Chapter 369: Grandpa Has an Older Sister
"Eh? Grandpa, do you know Samurai-nee and Gudako-nee?" Atsu asked in surprise.
"Senpai! Why have you become a 'Grandpa'?!" Gudako ran forward to ask, while Musashi stood up in astonishment.
'As I thought, the savior Alaya mentioned is Gudako' Shirou mused. Although she didn't look the part at all, she had indeed done this many times—pitting herself against Heroic Spirits, Divine Spirits, and Evils of Humanity to repair twisted history and save the world.
"Did you encounter a blue-clad swordsman carrying a nodachi?" Shirou asked.
"No. Who's that? I just arrived in this world. It's all wilderness—forget swordsmen, I haven't even seen a monk on a mountain. I only got here fifteen minutes before you, Shirou," Musashi replied, tilting her head in confusion.
"We did run into some monsters on the way... no, bandits!" Gudako chimed in.
"Mm-hmm, even though it was daytime, bandits appeared," Atsu nodded.
"I see. Thank you both. Musashi, Gudako, for saving Atsu and Tasuke," Shirou said to the two girls. He thought to himself that perhaps because the Savior had appeared, the Karma of this world had begun to turn, the rules had shifted, and the mastermind had initiated the next step of the plan.
"By the way, Atsu, from now on, you aren't allowed to go far away unless an adult is with you. If you want to play, stay near the village," Shirou said.
"Grandpa!" Atsu cried.
"What? This isn't up for debate. Since we know there's danger out there, you shouldn't go near it. It makes people worry," Shirou said, feigning a stern expression.
"I know, but! Grandpa! Grandpa! Did you bring an animal back? A very, very big one?" Atsu asked, making a large circle with her arms.
"Hmm? An animal? I brought a person back, though?" Shirou said, puzzled. Outside, Illya was curiously inspecting the surroundings, as if performing a full-scale observation of the new Emiya Residence's perimeter.
However, in the reflection of the little girl's eyes, Shirou saw a massive black shadow leaning toward him. Then, he felt a heavy weight bump into his back.
Shirou turned around to see it was the familiar of the Divine Spirit composite Illya—the big white bear that could breathe freezing mist. Unable to bear the loneliness, it had manifested its form and was nudging Shirou with its nose as he stood at the door, asserting its presence.
Illya, who had also been standing outside waiting to be introduced, looked at him with large, watery eyes alongside the bear, silent for a long time.
Though she said nothing, her gaze spoke volumes. Seeing the look in the white bear's eyes, Shirou smiled helplessly. "Right, I can't leave you outside forever. Come on in, but wait here a moment."
"Awoo?" The big white bear tilted its head, but understanding Shirou's words, it stopped at the threshold.
Illya looked at the bear and smiled joyfully. "That's great, Shirou! You can come inside and rest with me now."
As she spoke, Shirou went back into the house. "She's a guest," Shirou said, grabbing a wet towel from inside before walking back out.
"Awoo!" The white bear intelligently lifted its paws. After Shirou wiped each one clean with the towel, it placed them on the wooden floor. Once all four were done, the white bear entered the house.
Fortunately, Shirou had built the house somewhat large; otherwise, it would have been hard to say if the wide and portly bear could have even fit inside.
When the white bear walked in, Musashi and Gudako, sitting inside, widened their eyes and cried out.
"A huge white bear!!!"
"It's a polar bear!!!"
But the pink figure that followed behind the bear immediately snatched their attention.
"Wait! Who is this cute little sister?" Musashi jumped up, her eyes sparkling with light.
"Eh? Are you Illya-chan?" Gudako recognized the girl. She had met her once in a special magical girl world. She was the twin sister of another brown-skinned little devil who cosplayed as Emiya-senpai.
"Hmm? Your name is Illya-chan? How cute~!" Musashi said with a laugh, sounding a bit flirtatious.
Gudako also scurried over to the girl, crouched down, and rubbed her chin with her right hand. After a serious and studious inspection, she said, "This time it's not a magical girl cosplay, but a samurai girl? Is this Ezo-style kimono?"
Shirou reached out to block the two. "Wait a minute! Even if you like cute girls, at least show some consideration for how others feel."
The girl peeked out from behind Shirou. Not showing the slightest bit of shyness, she stepped forward with elegant composure and introduced herself: "Hello. My name right now is Sitonai. Please look after me."
"Hello, Sitonai-chan! I'm Musashi. A samurai traveling the world to hone my path of the sword. You can call me Big Sister-sama too! I've been looked after by Shirou before; we're practically comrades who have shared life and death," Musashi said with a grin.
"It was just one meal; you don't have to exaggerate that much," Shirou deadpanned.
Beside her, Gudako gave a thumbs-up and laughed brightly. "Hello, Sitonai-chan~! I'm Big Sister-sama Number Two! My relationship with Shirou-senpai can be described as sharing many, many things together!"
"Gudako? Are you misunderstanding something?" Shirou asked.
"Like sharing common companions, having common juniors, and things like that," Gudako continued.
"Hmph~ I see that even in this world, Shirou is still very popular," the Goddess Illya said, clasping her hands behind her back as she walked further into the house. She looked left and right, curiously eyeing the furniture and decorations, speaking leisurely.
"Honestly, it's exactly the same as in my memories—there are always other girls at home. This big sister's heart is a bit complicated, but at least there are no 'devil women' like Rin here. At least I don't have to worry about Shirou being led around by the nose."
"Big sister?" everyone said, looking at the girl in astonishment.
"That's right! I am actually Shirou's older sister~!" Illya raised a finger and spoke seriously.
Hearing this, Atsu found it absolutely unbelievable. "Eh? Sitonai-nee is Grandpa's older sister?"
She already called the young-looking Shirou "Grandpa," but now she had discovered a girl who looked no older than herself who was actually the eldest presence in the house?
"Exactly! I am the greatest person here! Not just a goddess, but the master of this place! So show some respect!" Illya put her hands on her hips and tilted her head up proudly.
"Is that really true, Grandpa?" Atsu's soul was shaken, and she looked to Shirou for help.
"Well... if you must put it that way, it's not wrong," Shirou nodded. Counting by birth year, Illya was indeed one year older than him. Moreover, since he was adopted by Kiritsugu and Illya was his biological daughter, they were undoubtedly family.
However, in his past life, the Illya he knew was a homunculus born for the Holy Grail War. Created as the Lesser Grail, her physical growth was restricted to a certain point and never changed. Having lived in a castle surrounded by snow and ice without contact with anyone, her mental age had remained in her childhood.
"Then what should Atsu and Tasuke call Sitonai-nee? Grandma? That doesn't seem right? Eh??" Atsu's brain couldn't process the logic; she fell into a daze, her eyes turning into swirls.
She swayed on her feet, looking like she might fall over along with Tasuke in the swaddle on her back.
Shirou quickly reached out to steady Atsu. "Alright, alright. We'll just each use our own terms."
"Yes! Let's do that!" Goddess Illya agreed with a smile.
"I understand, Big Sister~! Grandpa~!" Atsu nodded heavily in agreement.
"Goo goo~!" Tasuke laughed. It seemed he also thought this was better.
Gurgle...
At that moment, the pink-haired girl's stomach let out an ungraceful growl. Musashi turned slightly red and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
"Honestly... fine, let's eat first," Shirou said helplessly.
"Grandpa, the rice is washed and the fire is started," Atsu said.
"Good. Atsu, go get the smoked meat and dried fish. We'll make a mushroom soup too. That will be our dinner," Shirou instructed.
"Understood, Grandpa," Atsu replied obediently.
"Eh? Atsu is so small but already knows how to cook! That's amazing!" Musashi praised with a smile.
"Well, I still have to manage the heat. Gudako, why don't you come and learn too?" Shirou added, looking at the lazy girl nearby.
"Ehh, I'm still more looking forward to the food at the Chaldea cafeteria," Gudako said with a grin, rubbing the back of her head. With Tamamo Cat and Boudica in the kitchen and Mash helping to fold the futons and organize the room—and previously, Emiya-Mama—it was hard for her not to become a bit useless.
"Of course, it would be even better if Emiya-senpai could come back," Gudako said, looking at Shirou.
Shirou gave a helpless smile. Since Gudako already had enough to deal with, he didn't actually want her to do chores. As for Heroic Spirit Emiya, Shirou mused: "In the future, perhaps it's not impossible."
Shirou went to the kitchen to teach Atsu how to cook, and before long, the fragrant dishes were on the table. The exhausted Gudako and Musashi ate heartily and with great relish. Illya maintained her aristocratic elegance, eating in small bites, though she also looked very happy.
After dinner, Shirou brewed tea for everyone. The following conversation wasn't suitable for children, so he had Atsu take Tasuke upstairs to rest first.
"Adults are so sneaky. Atsu wanted to hear stories from the outside too," Atsu grumbled, but she still carried Tasuke upstairs.
"Gudako, have you lost contact with Chaldea?" Shirou asked.
"Yes. I can't contact anyone. I clearly remember I was supposed to still be in Chaldea, then I don't know how I fell asleep, and then I woke up here with those scary monsters. Luckily, I met Musashi," Gudako said, sighing as she recalled the events.
Recalling it made her feel frightened again. Gudako looked gratefully at the pink-haired girl beside her, threw her arms open, and lunged forward. "Thank you, Musashi~!"
"No need for that! Big sister here loves cute children the most!" Musashi laughed, hugging the girl and comfortingly patting her back.
"So Gudako fell into some kind of trap? Was it the White God's doing?" Shirou wondered aloud.
"Hmm? The White God? Who's that?" Hearing Shirou's words, Gudako turned her head in confusion, her eyes wide.
"You don't know? No... it's nothing. I probably guessed wrong," Shirou said, quickly changing the subject.
It seemed the White God hadn't harmed the people of Chaldea but had done something else. For some reason, Gudako seemed to have completely lost her memory of that period. However, this was originally a clash of ideals between Shirou and the White God; if the people of Chaldea weren't dragged into it, that was a good thing for him.
"But the fact that I'm here means this world has a Singularity or some other problem, right?" Gudako said with certainty, drawing on her experience of being tossed around in the past. Between Valentine's, Halloween, Christmas, and summer swimsuit parties, she never had a spare moment each year.
Musashi also spoke seriously: "Aside from those pitch-black monsters, is there something else here?"
"The serpent monsters. Even the yokai who are worshipped as gods here are afraid of something. I've set up magical bounded fields nearby; otherwise, this village would be in great danger," Shirou said.
"No, it's not the serpent monsters that are slaughtering villages, but the Heroic Spirit Saber!" Illya corrected.
Illya continued: "I've encountered one before. A spear-wielding monk was massacring a village, not even sparing the children. He didn't look like a man of the cloth at all; even the most wicked temples weren't this sinister. There are seven of these terrifying Heroic Spirit Saber in total. They seem to be centered around Shimousa Province, launching attacks on the surrounding small provinces. Some provinces have had their entire cities burned to ash."
"Precisely because these guys are so out of control, the seal of the Great Daimyojin has loosened. Now, anywhere with strong resentment will birth avatars of the Great Serpent that are hard to kill. As an avatar of the Goddess, I have to go around clearing these monsters. Otherwise, if these creatures of resentment are allowed to grow, I can't even imagine what kind of terrible outcome will result," Goddess Illya said, clutching her head.
"I've encountered the serpent monsters. Which side is stronger compared to those Heroic Spirit Saber?" Shirou asked.
Goddess Illya explained: "In nature, they are similar; they are monsters that can be resurrected even after their physical bodies are destroyed. However, the serpent monsters have no sapience, while each of the Heroic Spirit Saber is a Heroic Spirit, possessing talent and wisdom far beyond ordinary people."
"Heroic Spirit Saber... monsters that can return to normal even after their heads are cut off. Quite the terrifying opponents," Musashi said, crossing her arms with a serious expression.
"Yes. To fight those monsters, one needs special weapons," Illya said, spreading her palms to summon several Noble Phantasms. They were all weapons from myth, originating from the three goddesses merged within her. There was the legendary bow from the Ainu pantheon that Sitonai used to shoot the dragon, a sharp katana at her waist, and a blunt sword with a ring-shaped tip.
Shirou reached out and handed his own sword to Musashi. "If you need it, I'll give you this Myojingiri. Although it cannot cut through Karma or save the world, this 'Cursed Blade' will be useful for fighting monsters of a similar nature to the serpent I encountered."
"Really? Then I won't be polite." With just one look, Musashi knew this was a rare treasure that could truly cut through steel like butter. She gripped it and swung it up and down, praising in surprise: "So light! It's clearly hard and sharp, but it swings so smoothly."
The challenges the Savior had to face were crueler than imagined. Shirou realized a fact: this world might already be facing a destiny of destruction, which was why villages were being slaughtered and burned without any recourse.
The fact that Alaya had sent him here meant that things had reached a dire state. For both Musashi and Gudako, this was going to be an incredibly difficult trial.
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