it to Shirou, asking: "Shirou, do you want to eat this?"
"No need, you go ahead and eat it. Everyone was worried about me, so as a thank you, I'll prepare some seaside cuisine for you and everyone else," Shirou said with a chuckle.
"Really! That's a promise!" Artoria smiled, turned her head, and ordered the purple-haired girl: "BB, hurry up and prepare the tools!"
"Received~! BB-chan also wants to eat the love-filled cuisine made by Senpai's own hands. Seafood barbecue sounds pretty good~!" The girl pulled the brim of her hat down and gave a playful salute.
"I know, bring it on~!" Shirou agreed.
"Then, Senpai, Illya, please go change your clothes~! There are hundreds of swimsuits to choose from in the locker room. Let's go, let's go~! Everyone is waiting~!" BB pushed the two of them toward the locker rooms.
When Shirou and Illya changed into their swimsuits and walked out, the companions from the island had all gathered. Aside from the girls who were human, the Heroic Spirits they had previously summoned were also there. Perhaps because they had manifested here, it was even livelier than the fireworks festival.
It was a pity that Mash and Gudako from Chaldea had not come here.
"Yahallo~! Shirou, over here, over here!" Yui, holding a beach volleyball, pulled Yukino along and waved her hands while smiling brightly.
"Oh, everyone, I'm so glad you're all safe," Shirou said with a smile.
"Mm, after leaving that world, we were brought here by BB. It seems Mashiro and Komachi were brought here from the very beginning," Asuna said with a smile.
"Hello..." The fallen angel waved listlessly, holding her swim ring. Having just been dragged into the sea by her companions, and being unable to swim, she decided it was better to lie on the shore drinking soda and playing mobile games.
"You've finally returned, you jerk~!" Jeanne, who had just come over after paying the bill, thumped Shirou in the chest.
"Ah, Jeanne, long time no see. Nice swimsuit," Shirou said, complimenting the silver-haired girl who had a brand-new look.
"Thank you... No! I didn't ask you to evaluate me! I told you not to look around!" Jeanne blushed as she thanked him, but feeling too shy, she reached out her hand to cover the boy's eyes.
"But why are you wearing a katana? Is there some danger here too?" Shirou asked in confusion, locking his gaze on the purple-haired girl who was likely to cause trouble.
"No, it's just a product of her chuunibyou," Artoria said coldly from the side.
"Cold-blooded woman! You jerk! You just made me pay for your meal! Hurry up and pay me back!" Jeanne glared angrily at the blonde girl.
"Eh? The shops here are AI created by BB, right? Why do they need to collect money?" Shirou asked, puzzled.
"Because~! Senpai doesn't allow BB-chan to hack banks in the outside world, and doesn't let me manufacture currency," the purple-haired girl replied. After saying this, she turned her head and muttered, "And I need to prepare for future activities too..."
"Hmm?" Shirou looked at the purple-haired girl suspiciously.
BB-chan quickly changed the subject: "Senpai, all the cooking tools are ready; everyone is waiting for you."
"Oh! I'll be right there!" Shirou answered and walked over.
"Shirou! Make something delicious! And beer, please," a certain iron-fisted teacher requested, waving her hand.
"I would also like some appetizers to go with my drink~!" the horned Oni girl shouted in her Kyoto dialect.
"I know, I know! Take as many ingredients as there are! Bring it all here!" Shirou picked up a small shovel and shouted loudly.
"Yay~! As expected of a man who doesn't know how to refuse!"
The boisterous revelry lasted until the afternoon. When the girls were tired of playing, they returned to their rooms to rest, and the Servants quieted down.
At night, Illya and Shirou sat on chairs outside the wooden lodge at the resort, gazing at the sea. There were not many stars in the sky, and the ocean was pitch black. One could only hear the ceaseless rolling of the waves crashing onto the shore, carried by the sea breeze.
The boy and girl had changed from their swimsuits back into casual shirts and shorts; the girl had also put on a windproof white jacket over her upper body.
"Illya, how do you feel about the people here?" Shirou asked softly.
"Mm, everyone is a wonderful person, although Komachi-chan is a bit too rowdy," Illya replied with a smile.
"I see, Illya... There is something I must explain to you clearly..." Shirou said, his voice lowering.
"Yes?"
"Actually..."
Shirou had reached a point of no return with the White God. In order to allow Illya to possess a physical body that could live on in the human world forever, Shirou had used the power of a god. If the White God were to disappear, Illya would also disappear because of it.
Shirou had known this, but he still hoped Illya could find happiness, even if that happiness were filled with uncertainty and might bring painful disappointment after giving hope.
"I arrogantly decided that if you came to this world, you would definitely be happy. But Alaya reminded me that, in reality, this was a blessing I forced upon you. Just like the blessing the Serpent bestowed upon Mochizuki Chiyome, in people's eyes, it was actually a curse.
The White God lost his humanity and wished selfishly for all of humanity to find happiness; I originally intended to stop him. But now it seems... I am the same. As expected, am I just a clone created by a god?"
Perhaps it was because he was the only one who survived the fire after abandoning those who cried for help; he simply relied on the drive to do something, working hard to train his body
and learn magic. To put it nicely, he was diligent; to put it bluntly, he was just busy living in a muddle.
Although his relationships with those around him weren't too bad, if he hadn't met others who were just as special, he actually wouldn't have made any particularly close friends in elementary school.
Looking back, who were the people he interacted with in his past life? An airheaded big sister, the student council president who was a temple heir, the captain of the archery club who was more of a man than most men, and a self-centered young master.
Outside of school, except for his part-time shop manager and Cat-nee, the only ones he interacted with frequently were the patriarch of the Fujimura gang, the grandfather of Fuji-nee.
When he entered middle school, he only pushed himself to the limit, not caring about others' opinions, wanting to do everything he could to jump higher and run faster.
Although he hoped to see the people around him happy and would not refuse a request for help, he never cared about others' lives, their ways of living, or their evaluations of him. In a sense, this was also a kind of cold-to-the-bone indifference toward others.
After reincarnating into this world, he thought these flaws had been filled and repaired by the warmth of family, but now it appeared they had not. Perhaps something was missing deep in his bones, or perhaps this was an inherent deficiency. He wouldn't understand them, they wouldn't understand him, and he wouldn't explain anything.
Shirou grabbed the railing tightly with both hands, lowered his head toward the girl, and apologized: "I'm sorry, Illya. I didn't consider your feelings and arrogantly made the decision for you, pulling you into this world."
"Hmm..." Illya shook her head, looking toward the sea and speaking softly: "I am very happy, Shirou. When you said to me, 'I want you to come to this world together,' and 'It is because I want to be with you,' those words made me think that the world you are in must be a wonderful place."
"Eh..." Shirou looked at the girl.
"Besides, if I hadn't left with you, Shirou, I would have disappeared in that samurai world and returned to the Throne of Heroes. And hearing your confession, even if I were unwilling at first, I would have accepted it with a smile in the end. After all, it is only natural for a good big sister to try her best to satisfy a younger brother's willful desires. Right~!" Illya asked, putting her hands behind her back and looking up at Shirou.
"Illya..."
"It is precisely because Shirou tried so hard to consider me that I can clearly feel your feelings for me now—they are especially, especially warm. Even in the Einzbern villa, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside~!"
The girl's expression at this moment was like cherry blossoms blooming all at once in the spring; she was like a sprite emitting fluorescent light in the dark night. Everything was unspoken, yet understood.
"If that is how you feel, then that is truly wonderful," Shirou said, a weight lifting from his heart as he smiled.
"But, Shirou. You hid this from me; that fact cannot be ignored. In the future, I will use my own ideas to make you pay me back slowly!" Illya revealed a little devil's smirk.
"Eh?!" Shirou was startled; only then did he remember that when this child Illya wasn't being cute, she could be quite terrifying.
"I'll stay by your side forever. Komachi doesn't want to call me sister? Fine, I'll let that slide. I'm a magnanimous adult. However, the gift for your aunt and uncle must be prepared properly. When we get to that world, take me to the mall first."
"Mm, I will convince my family; I will definitely make them acknowledge that you are my precious family member," Shirou said sincerely, looking at the girl and making his most earnest vow.
"Actually, it doesn't matter if I'm not a big sister, but I wonder if my current body can bear children...?" Illya turned her head away, touched her flat little tummy, looked at her petite physique, and muttered to herself with a pouting mouth, lacking confidence.
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