Day after day passed and the time finally arrived at Saturday, April 10th, 1994.
To Shirou, this was a particularly special day. On this day, his school's sports day was being held. It was also the day the Forest of Einnashe attacked Fuyuki, Wallacia opened the Root, and he...had embarked on the starting point of his long journey into the past.
The sports day proceeded as usual.
As homeroom teacher, Scathach acted as referee for some of the competition events.
Mrs. Fujimaru attended with Sakura to cheer Shirou on. Additionally, Taiga brought some of her Fujimura family, who shouted encouragements from the sidelines.
To be honest...his mother and Sakura were fine, but Taiga and her men didn't quite match the atmosphere!
People around instinctively kept their distance from the suited men, who emitted a Yakuza vibe, so as not to invite trouble.
Soon, it was time for Shirou's event - pole vaulting!
The referee for this event was none other than Scathach.
The whistle sounded with a "beep" and the other participants rushed forward, poles in hand, only to crash onto the mats without clearing the bar.
This was normal too. Pole vaulting was an incredibly risky event for elementary school students to take part in.
As for why his school would organize such a dangerous sport - from other cultural perspectives, the school's decision was likely incompetent and worthy of criticism. But from a Japanese perspective...it was seen as extraordinarily normal. There were, after all, cultural differences at play.
His mother and Sakura cheered him on enthusiastically. On Taiga's side, the constant cries of "Big Brother!" immediately turned the typically tragic Type Moon atmosphere into a comedic schoolyard scene...
It had to be said - Taiga easily accomplished what others could not.
Shirou took the pole and charged forward. With a "whoosh," he leaned the pole gracefully and cleared the bar before landing lightly.
It was a flawless vault that earned applause from the crowd.
"Wow...Big Brother! You're so amazing!" Taiga used her sleeve to wipe her tear-stained face.
Though for this, Shirou really wanted to say - can you tone down the act?
Even after transmigrating to the Nasuverse, he didn't feel like he had entered an anime world. Rather, it seemed like a normal world going on with life as usual. Dramatic anime-esque outbursts were not exactly an everyday occurrence.
But it had to be admitted - some people, like the drama queen Taiga, could easily switch the atmosphere to that of an anime.
As expected, Shirou was named the pole vaulting champion. Of course, he did not feel any excitement or happiness over this. After all, he wasn't really a six year old child.
But looking back at his old life, there was some regret. He remembered making a bet with Rin before the sports day back in his reality. If Wallacia and the Forest of Einnashe hadn't caused disaster, that sports day definitely would have been very interesting. And he wouldn't have become who he was now. Of course, these were just some passing thoughts. He didn't have any real regrets, just a bit of longing.
He also remembered that at this point in reality, he should have been pursued by Arcueid while his school was attacked by the Forest of Einnashe. But in this dream, he didn't have Crimson Moon's fragments possessing him, so Arcueid wasn't pursuing him, and even Enlightened One had long since left according to the dream's settings.
So would the Forest of Einnashe still be lurking here?
The answer was no.
Even after the sports day ended, the Forest of Einnashe did not appear.
April 10th, 1994, Saturday. Forest of Einnashe was absent and Wallacia was dead.
This dream had completely diverged from his reality, heading in an unknown direction -
One that he didn't know!
So what exactly was the key to escaping this dream?
Considering the factors that allowed him to exit the previous dream, there were two possibilities here. One, destroying [All the World's Evil] and the Holy Grail. Two, being woken up by Salter.
So what about now? Forest of Einnashe hadn't come and Wallacia was dead, yet he still hadn't woken from this dream. Could it really be that someone from the outside had to wake him up? And if he did wake up, wouldn't that mean he was screwed since there was only that nasty pervert in his room?
As Shirou agonized over this, days passed in the dream. Soon it was April 15th, 1994 - his seventh birthday.
On this day, the busy Mr. Fujimaru had returned home early. He had bought a large cake and held a birthday celebration at home for Shirou.
Aside from family, some friends from school, Taiga and Scathach had come to join in the festivities.
"Happy birthday, Shirou!"
"Happy birthday!"
"This is my present~!"
The little friends he barely remembered - fleeting faces from childhood - presented their gifts one by one, filled with such innocence.
"Big brother, this is for you," Sakura said with a smile, giving Shirou the present she had carefully prepared.
It was a drawing of Shirou dressed as a doctor in a white coat.
He wondered why Sakura would give him this particular drawing.
Still smiling, she explained, "Because big brother is my hero and my doctor who cured my illness."
He patted Sakura's head, but thought to himself - as expected, her gift was completely different from the one in reality. In reality, Sakura had been favored by the Primordial Goddess and had given him black beads created using the Goddess's authority, not some drawing of a doctor.
Scathach came before him, smiling. "Shirou, you're a clever child. Take a guess - what is your sensei's present?"
"A spear?" He guessed.
She shook her head.
"A training plan?"
She shook her head again.
He threw up his hands. "I don't know."
"It's this!" She pulled out a stack of practice questions and test papers almost a meter high and set it in front of him with a bright smile. "As your sensei, I will of course give you these to study as a birthday present. Work hard now!"
She reached out and playfully pinched his nose.
Shirou was left speechless as he stared again at the over one meter tall stack of practice questions and test papers. He was even more dumbfounded internally - why was the Scathach in this dream world even more sadistic and mischievous, clearly enjoying teasing him compared to reality?
After the little friends had given their congratulations, they pushed him towards the cake with seven lit candles, laughing and chanting, "Shirou, make a wish now!"
"Make a wish!"
Half stumbling, half led along, Shirou stood before the cake.
He gazed at the seven lit flames, thinking - was this another form of making up for the regret from that year?
"Make a wish, Shirou," Scathach said, her wine-red eyes meeting his.
He looked around at the people surrounding him before settling his gaze again on the seven candles.
If he really had to make a wish - he would probably wish for world peace. To bless the relatives and friends around him as well as the strangers he didn't know. Wishing they could all obtain happiness and safety.
Silently making this wish, Shirou blew out the candles. As he watched the flames extinguish in that moment, he thought of Mother Mifune's fortune telling for some reason.
--- A doctor saves others yet can't save himself. Pushing others into the light while staying in darkness - that's a doctor's fate.
Were those words the key clue to escaping this dream?
As he contemplated this, an urgent cry suddenly rang in his ears:
"Eternal King—!"
Who's calling me? He quickly turned his head on instinct. But he only saw a spinning vortex before his consciousness and vision faded into endless darkness.
This time, he clearly saw and remembered.
What had swallowed him up and freed him from this bizarre dream...was an invisible vortex in his soul!
...
"Eternal King--Eternal King--!"
In his half-asleep state, he had no idea how much time had passed. As he drifted in and out of consciousness, sudden cold and shrill cries pierced his ears.
Realizing his vulnerable position and that the dangerous pervert was nearby, he shuddered and jolted awake.
"Finally awake!"
The icy voice rang sharply in his ears. Shirou didn't respond right away. Instead, he quickly checked his body and armor. His armor was still on, his body untouched, and most importantly, Avalon remained active with no signs of damage.
Above all, he felt immense relief that he hadn't been molested. He couldn't help but sigh in relief.
"What are you doing?"
Hearing this, he turned to see Skadi's icy expression. Clearly, she found his feeling up of his own body odd.
But he was also surprised to see Skadi here.
He sighed, "What do you expect? You locked me up here with that nasty pervert. I was worried about my safety."
"Calling me a nasty pervert, isn't that going too far, Assassin?" Locked in icy steel chains, Kiara said resentfully, "I'm such a good woman, yet you call me that. It really hurts my feelings. Sob sob. Lady Skadi, shouldn't you defend me as a fellow woman?"
Skadi coldly stared at her and flatly stated, "Shut up!"
Her eyes flashed, and with a "ding ding ding," the chains binding Kiara slithered over her body like snakes.
The contorted posture was indescribable—it was practically tortoise binding!
Additionally, the icy chains seemed imbued with divine might. They emitted an icy chill, corroding Kiara's body.
It was a punishment fierce enough to kill, chilling to the bone. Yet Kiara was exhilarated. Her lewd body emitted scalding steam while her charming face flushed red, eyes wet, as ecstatic cries escaped her lips.
Skadi looked at her with eyes reserved for insects, full of disgust.
"Please, look at me with even more disgust," she breathed heavily.
Utterly repulsed, Skadi used the chains to gag her mouth and throat, no longer wanting to hear her speak.
Shirou examined the now intensely bound Kiara, finally realizing why his chastity had remained intact. He had been fortunate enough for Skadi to be here when he was asleep.
But why had Skadi come looking for him?
Turning his head, he gazed at her and asked, "So, do you need something from me?"
Skadi placed a notebook in front of him, her expression cold. "Where did you get this book?"
He examined it closely. To his surprise, it was the book he'd picked up from Kiara.
But...how had it ended up with Skadi?
Shirou recalled that since his armor didn't have pockets, he'd tucked the book under his belt. It must have fallen off, along with the fruits.
"Is there a problem?" he asked.
"I'll ask again. Where did you get this book?" she asked, her tone icy.
Shirou wasn't angry. He smiled mildly and asked, "What does this have to do with you?"
"Then let me ask this another way," she said, tapping her finger on the text in the book. "How'd you get your hands on a book written by me?"
...
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