Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 877 - : The Gathering of the Four Guardians

What wind blew Shinji here? Of course, it was the gentle breeze called little sister.

"I came to keep Sakura company. I went to England for a few months recently, and she wasn't happy about it. To prevent any rift between us, I need to make up for it."

"Oh my, oh my, such a close sibling relationship, how enviable."

Ayako Mitsuzuri laughed heartily and turned her gaze toward the archery range.

"Sakura is doing well; it might not be long before I have to step down as captain."

"You never know. I heard you joined the archery club because it was the one sport you weren't good at, so you came to learn. Yet soon after joining, you began to excel, quickly rising through the ranks to become one of the club's top archers. Everything Sakura is doing now, you've done before."

"Are you praising me or your sister?"

"Both, I suppose," Shinji admitted frankly. The best way to talk to someone like Ayako was straightforward.

"But if you keep missing practice like today, that might not be the case."

Ayako flipped her hair confidently.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but unlike you, I've never been late, left early, or missed a practice. Today was an exception because I had to negotiate something about club funds."

"Club funds? With the student council?"

In Japan, the student council holds significant authority, even able to influence school decisions to some extent, with managing club funds being just one of their responsibilities.

"Exactly. That despicable student council president is trying to cut our archery club's budget; it's outrageous."

Ayako complained, clearly dissatisfied.

"I've decided to use every means at my disposal to completely bombard the president and stop his schemes."

"And the result?"

Shinji asked with a knowing smile as if he already guessed the outcome.

"Not good."

Ayako's answer was unsurprising. Words like "everything," "complete," and "schemes" only revealed her lack of confidence.

"That guy is surprisingly stubborn, not even listening to Fujimura-sensei. They're probably still arguing about it."

Speak of the devil. Just as she finished speaking, a powerful roar echoed from the archery hall entrance, like a tiger's roar—well, a tigress's.

"Issei Ryuudou, are you not even listening to your teacher?"

Immediately followed by a steady male voice, answering calmly and respectfully.

"Whether I listen depends on whether it makes sense, Fujimura-sensei. If you only make demands without giving reasons, I'm in a difficult position. The number of school clubs has been increasing in recent years, and most have achieved certain accomplishments. As student council president, I must consider all of them, not just the archery club. You guide more than just the archery club, so you should also think about the others."

"Hmm, that's reasonable, but cutting the archery club's budget is absolutely out of the question."

"Sigh~"

Anyone could hear the helplessness in the male voice—it was impossible to have a conversation.

"Well then, Mitsuzuri-san, why don't you say something? This is a top priority for the archery club."

The door to the dojo was pulled open, and the two people speaking came into Shinji and Ayako's view.

The woman was an old acquaintance of Shinji, someone he had known for ten years. From her appearance to her style, she perfectly fits the image of a tigress. But this wasn't a metaphorical shrew, but rather the literal meaning—a woman, bold and imposing, with a predominantly yellow hair color and attire, easily reminiscent of a tiger.

The key point was that the pronunciation of her name was very similar to tiger in English, hence the nickname Tiger of Fuyuki.

Yes, this was none other than Taiga Fujimura, who had been pestering Kiritsugu for the past ten years and was now almost a part of the Emiya household. She was currently an English teacher at Homurahara Academy and an advisor to the archery club.

The man was about Shinji's age and also a familiar face, though he hadn't known him as long as Taiga.

His upright face paired with glasses on his nose gave an impression of meticulousness. Though his frame was thin, his clothes hinted at a well-toned physique, with solid footing and steady breathing. Like Ayako and Taiga, he was a martial artist.

His name was Issei Ryuudou, the son of the head priest at Ryuudou Temple. Since the Greater Grail's altar was not far from the temple, Shinji had visited frequently over the past few years, occasionally donating offerings, and had become acquainted with the temple monks. Issei was now the student council president at Homurahara Academy, more popular among the students than even Ayako.

Seeing Shinji sitting in the dojo, both of them were momentarily taken aback.

"Shinji, what are you doing here?"

"Matou, you came to school?"

"Yo, good morning. It's been a while, Tige—no, Fujimura-sensei, and Issei."

As Shinji greeted them.

What wind blew through today? The Four Guardians of Fuyuki have gathered?

Yes, the four people gathered at the dojo entrance were the Four Guardians of Fuyuki: Ayako Mitsuzuri, Taiga Fujimura, Issei Ryuudou, and Shinji Matou.

Although the title couldn't be taken seriously, they still sparked Shinji's wild imagination (wild, not romantic). Perhaps this was a sign—the upcoming Holy Grail War would be unusual, and he might not have victory in the bag. Even if he did win, it might not guarantee Fuyuki's peace and stability.

As he delved deeper into the path of mystery, he could faintly sense changes in fortune. This Holy Grail War had felt strange from the beginning, giving him much to ponder.

After living in this city for over a decade, he had grown attached. Shinji didn't want the Holy Grail War to cause irreparable damage. He needed to summon Arcueid as soon as possible so that even if the conflict escalated, she could use Marble Phantasm to control it.

In Nasu's writing, Taiga, Ayako, and Issei each contributed to Fuyuki in their own ways, while Shinji Matou was merely a destructive force, unworthy of being grouped with the other three.

But now, things were different. He was no longer the twisted scum he once was. He would protect this city in his way and make this title truly fitting.

By the time he snapped back to reality, the battle between the guardians had resumed.

This time, it wasn't a one-on-one between Tagia and Issei, but a joint attack by Ayako and Taiga.

Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.