Chapter 247: The Girls Revisit Shinjuku
All of Shinjuku was a surging sea of people. In the inner shopping district, fashionable and beautiful young women were promoting popular cosmetics to tourists, demonstrating how to use essential tools of "Oriental makeup artistry." Clerks in blue traditional Japanese coats held megaphones, shouting their sales pitches at the top of their lungs.
By now, Komachi—acting as the vanguard—had already pulled Mashiro quite a distance away. If they dawdled, they might actually get separated, so they had to catch up and regroup.
Hearing Komachi's words, Jeanne hesitated. She looked up at Shirou, then at Artoria.
"Let's catch up then, Jeanne. Why don't you hold onto my clothes or sleeve?" Shirou noticed the girl's gaze and reached out with a smile.
"No! Holding hands isn't that big a deal... probably." With a slightly flushed face, Jeanne reached out a hand, gripped the youth's palm, and then immediately let go as if struck by lightning.
With a slap, she batted his hand away and shouted, "Who wants to hold hands with you here, Shirou! I won't get lost! And I won't get separated, either! Cold-blooded King! Let's go! Shirou, you better hurry up and follow!"
The silver-haired girl directly grabbed Artoria's clothes and dragged the blonde girl—who was clutching a bag and munching on various snacks—to chase after Komachi!
Shirou followed behind with an unbothered, light laugh.
The group first took a loop around the area. Although they were revisiting old haunts, more than ten years had passed since the Shinjuku in the girls' memories, and being in a different world meant many things had changed.
Everything felt familiar, yet there were many unrecognizable spots. Artoria even led everyone to try and find the base beneath the burger shop. However, the building where that burger shop used to be had long since been demolished.
"Ah, many places around here still look like the familiar old days," Jeanne said, surveying the surroundings.
"It is an old district, after all. But the building with the burger shop was quite aged, so it was torn down and rebuilt," Shirou said with a dry laugh.
"..." Artoria remained silent, a hint of fury smoldering in her eyes.
"Artoria, didn't you just eat a lot of snacks?" Shirou asked.
"Shirou! Burgers and fried chicken go into a completely different stomach! To actually demolish the burger shop... the administrators here truly lack education," Artoria said, her fists clenched in deep sorrow.
"What kind of stomach is that?! Exactly how much do you love junk food?!" Jeanne pointed at Artoria, retorting with a sharp remark.
"High energy and high calories are the path of kings!" Artoria stated as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Hmph! Then say it yourself, Cold-blooded Woman! Do you think Shirou's cooking is better, or is the food made by others better?!" Jeanne countered, refusing to back down.
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"What? Is a girl shouting in the street?" "Is it a 'Shuraba' (love triangle mess)?"
"Did he cheat? Did he get caught cheating?"
Passersby noticed the two girls arguing with a boy caught in the middle. They couldn't help but peek in, their gossip-loving hearts curious.
Those who got a clear look at the girls' faces were stunned: "So beautiful!! Are those two stars or models? What's the deal with that guy?"
"Encountering just one of them would be a blessing from the heavens, and he's still not satisfied? Looks like he's been exposed now..."
"Serves him right! Let's see how that scumbag handles this, hehehe." The men nearby wore malicious, gloating smiles.
"Confirmed! Of course it's Shirou! I love it so much that I couldn't survive a single day without it! But 'Assault Woman'! You ate those snacks too!" Artoria made her declaration.
"Ugh..." Jeanne gritted her teeth. Thinking of the roasted sparrows, crepes, mochi balls, and matcha pastries they had eaten along the way, even she was left speechless.
But if she agreed, she'd be led by the nose. 'Isn't that betraying Shirou, who works so hard every day and night to think of ways to make delicious food for me?!'
Just then, the silver-haired girl saw the youth's gentle smile.
"Ah! No, what I like best is obviously Shirou's cooking. Argh! Forget it!" The silver-haired girl hurriedly explained to the youth, finally grabbing her head in frustration. "Shirou! What do you think?!"
Artoria also turned her gaze toward him, waiting for his decision.
"Here it comes! The end of the Shuraba!"
"No matter what choice you make—a wood axe or a kitchen knife—the result will be your dismemberment. Serves you right, 'normie'!" The onlookers hidden nearby clutched their fists in excitement.
Shirou, stared down by both girls, was stunned for a second before realization hit! They wanted him to decide: go to a burger shop, or go buy clothes!
"It's true that I can make these snacks," the youth considered seriously, resting his chin in his hand.
"However, from a cost-performance perspective, making these at home requires buying all sorts of specialized tools."
Steamed buns need high-quality steamers; Takoyaki needs specialized grooved pans; BBQ needs racks for charcoal or flame; smoked meats need a smoker; Teppanyaki needs an electric griddle.
Though Shirou was frugal, he didn't skimp on food—he already had a griddle, microwave, and oven. But to make street snacks from all over the world was still far beyond his current setup.
"So, if the cook's skill is decent, many snacks are better bought at the shop," Shirou analyzed with a smile.
"Of course, for me, since I can use Projection, I can create any tool. If there's something you really want to eat, I can make it for you."
"I see. As expected of Shirou." Jeanne nodded, then glanced at Artoria provocatively. "Hear that, Cold-blooded Woman!"
"But the feeling of eating out is different from eating at home! Occasionally, you want food like that!! Right, Shirou?" Artoria looked at him.
Shirou smiled warmly.
"Haha, that's a cute request. Sure, today I'll buy you whatever you want to eat. But Artoria, can you bear with it for a moment? There should be a burger and fried chicken shop just outside!"
"Hmph... fine, I shall endure for a bit." The blonde girl looked at him, dazed for a moment, then turned her head away and answered coolly.
"Jeanne, thank you for worrying about me. But as long as everyone has fun today, I'm happy. The path to the burger shop is on the way to the clothing store Komachi usually visits," Shirou said, smiling at the silver-haired girl.
"Hmph, do whatever you want! I was just pitying you. Since you don't care, I have nothing more to say," Jeanne said awkwardly, pouting.
"Is that so? Alright, let's go."
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'Wait? What?! The Shuraba ended just like that?' The onlookers were baffled. 'Could it be that the guy's cheating was just forgiven? Or did he tame those two beautiful girls?' The men behind them clasped their hands together as if worshipping a master. Some prayed for family harmony; others prayed to stop being single soon.
Fortunately, burger and fried chicken shops are everywhere. Shirou took the girls to queue and bought ten burgers, which finally improved Artoria's mood.
Afterward, they came to a plaza where an event was being held. It was an exhibition of high-ranking samurai antiques, ranging from famous blades from centuries ago to modern crafts.
Shirou walked up to a display of a full set of purple samurai armor. It was mounted on a rack in a standing posture, complete with shoulder plates, scales, and a Karasu-Tengu mask under the helmet. Even as an empty shell, it looked intimidating.
The similarities to his dream state made Shirou reminisce. In the final battle against Souji Alter, he and Senji Muramasa had possessed a man and displayed incredible power.
At that last moment, "Senji Muramasa" had forged a masterwork of armor—not with iron, but with spirit and heart.
'Muramasa, communicating through the Mystic Eyes, seemed to utilize the curse and flames of the Demonic Sword to create something out of nothing—a miraculous forge.'
He had skipped all forging steps, using equivalent energy to create equipment. It wasn't Projection; it felt like true creation. Those items wouldn't disappear when the magical energy stopped; they would last until they eroded or weathered away.
But because that world existed between dreams and reality, and he had "died" there, he had no way to verify it.
"Hehe, I can answer that question for you." Suddenly, a holographic image popped up. Da Vinci, from Chaldea, appeared to strike up a conversation.
"Da Vinci, don't scare me like that. And is it really okay for you to just pop out?" Shirou complained, looking around at the crowds. No one seemed to notice anything unusual.
"It's fine, it's fine~!" Da Vinci laughed.
"Just talk to me using telepathy in your mind. This is an upgraded hologram; ordinary people without magical energy can't see or hear me."
"That's good. I actually wanted to ask you," Shirou said. "Through Possession Summoning, I've learned a lot from other Heroic Spirits. But this time, I feel like even Heroic Spirits have the possibility of growing stronger. Is that possible?"
Da Vinci replied, "No. Once a person is enshrined as a hero, they are no longer free. Heroic Spirits in the Throne are constant, conceptual existences. A Servant is just a summoned copy. No matter how much a Servant experiences, once they die, all that remains in the Throne is a cold record.
In theory, a Servant is like a projection. They cannot provide feedback to the Heroic Spirit because the Spirit was fixed the moment they entered the Throne.
Every time they are summoned, they are based on that original blueprint. They are conceptual existences outside the timeline; emotions and regrets have no meaning. Only a Servant remembers the wish in their heart and responds to the Grail.
If the Counter Force's influence is weakened, some memories might be retained, but each projection builds a new Saint Graph and body, so they are essentially different individuals."
"Yeah, I know that," Shirou nodded. He had studied this at the Clock Tower.
"Of course! For a genius like me, if I find a way to keep the Saint Graph from dispersing and preserve the memories, then even if I change bodies, I'm still 'me'! At least, the 'me' who inherits my current will. I think Shirou in any world is like that—unique yet holding similar convictions," Da Vinci said with a lonely, light laugh.
"Da Vinci?"
Da Vinci returned to her usual smile. "Ah, it's nothing. Artists are just sentimental. Shirou, your idea is both right and wrong; it depends on your choice. A Heroic Spirit has finished their life; their thoughts and character are fixed.
But if there is a Servant who has experienced thousands of battles... if they keep fighting, perhaps one day a qualitative change will truly occur.
If a Servant gains a physical body, it's like a second life. Starting over, learning and experiencing new things... then they will grow. Perhaps one day they can truly become a 'self' that surpasses the version in the Throne of Heroes."
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