Chapter 17: Illya Wants to Sleep Together Too
Her waist-length silver hair was draped over her back, and the school uniform she wore made her appear even smaller and more adorable.
"It's too boring staying in the castle by myself after Sakura moved back!"
Illya spoke with her hands on her hips, looking rather resentful, before suddenly revealing a sly smile.
"I've already told Mother; I'll be staying at Shirou's house from now on~"
"But there aren't enough guest rooms here, you know?" Shirou said.
"It's fine, I can sleep with Shirou—"
Before Illya could finish her sentence, Sakura's gaze suddenly became dangerous, as if flickering with a red light.
Feeling the atmosphere become increasingly thick with the scent of gunpowder, Shirou spoke up.
"Wouldn't it be fine for Illya to sleep with Sakura? After all, you've been together for ten years, haven't you?"
Hearing this, Sakura and Illya locked eyes. Their sharpening gazes were like lightning clashing in mid-air.
Looking at them, Shirou was truly a bit worried that they might start fighting in bed at night.
If that really happened, he genuinely hoped he could watch the battle.
.
.
.
After the little interlude.
Having finished breakfast, on the way to school, Shirou instructed Saber on things to watch out for.
"Saber, try your best to act like a modern person at school. If you encounter something you don't understand, don't do anything. If you hear a topic you don't recognize, just keep smiling. Understood?"
"Yes, I understand, Shirou."
The girl looked down at her fair legs revealed beneath her skirt, agreeing somewhat stiffly.
She reached out with a hint of regret to press down on her skirt, murmuring.
"This skirt is still a bit short..."
Saber even wondered if Shirou had done this on purpose, but in the end, it was just a guess; besides, Sakura was wearing a similar skirt.
"However, no matter how much she hides it, Saber is so beautiful that she'll easily be hit on, right?" Sakura looked at the current Saber; even she found her stunning.
"Don't worry, that won't be a problem. I will block every single guy who dares to approach," Shirou replied.
"Won't that easily start rumors? Like, that Saber and you are in a relationship, Shirou?" Sakura spoke up, sounding a bit hesitant about it.
"Isn't that even better? It'll make those with ill intentions back off."
Shirou smiled.
Upon seeing a beautiful girl accompanied by an overwhelmingly handsome guy, those students ought to know she's out of their league.
And if anyone tried to use force, Shirou wouldn't even need to lift a finger; Saber could make them miss their healthy lives with just one hand.
It took less than ten minutes to reach the school, as it wasn't far away to begin with—they didn't even need to take a bus.
"Wait..."
Standing at the school gate, Saber suddenly stopped in her tracks and spoke.
"What is it?" Shirou asked.
"I sense a fluctuation of magical energy... it's a Heroic Spirit..."
Saber frowned slightly, observing the surroundings cautiously.
"Over there!"
Saber pointed in one direction.
That way was the Archery Dojo.
"This is Rin's magical aura, isn't it?" Shirou said.
"Could it be that Rin has already..." Sakura understood instantly, her expression showing slight surprise.
"It seems she successfully summoned quite a formidable Servant."
Judging by this magical fluctuation, their strength was definitely not inferior to Saber's.
"Let's go, let's head over and take a look."
Shirou led the two of them into the Archery Dojo.
Since he was already acquainted with Mitsuzuri Ayako, it was easy to walk inside.
"Eh? Orihara-kun? Oh, Sakura is here too. What are you guys doing here today?"
Mitsuzuri Ayako, who had been instructing the club members, quickly trotted over to greet them.
After all, Shirou's archery skills were highly recognized by her—even to the point of a bit of idolization. Moreover, the upcoming competition required Shirou's help, which was why Mitsuzuri Ayako was so enthusiastic.
"Whoa, Orihara, who is that? She's a total beauty! Do you know her?"
After seeing Saber's face behind Shirou, Mitsuzuri Ayako couldn't help but be captivated. She quickly leaned in close to Shirou and whispered in his ear.
That was unmistakably not an Asian face. Mitsuzuri Ayako's English was terrible, and she didn't want to make a fool of herself by trying to be clever, so she asked Shirou privately.
"Well, it's a bit complicated to explain. In short, she's a new transfer student, and you can consider her my friend. Also, to bring her in without causing a commotion, I would be very grateful if you could help convince everyone."
"I see. Of course I can, but as for how you'll thank me, I want to be the one to decide the terms."
Mitsuzuri Ayako winked at Shirou. In response, Shirou merely pursed his lips and smiled.
"Certainly."
"OK! Although I'm curious, I really like that trade-off. Orihara, don't you dare go back on your word later."
Saying this, Mitsuzuri Ayako led the group into the dojo.
At this moment, the Archery Dojo was filled with clamor, much like a battlefield.
"Fujimura-sensei! Misaki-kun says his stomach hurts so much he's going to die! Just what era was that hard bread from!?"
"That's just a normal stomach ache! I ate it too and I'm fine, so just let Misaki-kun drink some water!"
"Taiga-sensei! I want to practice shooting at the straw target, could you please move the heater!"
"Very good, such spirit! Your reward is three laps around the dojo to fix that rotten attitude of yours!"
"Noooo!!!"
"Sensei! There's blood! Kamii-kun's face got cut by the bowstring!"
"Quick! Get him to the nurse's office before the wound heals on its own!"
"It hurts! Why does this bow have such a big recurve? Won't that make it impossible to pull properly!"
"You over there! Don't grab it from the top and force it, that's still new! If you find it difficult, ask for help, you idiots!"
"Sensei! There's no grip powder! My hands, my hands are slipping!"
"Someone go to the storage room and get the back-stock!"
"Sensei, there is no back-stock! I think the reason is that you forgot to file the request a few days ago, Sensei!"
"Ah~ is that so? Then go rob—no, go borrow a little grip powder from the first-year Baseball Club."
"Whoa, this teacher is just being reckless!"
The first-year students were wailing in despair.
"It's certainly lively here," Shirou remarked.
"Haha..." Mitsuzuri Ayako gave a hollow laugh, feeling quite embarrassed as the captain.
"So, Orihara, you should understand now why I need your help."
Mitsuzuri Ayako let out a sigh.
"Yeah, I think I get the gist of it."
With this bunch of underachievers, going to the competition would probably just be a case of the "weak pecking at the weak."