Chapter 178: Shirou and Syr's Date, the "Catch the Cheater" Squad Is Formed!
After it was made clear that the War Game against the Ouranos Familia would proceed and that the battle against the Freya Familia and the School District would be in the form of a Familia War, everyone in Shirou's camp racked their brains, thinking about how they could gain a further advantage.
After all, compared to the Ouranos Familia, which had two Lv.7s, Shirou's camp, apart from Shirou himself, had no one above Lv.7.
While Ais, who was Lv.6, possessed the powerful skill "Avenger" this skill could only be used when facing monsters or her targets of revenge. It was a skill that had to be driven by intense hatred. When facing the Ouranos Familia, Ais would not be able to unleash her full power.
Besides Ais, Loki Familia's Finn, Riveria, and Gareth were all Lv.6, but they were still a certain distance away from a true Lv.7.
The remaining Lv.5s, Bete, Tione, and Tiona, were strong, but they still couldn't intervene in this kind of top-tier confrontation.
However, while Loki Familia's strength was just that, Shirou's camp didn't only have so few people.
First, there were the Kali Familia and Ishtar Familia.
These two major Familia were originally Shirou's partners and were of great use in the operation to rescue Ryuu.
Kali Familia had two Lv.6 adventurers, Argana and Bache, who were quite powerful reinforcements. Ishtar Familia had the trump card, Haruhime, who could forcibly increase an adventurer's level, which could be of great use at a crucial moment.
Secondly, the God of the Forge, Hephaestus, upon hearing that Hestia had been captured by Ouranos, unhesitatingly joined Shirou's Familia and lent all her blacksmiths to Shirou's Familia.
Among them, not only was there the Lv.5 blacksmith Tsubaki Collbrande, but the magic sword blacksmith Welf also resolutely joined Shirou's Familia Alliance, willing to help Shirou in the great war against the Ouranos Familia.
While blacksmiths had limited use in actual combat, if they could forge a sufficient number of magic swords, it would be enough to change the course of the battle.
In addition, Astraea Familia also became an help to Shirou.
Although the current Astraea Familia essentially only consisted of Ryuu, Ryuu had not received an update to her Falna for all these years. So, even though her experience value was growing, she had never gone through a level-up.
When Goddess Astraea returned this time and updated Ryuu's Falna, Ryuu directly leveled up two times in one go, from Lv.4 to Lv.6.
As a result, the number of Lv.6 members on Shirou's side suddenly increased.
Finn, Riveria, Ais, Gareth, Argana, Bache, Ryuu...
A total of seven Lv.6 adventurers, coupled with Haruhime who could forcibly increase a level, gave them some ability to contend with the Ouranos Familia.
Finally, Hestia Familia itself was naturally the center of this Familia War.
Shirou, of course, goes without saying; he was the only one who could confront the divine-powered monster, the Scorpion Antares.
Besides Shirou, Bell was also leveling up at an extremely fast rate.
Relying on his " Liaris Freese" he had already leveled up to Lv.4 before the start of the operation to rescue Ryuu. Thanks to this battle at the execution ground, his experience value had once again increased significantly.
In less than a year, he was already close to reaching Lv.5, almost touching the duel requirement he had set with Bete.
Faced with this fact, Bete was undoubtedly the most annoyed person.
But the problem of the Ouranos Familia was now in front of everyone, so no matter how much anger and unwillingness he felt in his heart, he couldn't express it.
Everything could only be settled after the War Game was over.
.
.
.
The time for the War Game was set for one week later.
It was obvious that Ouranos's side wanted to make some preparations. While it made people feel a little uneasy, Shirou wasn't panicked. He was also making preparations on his side.
First, he unquestionably began to forge Noble Phantasms.
Whether it was for his own use in combat, Noble Phantasms to counter the divine-powered monster Antares, or Noble Phantasms for the members of Loki Familia and other Familia, he had to create a sufficient number of weapons to increase the likelihood of victory for his side.
However, just as Shirou was preparing for the upcoming War Game with his mind fully occupied, an unexpected thing happened.
The girl named Syr from the Hostess of Fertility came to request a private meeting with Shirou.
Shirou was a bit surprised by Syr's request, but he didn't refuse.
After all, Syr had also provided a lot of help in the previous incident of rescuing Ryuu.
Thanks to Syr's maneuvering, the Hostess of Fertility became a key force in rescuing Ryuu. Although Shirou didn't think he needed to involve the Hostess of Fertility, a pub, this time, it was not a problem to repay Syr's kindness.
So Shirou agreed to meet with Syr.
Since it was a private meeting, Shirou naturally didn't bring the Agiris and went to meet Syr alone.
However, what Shirou didn't expect was that the news of his private meeting with Syr was unexpectedly spread, especially reaching the ears of Loki Familia and Astraea Familia. Lefiya, Ais, Ryuu, and even Alise were surprisingly concerned about this matter and secretly followed them.
.
.
.
"Mr. Emiya!"
At the agreed-upon location, Shirou saw a meticulously dressed Syr and showed a surprised expression.
Syr at the moment seemed to have specifically dressed up. She wore a dress that looked specially prepared, with a hemline reaching her knees, from which her long, beautiful legs were very eye-catching. The ribbon tied around her waist instead of a belt highlighted her slender waist.
In addition, she had a cute short-length cardigan on her upper body and wore flat shoes that suited her beautiful legs.
Although she wasn't wearing makeup, she looked far more elegant and beautiful than usual.
Faced with this completely different image of Syr from the usual, Shirou felt a little disoriented and also began to have doubts about the purpose of this meeting.
"Syr-san... right? What is this?"
"How do I look? Do I look pretty after dressing up?"
"V-very pretty..."
Faced with Syr's overly proactive behavior, Shirou could only nod stiffly to avoid awkwardness.
Seeing this, Syr's breathing quickened slightly, and her cheeks were tinged with a faint blush.
She then took out a pocket watch from her small handbag to check the time, and then smiled at Shirou: "Then let's go quickly, Mr. Emiya."
"Go? Go where?"
"On a date, of course."
"???"
Shirou didn't even have time to react before Syr took his arm.
Faced with the girl's gentle attitude, he couldn't bring himself to let go. He could only awkwardly and helplessly enjoy this unexpected date.
.
.
.
"Aaaaah!!! What is that guy doing!"
In the shadows, Lefiya was tightly gripping Ais's wrist, watching Syr holding Shirou's arm, her eyes almost turning red with frustration.
"Ow, ow, ow, it hurts, Lefiya..."
While Ais was also concerned about Syr and Shirou's actions, what she felt more was the pain from Lefiya, who seemed to be about to break her arm.
She really hadn't expected the magician to be able to unleash such exaggerated strength.
"Let's follow them quickly, Ais-senpai!" Lefiya was now determined to get rid of Syr, that vixen. "Putting our own issues aside for a moment, we can't let Shirou be snatched away by some random person!!"
"..."
Ais fell silent at Lefiya's attitude of wanting to cooperate with her.
She was silent for a few seconds before nodding. She clearly also had complex feelings for Shirou and at least didn't want to be beaten to it by an unknown girl.
At the same time, on the other side of where Lefiya and Ais were.
Ryuu, holding the Agiris, was hiding in the shadows and said helplessly: "I never thought Syr would... How could this be? How could Syr be so proactive!"
"Don't think about it, Ryuu. This is already a declaration of war!" Alise's soul emerged from the sword, "Follow them quickly, and don't get lost!"
"..."
"Do you want to give Emiya to that girl named Syr? Even if you agree to something like that, I won't! The only person in this world I'm willing to share Emiya with is you alone!"
"No, no, no... What do you mean by me alone..."
Ryuu's face turned completely red, and her heart was greatly shaken.
Seeing her hesitant look, Alise advised her helplessly: "If that girl named Syr and Emiya's relationship changes without you noticing, won't you regret it?"
Hearing Alise's words, Ryuu fell into silence for a moment.
She finally silently raised a hand and placed it on her chest, barely nodding to show her agreement.
Then, Ryuu put the Agiris back on her waist and proactively followed in Shirou and Syr's footsteps.
.
.
.
"What are these guys doing?"
On the streets of Orario.
Although Shirou was ostensibly immersed in the date with Syr, he was actually always aware of the few people following him from behind.
And he also knew that the ones following him were Lefiya, Ais, Ryuu, and even Alise.
He just didn't have the opportunity to say anything because Syr beside him was so enthusiastic.
In a sense, Shirou was also wary of Syr. If it was a date with just the two of them, who knows what would happen. Making the situation a bit chaotic would actually make it safer.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Emiya. I must be causing you a lot of trouble with this."
Syr suddenly spoke on the way as they walked together.
"..."
Shirou didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Because in fact, he was indeed quite troubled and didn't know how to handle it.
"I'm sorry, but I wanted to have one last date with you, no matter what... So, Mr. Emiya, thank you for accepting my invitation."
As Syr spoke, she leaned closer, as if to convey her true feelings, and a beautiful smile appeared on her face.
Faced with the girl's clear emotions, Shirou's heart inexplicably quickened for a moment.
But he calmly restrained himself and asked the other party: "You said 'one last time'? What do you mean? Are you leaving Orario?"
"Something like that," Syr said evasively. She looked at the distance with a complex gaze. "I have a premonition that after today, I might not be able to meet you again, Mr. Emiya. So at least for this last time, I want to tell you all my feelings."
Shirou didn't know how to respond to Syr's words for a moment.
He really lacked experience in this area and was not good at interacting with peers of the opposite sex who had a crush on him.
Lefiya before had already given him a lot of trouble.
But Syr had already completely entered the mood. She took Shirou and wandered all over Orario, as if she were truly enjoying the process of this date with all her heart.
The two of them went shopping, boating, and eating together...
While they were all simple things, from the outside, they truly looked like two close lovers.
And all of this development was undoubtedly a complete eyesore in the eyes of the following Lefiya and the others.
If Lefiya hadn't been stopped by Ais and Alise by Ryuu, someone would have probably rushed out to stop the progress of this date.
.
.
.
Inside a shop.
"Mr. Emiya, 'ah~~'"
"Huh?"
"Ah~~ Let me feed you."
Syr suddenly offered a piece of bread that she had just eaten to Shirou.
Under her smiling expression, a faint atmosphere of wanting to tease him radiated.
Shirou didn't know what to say to Syr's attitude for a moment, but he ultimately didn't refuse. He accepted the food Syr offered and took a bite directly.
As a result, his action made Syr herself blush, and she didn't know how to react.
-
-
-
"Aaaaah! You vixen!!!"
Lefiya in the shadows was so angry that she was almost biting her collar!
She stared at everything in front of her with puffed cheeks, wishing she could directly cast a fire magic to completely separate Syr and Shirou.
But Ais, on the other hand, was very silent. The more she witnessed everything in front of her, the more she felt a sense of incongruity.
"Shirou seems to have noticed something."
Ais spoke slowly in a strange tone.
"Noticed what? What are you talking about, Ais-senpai?"
"I... I don't know either..."
Ais shook her head. She seemed to have only intuitively sensed the change in Shirou's attitude.
In fact, Shirou's attitude had indeed changed. From the initial confusion, later on, he seemed to have completely immersed himself in the date.
But it was clear that Shirou couldn't truly be immersed in the dating process.
His performance was clearly an indication that he had noticed some fact and had no choice but to throw himself into this date.
Alise had the same thought as Ais.
She also noticed the change in Shirou's attitude midway through. As a result, she no longer looked confused and instead regarded the date with a serious gaze.
The date between Shirou and Syr lasted from morning to evening.
Although Shirou was confused and bewildered at the beginning, he gradually became completely immersed in the process of this date.
And in the evening, the two of them almost coincidentally came to an empty area with no one around.
"It's been a very satisfying day, Mr. Emiya."
"It's my pleasure if it satisfies you."
"Hehe, Mr. Emiya's words suddenly sound like a host club worker."
Syr laughed and patted Shirou's shoulder, her voice suddenly becoming very gentle, yet revealing a hint of loneliness. "You've already figured out my true identity, haven't you?"
"Something like that."
Shirou responded calmly to Syr's quite confusing words.
"When did you figure it out?" Syr continued to question Shirou, "I don't think I exposed myself anywhere."
"Should I call it a feeling, or an intuition?" Shirou turned and looked at Syr seriously. "There were a few moments when the look in your eyes and your expression were almost identical to Freya's."
"Just that?"
"Just that." Shirou silently responded to Syr's questioning and spoke decisively, "Why? Why are you acting as Syr? Or is it that Syr is you, Goddess Freya?"
"If I say I've been Freya from the very beginning, would you believe me?"
"Of course, I would."
Shirou nodded, not showing any hesitation.
Syr fell into a long silence upon hearing his words. She finally smiled bitterly and said, "Why? Why did it have to be you? If you weren't you from the very beginning, or if I wasn't me, how wonderful everything would have been."
"People can't decide their own identity. They can only perform as best as they can within their given roles," Shirou understood Syr's words and responded to her. "Rather than lamenting the fact that we are enemies, you might as well make a choice here. Maybe there is still a turning point."
"No, there is no turning point and no choice. It's impossible for me to change my faction," Syr shook her head. "As long as I am me, it is a destined fact that I will be your enemy."
"Why?"
Shirou still didn't understand the reason why Freya, or Syr, had to stand with the Ouranos Familia.
So he had to seize this opportunity to ask everything.
Syr spoke quietly in response: "Emiya, you know that the one who controls Genkai now is the Heavenly God Ouranos, right?"
"Of course."
"Ouranos is the controller of Mount Olympus in Heaven, the origin of direct gods like Hestia, Zeus, and Hera. However, Heaven doesn't only have one divine system. Besides Mount Olympus, which Ouranos represents, there is also the Asgard divine system commanded by the Great God Odin."
Syr quietly revealed a deeper truth about Heaven. "And, as you thought, I am not a god of the Mount Olympus divine system. I am the Goddess of Beauty of the Asgard divine system and a subordinate of the Great God Odin. At the same time, when the gods first came down to Genkai a thousand years ago, the god I followed was Odin."
"You're a god of the Odin divine system?" Shirou showed a look of surprise at Syr's revelation. "Wait, but Odin is no longer in Genkai, and you've joined the Ouranos Familia. Could it be?"
"That's right. The one who returned Odin from Genkai to Heaven was me," Syr showed a cruel smile. "I agreed to Ouranos's plan and teamed up with him to completely erase the Great God Odin, whom I originally followed, from Genkai. From that day on, I was destined to be inseparable from the Heavenly God Ouranos and to become his subordinate."
"..."
Shirou hadn't expected the connection between Freya and Ouranos to be so deep.
Their collaboration directly led to the disappearance of a Great God and the fall of a divine system in Genkai.
This shocking fact even surprised Shirou.
And what followed was his confusion. He couldn't understand Freya's reason for doing all this.
The other party was clearly a direct subordinate of the Great God Odin. Why would she conspire with a god from another divine system to harm the main god of her own system? What exactly was the reason?
Faced with Shirou's suspicion, Syr no longer had any restrictions and spoke calmly: "The reason is very simple: because I wanted freedom, an unrestricted freedom.
Odin had always been wary of my power. He considered me a dangerous existence, so he always kept me trapped. To gain a free and unrestricted life, I chose to kill him, to make him completely disappear from Genkai."
"..."
"Even now, I can still recall the look of disbelief in that old god's eyes before he died.
But what was there for him to disbelieve? Did he forget everything he had done to me all this time, the fact that he had confined me in a tall tower where I couldn't be in contact with others, only allowing a very small number of people to see me?
I just wanted to live a life without constraints and to find true love, and that's why I chose to betray him. Nothing more."
Syr revealed the truth she had hidden deep in her heart and also a past buried in the long history of Orario that no one knew about.
Read ahead and Finish the Fanfiction by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting