Xyrin Empire
Chapter 473 Berserker

Chapter 473: Chapter 473 Berserker

"So, in fact, the two of you are old friends from Emiya Kiritsugu’s time traveling around the country in his early years. Now that your little sister has come to Fuyuki City to study, you, her brother, also came along. You originally planned to visit an old friend, but found that he had passed away, and since you haven’t found a suitable place to stay, you decided to temporarily lodge at the Emiya Mansion... Phew... I’m out of breath, right?"

You say you’re out of breath? I think so...

The woman who had just repeated the excuse that Lili and I hastily came up with without pausing for breath had an amazing lung capacity, as well as a tomboyish way of speaking. She is Fujimura Taiga, a friend of Emiya Kiritsugu from his living years, and now she spends her days freeloading in the mansion under the guise of being Emiya’s guardian. Despite being a girl and also Emiya’s English teacher and homeroom teacher, she has such a masculine name and rough character. This caught Tsuruya’s interest, and with both of them having outgoing personalities, they hit it off within minutes of conversation. Fujimura, with her hearty nature, immediately took a liking to the lively and well-mannered Tsuruya, confidently thumping her chest, "Don’t worry! I’ll protect you! Absolutely no one in Fuyuki City dares to bully you! But is it really okay for you siblings to live with this unreliable guy? Didn’t the gas explosion last night turn the yard into a huge pit?"

Is this really how a teacher should speak? And a gas explosion... Does Sister Fujimura have any common sense at all? Even if it was an underground gas pipeline explosion, could it have created such a heavenly pit in the yard? Shi Lang, you’re an idiot for coming up with that excuse, and you’re even more stupid for believing it!

"As for the gas explosion, I don’t think it has anything to do with me being reliable or not..." Emiya Shi Lang, scratching his cheek, said awkwardly, "By the way, I haven’t seen Sakura today..."

"You’re not starting to miss her just because you haven’t seen her for one day, are you?" Fujimura had already finished her rice at a shocking speed and then unapologetically asked for another bowl, overturning every standard of behavior expected from a middle school teacher with both her words and actions.

"Sister Fujimura, you should think more about your own major life decisions."

A vein popped in Emiya’s forehead, hitting the sore spot of a teacher known as the "Tiger" who couldn’t get married.

Ah, what a joyful day, Emiya. You really have had it tough all this time.

Makoto Sakura... That girl with a tragic fate in the original storyline?

Lili and I exchanged glances, and some things could be decided without any need for discussion.

While searching for anomalies in the world, saving one or two people is effortless. Once Sandora and the others safely cross through the time turbulence, I will completely crush the course of events in this world, which shouldn’t take long.

While Lili and I were using a spiritual connection to figure out how to mess with the plot of this world, Fujimura’s sudden exclamation startled us, "Ah!! Oh no, oh no! It’s already this late, I’m going to be late, late!!"

Watching Fujimura Taiga dash off and hearing her distant cries, Emiya Shi Lang could only grin helplessly at us, his face expressing a mix of laughter and tears.

"So that being said, is the sibling identity you’re using as a disguise, coming to study, really reliable?" Emiya Shi Lang may give the impression of a fool holding an impractical "dream of justice," but he also has a meticulous side, and his innate consideration for others had him worried about the false identity we had conjured up.

"You don’t have to worry about that," I patted Lili’s head, "This girl’s enrollment process will be sorted out quickly. For us, nothing is a problem."

That’s right, we have the support of history’s most formidable counterfeit-making gang and experienced forgers. As annoying as it is to admit, in this moment, I suddenly felt that old scoundrel Sicaro can occasionally do some good.

Emiya Shi Lang is still a student, and after rushing through breakfast, he hurried out to school, leaving us behind. Naturally, Saber questioned him leaving so openly since he is a target for enemies, but due to Emiya’s mediocre magic skills, Saber couldn’t maintain a spiritualized state to protect him, and even she couldn’t do anything about Emiya’s occasional stubbornness. In the end, after ensuring his safety, Emiya Shi Lang still left home, leaving a Heroic Spirit and two "alien friends" behind to watch over the house.

Well, I know that being able to spend a day with the famous King of Dai Mao in complete isolation must seem like the ultimate happiness to many people, but...

This Artoria is just too serious! There’s got to be a limit to not cracking a smile—I mean, with a personality where every single sentence is taken seriously, how am I supposed to find any options to increase affection in daily conversations!

Saber, or rather Artoria, is naturally unsmiling and not good at expressing herself verbally, but she is not the silent type with no opinions. At first, Tsuruya and I did indeed chat with this prim and proper girl, but maybe because we were unfamiliar with each other, and the worlds we come from are worlds apart, even Tsuruya, with her Social Skills LEVEL 6, quickly fell into a state of boredom. Then, it was just the three seemingly non-human individuals in Emiya Mansion’s infuriatingly sprawling backyard, sitting around doing nothing and getting their backs sunburned all day long...

So, after being bored for an entire day, I resolutely decided that tomorrow I would take Tsuruya to school—even though the latter showed considerable dissatisfaction with my decision. However, knowing that several key events were happening at or near the school, the girl who had sworn to obey my orders before we came still grudgingly agreed, pouting.

It seems to have become a routine for the owner of this large house to return home late every day. Basically, Emiya is left behind almost every day for various reasons, helping his classmates fix things or doing janitorial duties has almost become his trademark. It wasn’t until Saber was nearly going berserk from hunger that we heard the creaking sound of the gate opening, by which time night had already fallen.

Congratulations, young man, you get to witness the kind of combat strength the King of Dai Mao has when she’s starving.

Saber’s ability to single-handedly demolish a meal meant for four, at a speed that whirlwinds would envy, nearly gave Emiya Shirou a jaw cramp. As for Tsuruya and me, we merely observed indifferently, because, quite simply, Saber hadn’t managed to consume the plates as well, and that decided the gap between two golden-haired queens—a gap of heaven and earth, or should I say, a gap at the dinner table.

However, Saber herself didn’t seem to be aware of her impressive appetite at all. Noticing Emiya’s horrified gaze, she just oddly checked her outfit and then asked diligently with a straight posture, "What is it, Shirou? Is there something improper about me?"

"Ah... uh, no, that’s not it..." Emiya at least wasn’t fool enough to bluntly comment on a girl’s large appetite. And just as his words trailed off, another voice rang out from outside the yard: "Ah, looks like you’re back, Emiya."

It was the voice of Tohsaka Rin, and according to yesterday’s agreement, she was going to take Emiya to the Church to pick up a quest from the NPC there... But to choose such a perfect time to arrive—does Miss Rin usually closely monitor Emiya’s lifestyle habits?

With such suspicion, though not without malice, Tsuruya and I went out with Emiya to greet Tohsaka, while Saber immediately readied her weapon. Although it wasn’t a situation of fighting upon sighting each other, strictly speaking, Tohsaka Rin was still the enemy. The half-trained Emiya might be blissfully unaware, but Artoria, the Knight King forged through battlefield struggles, wouldn’t be caught off guard.

"What, are you guys coming along too?"

Noticing that Tsuruya and I had come out to greet her, Tohsaka Rin frowned slightly, "I mean, strictly speaking, you guys should be outsiders. Although the circumstances are a bit special, it doesn’t seem right for you to rashly interfere with matters among us humans."

"The fact is, we’re photography enthusiasts from the Centaurus Alex star cluster. This time we wanted to experience it up close..."

Tohsaka Rin was utterly confused: "Wait, weren’t you from the α star cluster?"

"Recently α star cluster went through administrative reorganization, and our household registration now says Alex star cluster," I said, keeping a straight face.

And then... then Tohsaka Rin believed it!! She actually believed it!

But it seems that Miss Rin, who was taken in by the alien administrative division, wasn’t a fool, as she soon realized my attempt to divert her attention and loudly declared, "What star cluster or whatever, that’s not important, right?! The important thing is that you have no need to get involved in our affairs!"

"Hey, Rin, that’s a bit disrespectful." The Servant in the red windbreaker reminded his somewhat hot-tempered master with an expression of helplessness and slight apology.

Eventually, after agreeing only to wait outside the Church without entering, Tohsaka Rin finally reluctantly agreed to the request to take us with her. It was not easy for this competitive girl who liked to keep things under her control to make such a concession, so I didn’t press any further. Anyway, I would have plenty of opportunities to deal with a certain fake priest later on.

Yanfeng Church, appointed by both the Magician Association and the Church, the supervisor of the current Holy Grail War and protector of the defeated was there—Yanfeng Qili. His identity was a priest, yet he was also a magician considered a heretic by religious figures. It was no wonder that Tohsaka Rin called him a fake priest. It was said that Yanfeng Qili was Tohsaka Rin’s senior in magic and also her current guardian, but from my point of view, Miss Rin’s reverence for her guardian was quite limited, which could be seen from the fact that Miss Rin had used her foot instead of her hand to open the door just now.

"Your identities, you’re deceiving us, aren’t you?" The golden-haired girl, who had been idly waiting outside the church with Saber, broke the silence unexpectedly, "The holes are too obvious."

"No kidding," I admitted without hesitation. After all, the ridiculous "photography enthusiast identity" was already sending a message of "confidentiality of identity." Those who dealt with us were smart people, and it was natural for them to become suspicious of this identity soon, "You’ve also noticed that my sister Tsuruya is equipped with military attire in battle."

"So that’s military attire?" Saber immediately asked with curiosity.

... Uh, you didn’t realize that?

We chatted intermittently about what sounded like serious topics, but because everyone tacitly understood or simply because we were heartless, even a sensitive topic like probing Yifang’s true identity could be used for casual conversation, until Emiya Shi Lang came out of the church with a complex look on his face.

From a distance, I waved my hand in greeting, "Yo! Young man, you look pretty lost. Need any guidance in life?"

"Director has spent too much time with Lilina," Tsuruya immediately commented.

Cut it out, why bring up that silly and annoying priestess at a time like this?

My unusual greeting distracted Emiya Shi Lang, and the conflicted look on his face seemed to smooth over a lot. It was apparent that although he might have difficulty accepting certain harsh realities for the time being, there was not much confusion in his heart. Should I say that the spirit of a good-hearted person is truly invincible?

"Let’s go, we’ll talk more when we get back."

I patted Emiya’s shoulder and continued to put on the air of a life mentor in a rather fatherly fashion, while he, unceremoniously, rolled his eyes at me and walked ahead.

The night deepened, and the road back to the Emiya Mansion was tranquil, accompanied only by the dim streetlights. Perhaps because everyone had their own thoughts, we didn’t talk much—at least it seemed that way, because on the level of spiritual connection, Tsuruya had already recounted her personal history from the third grade of elementary school to the start of middle school. This girl really could talk to me about anything.

"Shi Lang!"

"Rin!"

Just as we had reached the outer wall of the Emiya Mansion and were about to part ways, the sudden low shouts of the two Servants broke the silence of the trip. In an instant, the man in the red windbreaker, who had been protecting Tohsaka Rin, materialized from spiritual form into true body, his black and white dual blades gripped tightly in his hands, reflecting cold light, while Saber raised her hands in front of her body, evidently having drawn her invisible sword.

In the faint mist of the night, two figures, one nearly three meters tall, the other petite at just over one Pandora (apparently, the new unit of height?), were striding toward us, brimming with magical power that seemed almost impossible to contain.

"We meet again, Big Brother~~~"

The newcomers became visible through the mist, a dainty girl with shoulder-length silver hair and blood-red eyes speaking up, but the stark contrast to her was the giant standing beside her—at least two and a half meters tall, bare-chested, his muscles like light grey metal, his hair wildly fluttering.

An oppressive magic power churned in the air around us, the hostility of the approaching figures erupting undisguisedly at this moment.

Not their first encounter—this phrase immediately made everyone’s gaze converge on Emiya Shi Lang, whose face bore a mix of confusion and gravity, confirming this.

"Ilya Sulfur von Einzbern," Tohsaka Rin named the figure in one go, clearly having thoroughly investigated every potential enemy for this war, "I didn’t expect you to show up so soon. Facing two masters and two Servants alone, and..." Tohsaka Rin glanced at us and seemed conflicted about whether to count us as part of her combat power before adding: "And two opponents you probably know nothing about; it’s quite a risky move, isn’t it?"

"Because I was so eager to see Big Brother," the silver-haired girl kept her gaze fixed on Emiya Shi Lang, the sweet smile on her face belying the frigid sentiment of her words, "And then, I’m going to kill you all."

As the little girl’s words fell, the towering "creature" beside her burst into an animalistic roar bereft of any rational thought, simply... like a monster driven purely by its instinct to kill.

"Besides, Ilya doesn’t think it’s risky at all. Berserker is the mightiest monster and can easily kill you all, so don’t resist. Just let Berserker kill you obediently."

"What a joke!" Tohsaka Rin had just uttered angrily when the giant’s "attack" was already upon us in a flash.

It was like a massive, irregular slab of stone—Berserker’s weapon—seemingly light as a feather in the hands of the giant, easily sweeping away the Red Windbreaker who had stepped forward to meet the attack. Tohsaka Rin, having narrowly escaped, immediately wore a shocked expression; clearly, the fact that her Servant had been instantly defeated by the monster’s strike was something she could not fathom.

At that moment, saber, poised and ready, shot toward the stone-axe-wielding giant like an arrow from a bow. What should have been an assured strike was thwarted by the behemoth’s unexpectedly quick reflexes. The giant’s stone axe crashed into saber’s weapon. After the girl barely managed to block it, the second lightning-fast strike sent the golden-haired girl flying, trailing droplets of blood that formed a silver arc—a shocking sight.

"saber!" Emiya Shi Lang was about to rush forward immediately, but another figure was even quicker.

At this time, I really wanted to say "Holy Shield Tsuruya, transform and go!" but that girl bites harder than Qianqian, so I dared not say it out loud.

Indeed, the person who rushed forward to block Berserker’s lethal combination attack and saved the critically injured saber was none other than the typically action-driven Miss Zuotian Tsuruya—sometimes also known as Holy Shield Tsuruya, Assault Tsuruya, Justice Tsuruya, Godzilla Tsuruya...

It truly suited her character, this kind of action where she would immediately spring into motion at the sight of others in danger.

But honestly speaking, with Tsuruya’s half-baked swordsmanship, even with her space jump ability, it would be impossible to block Berserker’s strikes with mere fighting skills. So now, that foolish girl hadn’t even managed to draw her sword and was squatting on the ground, holding her head, while the giant’s heavy stone axe was forcibly suspended less than half a meter above her: a light blue Energy Shield emanating ripples was blocking the attack.

Such astonishing power—the mere brute force causing damage to a military-grade Xyrin Apostle’s Ghost Energy Shield, though not breaking it, was already beyond a typical Xyrin Warrior. It seems even this low-magic, low-energy world has its share of formidable beings. (To be continued... If you wish to know what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com for more Chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)