Chapter 209: Shirou Falls Off the Cliff
"What was that 'college girl' you just mentioned? It sounds quite indecent. Is that a new way for brothels? You know a lot, little girl," the man with the bushy beard said with a leering laugh.
"Don't ask me! Shut up! You sexual harassing old man!" Iroha Isshiki shouted furiously, brandishing her fists as if she was about to rush forward and fight him. Although she was in a female body, it was clearly well-trained, very agile and strong—definitely not an ordinary character. Unfortunately, the user had no form or style.
"Isshiki, calm down. First, tell me how you got here," Shirou said, restraining the girl by the shoulder, preventing her from rushing forward to her death. He continued,
"No, Shirou-senpai? This is just a dream, right? Ahhh! Why have I been having such bizarre and inexplicable dreams lately! Do I have to be lectured by Senpai even in a dream?" Iroha Isshiki lowered her head in self-pity.
"Hmm? Then try to remember if you've encountered anything strange recently?" Shirou frowned. Was this not the first time the girl in front of him had entered this place?
"I don't know! I can't figure it out at all! I've been having these strange dreams lately. It started out like I was filming a historical drama, which was quite fun. But today, I was suddenly being chased for debt! I clearly haven't spent a single penny! I haven't even eaten many mochi dango, or delicious snacks, or sweets! Honestly! I'm fed up with this!" Iroha Isshiki exclaimed.
"Hey! Don't play dumb! You used the money you borrowed to make clothes! You said that whether as a warrior or a maiden, the most important thing is the clothing. That's why we lent you the money!" the man with the bushy beard yelled.
"Shirou-senpai, since you showed up in my dream, act like a Prince Charming and scare them off for me!" Iroha Isshiki grabbed the lapel of Shirou's samurai robe and shouted.
"Hold on, Isshiki. I think it's better to talk things through clearly," Shirou felt that he and the girl were in the wrong here, even if the one who borrowed the money was likely Musashi herself.
"Wait! Are you two going to argue amongst yourselves?" the samurai said impatiently.
"Don't rush. Just let me clarify the situation first," Shirou said.
Even though the other party was aggressive, they were surprisingly open to negotiation, so Shirou decided to observe the situation.
Samurai were categorized into upper, middle, and lower ranks.
At the top were the supreme military leaders like the Shogun, who established the Shogunate's power, and the feudal lords, daimyō, and castle lords who governed various territories. The middle rank consisted of the retainers who served these military officials. The lowest rank included samurai from fallen families who had lost their lords and had to leave their homes to find work, thus becoming rōnin (masterless samurai).
Based on Shirou's experience, the samurai in front of him were likely of the lower sort, existing somewhere between gangsters and hired thugs. A samurai (bushi) meant a military scholar, representing the "Shi" (士) in the Japanese social structure. They were officially supported by the government and were allowed to not engage in farming or sericulture, instead serving military leaders, castle lords, or daimyō.
Of course, this class was not entirely fixed. If one gained the favor of the ruling power or achieved military merit, even a peasant could become a samurai.
One of the Three Great Unifiers of Japan, the ambitious Toyotomi Hideyoshi—the "Monkey" who unified Japan and then sought to invade Korea—had a father who was merely an ashigaru (foot soldier) managing five people under Oda Nobunaga's father. Because he was malnourished from childhood, he had a sharp, monkey-like face, which earned him the nickname "Monkey."
He rose from the status of a farmer in Owari to become a feudal lord, eventually becoming the most powerful warlord who held the real power of the island nation. His ambition even included invading Korea and defeating the Celestial Empire (China) and annexing India. Even the "Racoon Dog" Tokugawa Ieyasu, who established the strongest Shogunate in Japanese history, was suppressed by him until his death.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi perfectly exemplified the saying, "How can kings, nobles, and generals be born into their positions?" that even a commoner could become a hero.
Any samurai with a specialty, whether it be in swordsmanship, spear fighting, horsemanship, or archery, could become an instructor for the children of officials. Those with profound knowledge, extensive learning, and mastery of military strategy could be revered as military advisors.
Naturally, this class, which used military power as its sole criterion, would also produce some ruffians due to its hereditary nature. If they lost their stipend, they could only find work as mercenaries in battles.
Impoverished rōnin without money or food, and defeated samurai who fell on hard times, were sometimes worse off than farmers and might engage in trades like being thugs or bodyguards.
Even in modern times, there are still people who earn a living by selling violence, only they have moved from the open to the gray areas.
Following the age-old tradition that those who owe a large sum of money are the true "masters," Shirou figured the girl must have owed quite a lot to attract the pursuit of five or six samurai from a higher social class.
The current situation might actually be better for negotiation, as the other party couldn't afford to accept such a loss. They could agree on the interest on the debt, grant an extension, and pay the money back in installments.
While modern times have methods like selling kidneys and internal organs, in a society ruled by law—at least in his previous life—Shirou's next-door neighbor's grandfather, though not a particularly good man, would never engage in the kind of bullying, oppression, or harm to the innocent that thieves do. He was more courageous and responsible than the Self-Defense Forces, offering manpower and resources during natural disasters and calamities.
This situation was somewhat similar to the Yakuza: their means of profit mostly operate in the gray area, such as opening debt collection companies. On one hand, they lend money to the wealthy who don't have enough cash at underground casinos, and on the other hand, they pressure high-interest debtors to sell their assets quickly to repay the money.
They also run idol companies, make movies, operate nightclubs, sell alcohol through hosts and hostesses, sell certain drugs, collect some protection fees, and even engage in peripheral, gray-income activities like distributing pink service cards in small hotels and inns.
While members of different groups occasionally have disputes over interests, leading to incidents involving melee weapons and gunshots, they usually avoid interacting with ordinary people who live a decent life and have no involvement with them. Of course, if you borrowed high-interest money or were tricked into signing a contract to shoot several films a year, that's a different story.
'In ancient times, perhaps there was no choice but to accept it. Of course, the person who managed to borrow so much money out of thin air is also quite remarkable.'
The boy looked at his kouhai, who was now strange with her pink hair in a bun, thinking. From her appearance, it should be the Servant Musashi, but inside was his kouhai, Iroha Isshiki, as if in a state of Pseudo-Summoning.
Yet, occasionally, another spirit would speak, and the two seemed to have no shared memories.
Shirou also noticed the abnormality of his current body. It felt as if his Spirit Origin had been Possessed onto a body whose original owner was very similar to, yet not exactly the same as, himself.
If that was the case, it would make sense.
Red hair the color of wrought iron burning at high temperatures, emitting an aura of blazing fire. A robust and seasoned man living in the Sengoku period, with an appearance very similar to Emiya Shirou, who also possessed a heart for justice, was skilled in forging, and fought with weapons he crafted himself.
Shirou did know of such a person—a certain possibility of himself in another world with whom he shared a significant destiny.
He and Iroha Isshiki were experiencing a reverse Possession in a dream, landing in the body of a Servant in a peculiar world, or perhaps sharing the same dream within a unique Heroic Spirit's body.
If this was a dream world, it seemed different from the one he encountered in France. It was hard to sense any mana. If a world was created by the black mud Servant using the Holy Grail or other means, the air often contained an amount of mana close to the Age of Gods. But this place felt much closer to the world Shirou currently lived in.
"Hey! Have you finished talking? Don't try to play dumb! We won't let you leave today without an explanation," the man with the bushy beard urged.
"This is really troublesome," Shirou's eyes quickly scanned the samurai around him.
Precisely because he couldn't sense much mana in this world, and he had swapped bodies and lost contact with the Holy Grail, he couldn't even use Reinforcement Magic now. Under the premise of protecting the girl, he wasn't facing petty thugs, but highly trained, professional warriors who had seen battle.
Samurai who learned strategy, military arts, and were skilled in archery and horsemanship from childhood could be worth at least five common soldiers on the battlefield. A close-quarters battle against five or six such individuals would be quite challenging.
Shirou observed the surroundings. When he pulled the girl up to this hill earlier, he had already confirmed that this was a dead end, culminating in a steep cliff. The location was naturally a highland. If they fell from here, they wouldn't reach the bottom even after a three-hundred-meter descent. Looking down revealed a deep green forest, and he thought he could faintly hear the growling of hungry wolves and wild beasts.
If they fell, their bodies would quickly be returned to nature, picked clean. Except for the hardest skull, even the contents of their intestines would likely be consumed by insects.
It seemed the escape route was also blocked...
"Isshiki," Shirou said, pulling the girl back and positioning himself in front of her.
"What, Senpai?" Iroha Isshiki asked in confusion.
"You have a sword at your waist, right? Do you think you can hold off one of them?" Shirou asked. If the girl could help restrain one—no, if she could just protect herself—then he could risk a fight with the sharp weapon in his hand.
"No way! No way! Not even in a dream! What do you take me for, Senpai? A samurai girl? Those fierce old men will kill me!" Iroha Isshiki refused, repeatedly waving her hands.
The Musashi older sister who occasionally spoke up in Shirou's mind was completely silent at this crucial moment.
At this point, the bald man leading the group, who had the most experience, stroked his beard and smiled as he advised the boy: "Give up, young man. Although I can tell you're well-trained and quite skilled, it's impossible to win against all of us. We only want to recover our money. As long as we can get it."
"That's right! Little girl! Hurry up and come to the pleasure quarter with your old man! Or find a way to pay back the money fast!" the man with the bushy beard laughed loudly.
"I'm afraid neither she nor I can produce that much money right now. But no matter what, I can't let you take my kouhai with you," Shirou said, staring directly at the men, his right hand simultaneously resting on the hilt of his sword. Since his intention had already been seen through, winning would be even more difficult.
Shirou wiped a cold sweat and began to simulate the combat scenarios in his mind.
'First, rely on the sharpness of the treasured sword. In the instant of the quick draw, cut the swords of the samurai on the left and right. Then, before the opponents can react, perform a slash to cut off two more. Then, use the blunt side of the sword to knock one unconscious, and finally hold the leader hostage with the blade.'
'The entire process must be seamless. Everything must be gambled on the sharpness of this treasured sword. If the blade breaks or gets stuck mid-action, I could die...'
"That's a good glare! Courageous yet righteous! Young man, perhaps you'll achieve great things in the future. But paying your debts is only right and proper," the merchant said, drawing his tachi (long sword).
"Slicing down a man like you won't tarnish the reputation of my sword!" the samurai next to him also drew his sword and said.
"Little girl, are you going to watch this fine young man die for you?" the bald leader asked.
Iroha Isshiki, under their gaze, stomped her foot. "Ahh! Enough! Enough! I'm so angry! Shirou-senpai, too! It's just a dream! Do you have to be so moving? I'll be so embarrassed if I find out in reality that I was being overly sentimental!"
"If you won't leave, then I'll just jump off and be done with it!"
Iroha Isshiki glared at the samurai, then immediately bolted toward the edge of the cliff. But she was clearly terrified and stopped just short of the edge. However, she accidentally tripped over a protruding rock on the ground, sending her entire body flying outwards.
"Waaahhh!!!"
"Wait! Musashi-chan?!" the bald, bearded leader shouted.
"No way! She really fell!" the samurai exclaimed in shock.
In a flash, just as the girl flew out, a figure rushed forward and grabbed her by one wrist.
"Honestly, I told you to calm down. Even if you're arguing, pay attention to your surroundings."
"Sorry... Senpai. Wuwu, this dream is just too real!" Iroha Isshiki looked traumatized, tears welling up in her eyes.
Shirou arrived just in time. Before the girl plummeted over the cliff, he quickly crouched down and held her wrist, managing to stop her from falling further. He slowly pulled his kouhai back, allowing her to use the cliff face for leverage to climb up.
Iroha Isshiki placed her feet on a protruding rock and grabbed the cliff face with her other hand, finally stabilizing herself.
"Thank you, Shirou-senpai, ah..." Just then, Iroha Isshiki felt her body tilting backward. The rock she was holding suddenly gave way. A large section of the ground at the cliff's edge cracked and began to fall outward.
Even the spot where Shirou was standing broke off, tilting and collapsing.
"Waaahhh! I'm really going to fall this time!" Iroha Isshiki cried in tears.
"Isshiki! Grit your teeth!" Shirou felt the rock about to drop, so he leaped up, grabbed Iroha Isshiki by the waist, and used all his strength to throw her up onto the section of the cliff that hadn't broken off.
But now, he himself had no leverage point and was left to fall downward with gravity. He gave a wry smile. "What a terrible dream. Can I project a Noble Phantasm?"
"Shirou-senpai!!" Iroha Isshiki, who was thrown onto the cliff, lay sprawled on the ground. She reached out, leaning over the edge, shouting mournfully, "After all this, I finally had a dream with Senpai, and it ends so terribly!"
"Now is not the time for that!" the samurai yelled.
"What a waste of a good young man, dying for a foolish woman!" several samurai cried out in regret.
"Hahaha! Although she's foolish, isn't she beautiful? Did you get to make out? If you slept with her, it wasn't a loss!" the man with the bushy beard laughed oddly.
"It really won't work, huh! Ahhh!" Shirou tried to project his Flying Shoes Noble Phantasm, but it repeatedly failed to activate. He could only continue to fall. The cold wind whistling past his face brought a chill that penetrated his skin, making his bones ache slightly from the cold.
Shirou opened his eyes, startled awake on his bed in his room. "What a bizarre dream! I got screwed over the cliff by my teammate before I even got to fight. This is truly..."
Shirou shook his head helplessly. He checked his phone. It wasn't even six o'clock yet. So, he lay back down and went back to sleep.
Entering the dream state, the boy found himself still in the air. It seemed the previous dream was continuing. He floated in the air like a kite, without gravity, drifting higher and farther away from the cliff.
Then, a gust of wind swept him further away toward a small town.
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting