Chapter 214: The So-called Magnet for Women
The moon was very full that night, and the sky was clear, without many clouds. One could clearly see the markings on the pale yellow celestial body, like a golden toad and a rabbit. The sun and moon have accompanied humanity through long ages.
If the people of the East mostly view the moon as a holy, beautiful, and mysterious celestial palace, and also use it to express longing for family back home;
The West, however, often views the moon as a symbol of fidelity and love.
In Great Britain, Romeo swore by the moonlight to Juliet on the balcony in Shakespeare's play. In Charlotte Brontë's novel, the moon drives Jane and Rochester's love, bringing her the light on the path to happiness.
Yet in France and Italy, in the legends of Charlemagne's Twelve Peers, the moon sometimes plays the role of stripping away sanity, symbolizing confusion and madness.
And at this moment, a private house in Chiba Prefecture was bathed in the moonlight from the sky. What kind of story would tonight witness? The protagonists within are a boy from the East, a girl from Britain, and a girl from France.
The full moon hung high; it was a moon of temptation, a moon blessed by the God of Love, and also a moon radiating magical charm.
In the bathroom, hot steam rose from the bathtub, and outside the bathroom, the rustling sound of changing clothes could be heard.
The silver-haired girl first took off her jacket. Inside, she wore a sleeveless black zippered dress, exposing her skin, which had become exceptionally smooth and white due to the Alter transformation. Her hands pulled up the hem of the long sleeve, ready to take it off. This instantly revealed her delicate little belly button at her waist, her long and firm lower abdomen, and the slightly protruding rib marks visible from the bottom up...
If she lifted it further, one would surely see the high-rising soft, fragrant white jade and the two crimson peaks hidden by the mist...
At this moment, the girl's movements stopped. 'Something's wrong! Very wrong! How could that stubborn tyrant possibly not retaliate? Plus, the cold-blooded woman disappeared from the start. Could it be!' Jeanne's eyes widened.
She faced two options:
She was overthinking it, and she should wait for Shirou to return with the change of clothes. She was too worried, and she should go up and check.
Although seemingly a choice made in an instant, this was the critical option that would determine the course of the girl's entire life.
.
.
.
At the same time upstairs, Shirou returned to his room, preparing to find some suitable pajamas for Jeanne. When he pulled open the wooden door of the wardrobe, he was stunned.
He saw the blonde girl wearing a semi-transparent black sheer nightgown, sitting cross-legged and barefoot on the pile of clothes on the shelf inside. Her cold, proud, pale golden eyes looked at the boy, exuding an infinitely alluring and seductive charm.
"Shirou..." Artoria reached out a hand cupping the boy's face. Her other hand pressed against the boy's chest and gently pushed.
The boy, whose mind was in shock from the sudden situation and was slightly stunned, was pushed down onto the wooden floor, his face bright red.
Artoria's face was slightly flushed. Although she had decided to do this, it was surprisingly difficult, and her body temperature was uncontrollably rising.
The breath she exhaled was hot and heavier than usual, but this state actually gave her a greater sense of allure. She had experienced being in the same room with Guinevere, who was then unaware of the truth, during her lifetime. Since it was hard to speak of, and the other party seemed very enthusiastic and proactive, she had witnessed the techniques noble girls used to serve their husbands back then.
Click. The door was locked from the inside.
"Shirou..." After doing all this, Artoria turned around, her pretty face flushed crimson. She gazed into the boy's eyes, lunged at him, and straddled his body, saying.
"Wait... wait... Artoria..." Shirou was pushed straight back and fell onto the floor.
Shirou's mind was a complete mess. He didn't know where to put his hands, and in his panic, he even touched the girl's smooth thigh—it was soft, cool, and very comfortable—while the gaze cast down upon him was intensely hot.
In his previous life, the first time he saw this girl was in the magic practice warehouse. Moonlight shone in from the doorway, and the blonde girl, wearing a blue battle suit and silver armor, was majestic and awe-inspiring.
The girl he saw in this life was in her Alter state, a holy and cold queen, but now she had become a seductive temptress, causing his whole body to heat up and his consciousness to be overwhelmed by desire.
Artoria took in the boy's actions, revealing a passionate smile that could melt an iceberg. She said gently, "Yes, your body in this world hasn't had experience yet, right? It's alright, just leave everything to me."
She said this, but Artoria in her Alter state only had experience that was like a dream within a dream.
The girl now was a clone of the Heroic Spirit on the Throne of Heroes, a Servant that went from a concept to possessing a spiritual body. Once summoned, she was an independent entity.
The body she created after obtaining the Holy Grail subconsciously leaned towards her Alter state. No, even compared to other Alters, since the process of becoming a Servant was different, she was distinct—she was the most perfect state she could ideally be in right now.
Both her mind and body were in her most perfect, most complete, brand-new state, without scars or flaws, like an eternally youthful goddess-like sixteen-year-old girl.
Yes, regardless of other classes, or Artoria of the same class and state, they were now merely others with a close relationship. Perhaps there were other Artorias who experienced things with another world's Shirou in other worlds, establishing intimate relationships that she didn't know about.
But just as her will was different from that of other Artorias, the Shirou in this world was also unique. She didn't care about the black mud Servants rambling about the 'true' Emiya Shirou.
For her, Shirou's past life, Shirou's future possibilities, and Shirou's parallel world counterparts were all beings with a connection, but the Shirou right now was her everything.
She never intended to share her boyfriend with them. If they dared to compete, she would have to use her sword to decide the winner!
Yes... this man before her was exclusively hers! And she, reborn, would also be exclusively the boy's.
Thump thump thump, urgent footsteps came from outside.
Sizzle sizzle sizzle!!!
The door lock emitted a cry of distress as it was melted by high heat, letting off a pungent burnt smell. Then, the door was forcefully pushed open.
A silver shadow lunged directly forward.
"Who said you could succeed with your evil desire!!!"
"Ugh!" Artoria was caught off guard and immediately pinned to the floor.
Jeanne, wearing only a black tank top, utterly disregarded everything and sprawled on top of Artoria, pinning down her hands.
"You surprise-attacker! You were supposed to be taking a bath! Why did you suddenly run up here!" Artoria grit her teeth, trying hard to push Jeanne's hands away.
"You bastard! You're too despicable! You intended this from the moment you went upstairs, didn't you! How could you do something like this!" But Jeanne, leveraging her superior position, summoned her armor Spiritron Dress, pressing all her weight down.
"Hmph, I was just being intimate with Shirou, doing what we wanted to do here. Can you stop barging in and disturbing us? The atmosphere was perfect, Shirou was getting heated up, and I was about to succeed..." Artoria shouted, glaring unhappily at the girl pressing down on her. She also donned her black spiked armor, forcefully flexing her arm, preparing to push Jeanne flying.
"You said it! You just said 'succeed'!" Jeanne screamed frantically, tightly gripping and pressing Artoria's arms down again!
"Get off me! You barbaric surprise-attacker! Someone as useless as you would probably agonize over a piece of chocolate for half a day, so you couldn't possibly make Shirou happy. So get out now! If you do that, I might allow you to stay in this house long-term." Artoria said arrogantly, trying to pry Jeanne's hands open.
"Even if I can't do it, I won't let you succeed! I absolutely won't let go!! Cold-blooded King, just stay lying on the floor for the rest of your life!" Jeanne said fiercely.
A girl in love will take a step even if it takes all her strength; even if it takes ten or a hundred times longer than others, she will absolutely achieve her goal eventually.
However... before that, no matter how undignified she looked, she would squat at the door to block the way, baring her fangs, screeching, and driving away all rivals trying to compete. She would never retreat half a step.
The two girls strained their strength, using not only their hands and hips but also their feet to push against the floor with all their might, making the floorboards creak.
They were completely unaware of the effect their violent shaking and friction were having on the person beneath them.
Whether pressing down or arching up, that monstrous strength acted upon the person underneath. What was the experience like for the boy at the very bottom?
"Wait! Stop fighting! I can't breathe... Please... get up." Shirou, pressed at the very bottom, called out weakly with a muffled voice.
Only then did the girls remember the boy beneath them. They quickly stood up and reverted to their usual attire.
"Ah, Shirou! Don't die!"
"Are you alright, Shirou?"
Jeanne and Artoria knelt on the floor, looking at the boy with concern.
"I'm fine... but I almost thought I was going to die..." Shirou clutched his chest, sat up from the floor, and gasped for breath. Although it was okay at first, as the girls' weight was very light, it didn't cause a burden.
But the next moment, when the girls put on their armor and pressed down with all their strength, he was met with hard, unyielding armor. That feeling was truly unpleasant.
He sincerely thanked himself for consistently working out; otherwise, he might have had a few ribs broken just now.
The Alter state girls, though usually easy to get along with, were extremely stubborn and volatile, easily becoming reckless when angry.
"Please, can everyone just get along? After all, my family is here, so fighting is forbidden. I need you to promise me this," Shirou laid down the law for the two girls.
"Hmph, since you put it that way, Shirou, I understand... after all, this is Shirou's parents' house," Jeanne agreed, although she looked very unhappy as she turned her head away.
"Since we agreed to your request, Shirou, shouldn't you listen to my idea?" Artoria said, folding her arms and looking at the boy.
"Yes, that's fine, as long as I can do it." Shirou nodded. He had received a lot of help from the girls, so if they had any requests, he would do his best to fulfill them.
"Then I'm staying here to sleep tonight," Artoria stated.
"Eh?!" Shirou was stunned, completely unprepared for this request.
"Why?! No, I know! Of course! Although Artoria is interested in being a maid now, she is still a King, so she would definitely want a single room! I'll give you my room then."
"No, if you leave, Shirou, then it defeats the purpose," Artoria said, slightly blushing and tugging at the boy's sleeve. Having gone this far, she couldn't give up halfway.
"Then I'm sleeping here too! I absolutely can't let this despicable King have a chance to be alone with Shirou," Jeanne protested, glaring at Artoria and raising her hand.
"Eh eh?!" Shirou cried out in surprise. He wanted to ask what she was doing here—although she had helped a lot—and if she had come here too, despite having her own room.
"You heard that! Get out! Surprise-attacker!" Artoria said.
"Cold-blooded woman, if you don't leave, I'm staying here too!" Jeanne refused to yield an inch. She was already over a day late, and there was absolutely no way she was leaving! Although sleeping together... seemed a bit sudden, but! Losing to that despicable King made her feel even more unwilling to concede.
She wouldn't retreat an inch!
The competitive spirit and urge to compare completely ignited the anger in the girls' hearts.
"What's it going to be! Shirou! You decide what we should do!" The two girls pressed the boy, looking ready for a duel.
'Woah... Onii-chan looks really miserable. This is a battle royale, but both Rias-nee and Jeanne-nee are super proactive. I hope they can capture Onii-chan, hehehe, go Onii-chan!' The two heads peeking through the broken doorway withdrew.
"Let's get out of here, Mashiro-nee," Komachi said, pulling the airheaded girl who was carrying a small mountain of six or seven melon buns on a plate.
"Hmm... battle royale? I think I know how to draw it now," Mashiro said thoughtfully, allowing Komachi to lead her back to their room. After meeting with her editor, she had been told to try a romance manga, but lacking experience, while things like panties could be drawn by looking in a mirror, a battle royale was a bit too difficult for her.
Unexpectedly, there was a lot of interesting material around her.
It was definitely the right choice to come to Japan.
Shirou was truly a good person. Not only did he make delicious food for her, like Baumkuchen and melon buns, but now he was even providing her with practical learning resources for drawing manga.
Feeling a sudden rush of inspiration, Mashiro decided that before falling asleep tonight, she would eat the melon buns as a late-night snack and draw manga to her heart's content.
However, at this very moment, Shirou in the room was facing a massive crisis.
The two girls continued to stare at him unrelentingly.
'If I don't answer properly? It seems the only dangerous outcomes are either being burned or being thrown away by gales and beams of light. Even if I'm fine, the house will be ruined. Is the house insured? The loan isn't paid off yet...
Why is it that my life seems to have become more dangerous after I came home recently? Either falling off a cliff, or being stabbed by a knife, and now I have to endure this treatment. Indeed, lust is a knife hovering over one's head... If I refuse, I really feel like I'll die...
What should I do now?
Of course, I have to agree!'
"I understand! Then everyone stay here," Shirou agreed, giving in.
"Fine then! It's just sleeping in one bed!" Jeanne, to conceal her flushed face, directly lunged onto the bed, intending to jump onto it. Although she might become completely stiff from over-excitement once lying on it, she just needed to lie down! Just lie down!
Artoria frowned and said to the silver-haired girl, "Wait, do you intend to stay in Shirou's room, dirty and covered in dirt from climbing through the woods? Get out and wash yourself before coming back! Better yet, just don't come back at all!"
"Ugh... You wait!"
Jeanne hesitated upon hearing Artoria's words.
She looked at herself, confirming she was a little messy. She had been in a sealed container for the past two days, then scrambling through the woods, accidentally running into a cave, and almost fighting a bear. It wouldn't be surprising to have some fallen wild animal fur on her.
'Do I smell bad?' Jeanne glanced at her clothes.
Finally, having made some determination, she summoned her combat Spiritron Dress again. Her entire body erupted in flames, enveloping her and burning away all the filth and impurities.
"Hmph! Is this acceptable!" After doing all this, Jeanne asked Artoria with a challenging look.
"To set yourself on fire just to stay here, how shameless can you be!" Artoria finally understood the extent of the other party's resolve. She truly had the same troublesome and reckless energy as always.
Since she was already more than a day later than the cold-blooded woman, Jeanne would stay no matter what, whether under the pretext of surveillance or any other reason, until she had made up for the time spent apart from Shirou.
At this moment, the boy opened the closet, took out a rolled-up futon mattress from inside, and spread it on the floor, straightening and smoothing it out.
"Shirou, what are you doing?" Jeanne asked, confused.
"Hmm? I'm sleeping on the floor," Shirou replied as a matter of course.
"Shirou, if you sleep on the floor, it defeats the purpose. But I can sleep on the floor with you," Artoria said, looking at the boy.
"No, I mean Artoria, you and Jeanne should sleep in the bed. I, as the guy, will sleep on the floor," Shirou explained. 'Otherwise, why don't you go back to your own rooms? Also, Artoria-san, you keep saying "defeats the purpose"—what exactly is the purpose here?'
"Shirou! Get into bed! I don't want to sleep with the Cold-Blooded King!" Jeanne walked up and grabbed the boy's arm.
"Hmph, what a coincidence, I feel the same way," Artoria said.
"Hehe, then why don't you leave?"
"Hmph, shouldn't it be you, the one who barged in uninvited, who leaves?"
A major battle seemed about to break out again.
"Well... how about we all go sleep outside? I'll sleep on the couch, and you two, Jeanne and Artoria, go back to your own rooms," Shirou suggested carefully.
"Shirou, lights out." Artoria had already sat on one side of the bed and commanded.
"Eh eh? Is that already decided?" Shirou asked, surprised.
Under the duress of two pairs of glaring eyes, and knowing that these were the most willful Alter girls, he felt that the outcome would be terrible if he didn't agree.
And so, the boy lay down on the large bed with the two girls. The three of them lay there; if they were careful to press their shoulders together, they wouldn't even touch each other.
'First, I have to thank my parents for buying a spacious double bed. Now, even with three people lying down, it's not too crowded. Maybe I can finally get a good night's sleep.'
No way! How could he sleep!
It seemed that because they could relax in this world, and the surroundings were very safe, both girls were sleeping deeply. Being so close, he could clearly hear the girls' breathing. In the dark room, the only light source came from the moonlight shining through the window.
In the faint light, he could see the girls' forms revealed beneath the blankets, outlining curves that sparked imagination. What's more, they had absolutely no defenses against him. Jeanne, on his left, had even kicked the blanket off to one side, exposing half her body.
Shirou pulled the blanket back over the silver-haired girl, then quietly walked toward the door. Since the door had been completely burned away, he was spared the process of turning the knob. With a gentle push, the door opened. He'd fix it tomorrow morning.
"Shirou!" At that moment, a sound came from the girl's mouth.
"Eh! Hmm?" Shirou asked softly, turning his head back in confusion.
"Tomorrow, come shopping with me for pajamas... airy pajamas... I definitely... suit them better..."
Shirou looked closely and saw that the girl said nothing more after that sentence. It seemed Jeanne was talking in her sleep... relieved, he quietly left the room.
Shirou went downstairs, and by the moonlight shining in, he reached the living room sofa, preparing to spend the night there.
The girls came into this world for him, helped him defeat the black mud Servants, and used the Holy Grail solely to obtain physical bodies. They were all exceptionally charming women, and it was impossible for him not to like them.
He had indeed been moved and knew he had to respond to their feelings properly, but now was not the time.
Two black mud Servants were still hidden behind the scenes, the crisis in this world hadn't been resolved, the solution for the Chaldea world hadn't been found, and Alaya hadn't told him what he was supposed to do, which he knew wouldn't be simple.
But this time, he would overcome everything and ensure everyone's happiness, including his own.
The boy swore to the high-hanging moon outside the window at that moment.
Hmm... but before all that, maybe he should take a cold shower...
That night, Shirou slept on the sofa, while Jeanne and Artoria in the upstairs room kept moving closer to the middle of the bed in their sleep, fighting over the central pillow even while dreaming.
They ended up clutching one side of the pillow each, one above the other, muttering in their sleep: "Shirou... don't run..."
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