Part 330: Tohsaka Sensei's lecture on magic (drastic measure edition)

3… 2…

No matter what we end up doing, nothing would go right unless I take a look at what kind of a body you have."
And she gives me a ridiculous reply.

Music: Time Together

1…



_"…Whaaat?"
I continue in a small voice because she's more surprised than I am.


"What? Is that such a shock, Sakura?"


"I-It is…! You want Senpai to be naked!? What are you thinking, Tohsaka-Senpai…!?"



Yes, I think everybody realizes that part.

You're in danger, but Shirou's also in a lot of danger. You should know too that we have to get a lot of things done now."


"…That's true… but…"

He doesn't actually need to be naked. That's just Rin's payment for services rendered.




Hey there! Don't just stand there and take off your top! I'm going to put on a warding sign, so I can't do it if you keep your shirt on!"
Tohsaka glares at me.

"Ugh……"



But Sakura's stare is painful.
It's uneasily asking me if I'm going to go along with Tohsaka.

That's not asking. It's threatening.


"Hurry up. We won't make it before tonight's patrol unless we give your body some time to familiarize itself with it."
"Umm……"

This is no time to be embarrassed about something like this.
I don't want to take my clothes off, but taking off my top is like getting changed, so it shouldn't be a big deal.

"…Man. All right, Tohsaka. So, what do I do now?"
"Come here. I'll transplant a small part of my Magic Crest onto you."
"…! Over there!? You mean like this!?"


"Of course. I have to touch your body with my left hand, comprehend it, and share my warding crest with you. It'll tickle and hurt, but bear with me."
Tohsaka wiggles her fingers.

"Ugh"
…I can't run away after coming this far.
I give up and go near Tohsaka.



…Um, Sakura's stare is more painful now.

She's thinking about how many more of those now visible parts need to be removed before this kind of thing is unnecessary.



In your state, it's too dangerous to be able to turn your Magic Circuit on and off so easily."



"OOkay, I got it."
I manage to reply with a high-pitched voice.
It's natural that I'm acting strange and can't breathe.
I'm naked, and Tohsaka is near me.
It'd be more strange not to be nervous!


"Hey. You don't seem to be calm. Are you listening to me?"
"I'm listening. I'm listening to you."


"……? All right, then.


So this operation is to suppress magical energy.
Your body is unstable right now, and we don't know when Archer's arm might flow magical energy into your body. I'm going to put needles into your left shoulder, belly button, and your throat, so that your left arm won't be connected to you unless you really want it to be."

"This is also a countermeasure against the shadow.
That thing sucks up magical energy just by being there. The sign I'm going to carve into you will also have resistance to magical energy, so you should be less burdened when facing that thing."



Then, Tohsaka places her hand on my chest.

"Whoa!"
I barely stop myself from jumping back.


"Oh, was it hot? Can you bear it? I'm going to transplant the Magic Crest from my arm, so I can't lower the temperature."
"NoI don't care about it being hot or cold."


Tohsaka's hand is soft, and her touch sends a shudder through my heart.
Every time her slender fingers run across my chest, my temperature rises by a degree.



"……All right. I think I have a grasp of your chest. Next is your belly button, but this is going to hurt. I'm going to put my finger in, so try not to move. Don't worry, it won't injure you, and I won't move it around much."



My stomach.
Having Tohsaka's hand on my stomach is bad enough, but something rigid tears through my skin and into my body!

It's just like having Archer back!

"Haah-hold on, that's, ba"



"I-I said it's going to hurt. Don't make noises like that, it's distracting. It makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong!"





"………"
I would really love to run away right now.
I would love to, but doing so would seem like I'm conscious of Tohsaka and I won't be able to excuse myself.


"Come on. I'm going to do the same thing to your shoulder, so suck it up. Grit your teeth and don't make any weird noises."
"OOkay. I'll try my best."



It's embarrassing, so I look away from Tohsaka.

It's not just my face that's blushing. I think my entire body's turning red.
I'm blushing even though I know this is only for magic, so I bet Tohsaka's having a hard time too.
…Man.
How can I ever face Tohsaka again after committing such a disgrace…?


"All right, that's it. I'm going to put away the equipment, so you go cool yourself off."
Tohsaka grabs something that looks like a first-aid kit and goes to the corner of the dojo, where her bag is.

""
My face is still red, but I'm finally able to calm down and take a deep breathe.
…Then.



Sakura twiddles her fingers, looking like she wants to say something.

"…Sakura? W-What's wrong?"


"………Um, well…"
She takes a look at me.
Then she takes a breath, as if preparing herself…



…And she asks me a ridiculous question.



""
My face, which had finally calmed down, passes its boiling point and turns red again.



Just recalling what happened that night is so stimulating that it makes me forget about our current situation.
So for Sakura to ask me fro confirmation like this, when I'm already off-balance from Tohsaka, is like getting hit twice as hard



""
No.
This isn't the time to be speechless.




"R-Right!? Then it's strange for you to lose your composure against Nee-san!"

…she doesn't really get men, does she?



…I finally realize why her stare was so painful earlier. It's because she was sulking.

"I-I'm sorry. But Sakura, this had nothing to do with Tohsaka, and, um, it couldn't be helped."


"I-I know, but please bear with it! You're m-m-my lover!"



"Ugh. I… know that, but…"
I couldn't fight against it.
I'm a guy, and I've admired Tohsaka since I got into this school, so I couldn't help it.

"…I'm sorry. I'll try to bear it next time. I'll do my best not to lose my composure."



"…Really? I'll get mad if this happens again next time."

…but she's mad this time.

She stares straight at me.
Repentant from the bottom of my heart, I tell her I'll do my best.