Part 223: Rin's proposal (lethal dose) / Mind and body

Music: Tender Scenery



I'm going to fight…"


"You're going to fight him, right?
…Oh, so you realized it too, huh? Gilgamesh's natural enemy is Archer's magic."

"Huh?"
I open my mouth in surprise.




"Huh? …You said you're going to fight him when you haven't realized that?"

"UhI didn't have any proof, but I thought that I might have the best luck against him."



What makes Gilgamesh so strong is the number of Noble Phantasms he has. But to put it another way, one can match him if one has the same number of Noble Phantasms."

"The same number of Noble Phantasms…"
It means I need to reproduce all the Noble Phantasms he takes out.


"…That's right. He was calling you guys fakers. That's probably because he saw you two as a threat. Heroic spirit Emiya would be a complete match for him."
""
That's true, but…

"…But that's impossible. I can barely manage to project one of Archer's swords.
I can't keep up with his Noble Phantasms, and I don't have enough magical energy to do so."



But you remember what Archer's Noble Phantasm was, right?
You can match Gilgamesh if you can use that magicthat Reality Marble."

Tohsaka stares at me.
But I can't live up to her expectation.

"That's impossible. The Reality Marble is the ultimate forbidden magic. I don't know how to use it, and Archer used magical energy several times my capacity to create that world. That's totally impossible."



But you should know how to use it because all your magic is rooted in that.
'Strengthening' and 'projection' both stem from your Reality Marble. I'm sure it'll be a piece of cake once you have the necessary magical energy."


""
She's talking about impossible things.
I have no way to do it, so this is more impossible than for me to go to the moon.

"……Okay. Let's say that's the case. But it's still impossible. I don't have the magical energy to set up the boundary field or maintain it.
He must have trained his Magic Circuit for a long time, but I don't have the magical energy"



So, um… See, Gilgamesh said it too, right? Magi take it from somewhere else if they can't supply it themselves."



She murmurs.

"…? He did say something like that, but what about it?"


"Geez! …So, um, I have to do something about the insufficient part."



"W"
I know.
I'm a magus, even if I may be an amateur.
I know what Tohsaka just said.

"TTohsaka, that's…"


"…There are only a few ways for magi to tune in, right? We're of the opposite sex and we don't have time, so it's the most efficient way since it's like a contract…"

Music: Stop



………



My memory of the past few days gets blown away once I think about what Tohsaka said.



It's Tohsaka we're talking about.
She's a female student I admired, recently got close to, realized her honor student appearance is fake, got attracted to her even more anyway, and my heart won't stop beating rapidly when I'm near her… So why did it turn out like this?


"…What? We're just going to be having sex. I think it's much easier than fighting with your life on the line."

Music: Gentle Everyday

Y-YOU IDIOOOOOOOT!!!!
PUTTING MY LIFE ON THE LINE IS MUCH, MUCH EASIER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"H-HOLD ONNNNNNN!!
That's strange. That's weird. You skipped too much. H-Heh, you won't trick me this time. You already made too much fun of me. I won't be fooled so easily!"

Tohsaka is staring at me.
Her gesture is more convincing than any words.





"Ah, guh"
My boiling head is heated up even more.
Tohsaka's gesture is so unfair that it deserves dozens of yellow cards in soccer.

"Guhhold on, hold on, hold on, hold on……!



Why does it have to be that!? It's sex we're talking about! We're making love, we're making babies, and we're going to be embracing each other naked!? You can't do that with me!"

I blurt out with a broken head.

Just what we all wanted. A sex scene starring 9-year-olds.



My hands are sweating and my vision blurs.
But still…
Even though that's what I'm saying, my body is going against my will.

Music: Stop

I've been trying so hard not to notice, but I can't get my eyes off of Tohsaka.

Like her soft-looking breasts.
Like her long, smooth, black hair.
Like her shoulders that look slender and soft.
Like her gorgeous thighs coming out from under her skirt.
I'm fascinated by all of her feminine parts



"Ahuhh."
…I know.
We should do this if it'll help us match Gilgamesh and keep Saber out of danger.
We're magi, so we shouldn't have to think twice about doing this to win.
But





But still…


"……You don't want to do it with me, Shirou?"
Wait, why are you asking such an impossible thing, you idiot…!?



As I speak, I realize my own stupidity.
Tohsaka has to be embarrassed as well.
But she suppressed it to bring up the idea.
That's enough to kill me, so why am I making her say such a thing?

""
I take a deep breath.



I have to be calm.
If this is the last thing we can do, I have to prepare myself.

"I'm sorry. Let us do so if you'll let me.
I shouldn't have panicked if that's the only way that'll let us beat him."
I stare back at Tohsaka, mustering all the courage I have.



"…I'm the one who should apologize. I didn't think you would dislike it so much.
…I should have explained to you in detail."


Tohsaka looks down awkwardly.
With that…



I correct her even though I'm cornered.



"I'm saying you're wrong. I like you and it's not that I don't want to. I can't breathe because I'm so happy. This is like a dream come true."



""
"Butthat's exactly why I didn't want this to be for something like a contract."

My face is burning.
My face is burning hot, but I manage to say it.



"Yeah. I wanted to do it with you with nothing else in the way. So I thought this was unfair."



I said it with a boiling head.
I can't think straight, but I'm telling the girl in front of me how I feel.

""
…Her stare is hurting me.
"…………"
It gets awkward, so I look away from Tohsaka and scratch my cheek.
Then.

"Wha"
Something suddenly touches my lips.



"……!!!? T-T-Tohsaka…!?"
I quickly pull back.
I must have acted funny, because the one who kissed me…



…Speaks with a smile that rattles my brain

Music: Embrace 2



There's really nothing of substance past here

Music: The End of Reminiscence

"…I can't believe it.
Don't you remember anything about being gentle, you beast!?"

Hey.
Tohsaka still scolds me.
And it's not in her usual arrogant way. She's yelling at me in a way that makes me realize I've done a bad thing.

"Um, Tohsaka."
"…You stupid Shirou. I told you it hurts. …I'm never going to have sex with you again."
"Uhum."

What can I say back to that?
I think I'll only piss her off more if I apologize, but I think it does no good to say nothing.

"Tohsaka, um…"
I can't look away from her tears and I try to find something to talk about.



"Oh."
She yells at me.
I don't know if I've succeeded, but Tohsaka is yelling at me as usual.

"I see. Then our Magic Circuits are connected, right?"
"…It's a one-way path from me to Shirou, but yeah.
It will take a bit before the effect takes place, but you should be able to receive my magical energy supply as a reserve tank."

Tohsaka glares at me as she explains.
Tohsaka created our connection even when I was going wild over her.



""
I close my right hand in front of Tohsaka.
I don't really feel it yet.
But I believe our contract is there, since Tohsaka said so.

"Thanks, Tohsaka. And I'm sorry. I couldn't hold myself back and made you cry."

"……! Humph! I won't forgive you even if you apologize.
You made me cry twice, so I'm going to get you back someday!"
Tohsaka glares at me.

…I don't know if she's angry or just sulking.
Tohsaka's voice is surprisingly kind.



"…Don't be stupid. Guys have a lot of business as well."
I do, but I didn't say so in front of Tohsaka.
I bet she would have gotten me back right on the spot if I said so.

"……Besides…"
No matter what Tohsaka may need to do, it's true that we don't have much time.
The date has changed already.
I bet we should be heading out to the Ryudou Temple within an hour.





I close my eyes and feel the magical energy pouring into me.

Tohsaka isn't consciously supplying me with magical energy yet, but it's already enough to fill me up.
If Emiya Shirou's magical energy capacity is 20 or 30, she always has 500 magical energy.
…I'm sure it would take years to fill up her whole capacity, but I bet her maximum capacity could reach a thousand.

"…I'm amazed. She really is amazing."
It makes me realize her greatness again.
Well, she's exhausted right now and most magi only keep about 80 percent of their magical energy, so Tohsaka has about 400 magical energy right now.

But that is still a huge amount.
I use about two magical energy to use one strengthening magic,
and about five magical energy to use one projection magic.
Using that example, I can use my projection magic dozens of times now when I could only do it six times before.

"……Well, a cheap vehicle will overheat even if there is enough gasoline."
But this has greatly increased my power.
I might even be able to beat that king of heroes with this.
All that's left is