03 The Useless Dog Who Couldn't Pull Anything
"Playing this game still feels kind of awkward… Huh? There's a login bonus to claim." Shirou tapped on the gift box icon on his phone.
Although he had never actually played the game, he had heard about it often enough to understand the basics.
Because he had just logged in, he was given a Saint Quartz. Now, he had exactly three — just enough for a single roll.
At that moment, the boy recalled what Mash had said earlier to Miss Shizuka Hiratsuka:
"Masters are connected by fate to the Servants they summon?
Servants only respond to the summons of Masters they share something in common with?"
The boy fell into deep thought. The reason he had always been reluctant to play this game actually ran deeper than he let on.
Hikigaya Shirou was not unfamiliar with the concept of Servants.
Once upon a time, in another world, he too had fought alongside Servants as a Master.
So, when he discovered that Servants were appearing in this world in the form of a game, his first reaction had been fear. That was followed by rejection.
Thankfully, the magi, calamities, and other disasters associated with Servants had not manifested.
It really did seem to be just a game.
This game, often mockingly called "futa dog", had suddenly appeared a year ago.
Like a viral flu, it spread throughout the Asian-speaking cultural sphere.
Even over in the EU, there were tons of fans.
Figures like the Dragon-Slaying Sword Saint, the Great Hero, and the Cake Queen who spoke in nonstop African-American gang slang were all hugely popular.
Even though the epic stories within it differed vastly from the history of this world, people were nonetheless hooked as if under a spell.
Several Servants he was familiar with were also in the game.
A golden-haired girl nicknamed "King of Blankets"(Ozymandias), the Berserker Heracles, the ill-fated Lancer — all were beloved characters in the game.
However, one figure was notably absent: Emiya.
That brought him a measure of relief.
In his past life, he was Emiya Shirou, a warrior who fought alone until the very end.
Unlike the red Archer, he never became a Heroic Spirit.
He died in a nuclear reactor and was reborn in this new world.
This world had no war. It was plain, even boring—but peaceful and happy.
He was content with his current life and didn't want anything to disrupt it.
Magic, the Counter Force, Servants—none of them belonged here.
And if they must exist, perhaps existing only as a game was the best outcome.
In this life, he was no longer Emiya Shirou.
The world truly was peaceful, and no one needed him to rush to the front lines to uphold justice.
Under the joint leadership of the Huameng and the EU, humanity had more or less achieved a state where no one went hungry or lacked shelter.
And in this life, he was not alone.
His family, his little sister—had changed him in many ways.
Though not perfect, Hikigaya Shirou had resolved to live for himself, to find happiness alongside his family and friends.
Perhaps now was the first step to letting go of the past.
The boy made up his mind and tapped the summon button.
Twelve glowing orbs rose above a cross-shaped shield on the screen.
At the same time, a golden magic circle appeared.
Rainbow-colored orbs spun rapidly.
With a crackling sound, bolts of electricity shot out as if trying to leap from the screen.
After the blinding light faded, a golden card appeared. On it was a long-bearded elderly man holding a book in one hand and a staff in the other...
At that moment, the ground shook. Tables and windows creaked loudly.
"An earthquake! Komachi!" Shirou hurriedly ran out from the kitchen.
"Onii-chan!" Tears welled in Komachi's eyes as she ran over and leapt into her brother's arms.
"It's okay now, it's okay. See? The quake has stopped." Shirou hugged his sister tightly and patted her head to comfort her.
The tremor lasted only briefly before fading. It wasn't very strong, and their home hadn't suffered any damage.
"Onii-chan… I wasn't scared of the earthquake." Komachi shook her head side to side, almost like a drill boring into Shirou's chest as she rubbed herself against him.
"Wait, then what is it?" Shirou stopped his sister's burrowing head and asked.
"Komachi messed up her ten-roll! Not even a single 4-star Servant!" She said tearfully.
"That's all? Just roll again. These kinds of games always have terrible drop rates, like 1% or 2%, right?" Shirou responded, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Onii-chan! You just don't get it! You don't understand at all the romantic ideal of meeting the Servant you love! A normie like you shouldn't comment!" Komachi growled, ramming her head back into his chest.
"Stop! I'm not a normie anymore. I actually downloaded the game too." Shirou said, pulling out his phone, lighting up the screen, and handing it to his sister.
"Ohhh! Onii-chan, you're finally going to play with Komachi?"
Komachi's eyes sparkled.
She had invited him so many times before, but he always seemed reluctant, like he was holding something back. She hadn't wanted to push too hard. But now, they could finally grind together—and she was thrilled.
However, once she saw the screen, her expression completely changed. She now looked at her brother like he was a class traitor.
"What's with that face, like you just saw a sea lion?" Shirou asked, puzzled.
"Onii-chan! What did you just do?! Did you use up your entire year's worth of luck?!" Komachi grabbed his collar and shouted.
"What's going on?" Shirou flipped his phone to look. On the screen was a golden card showing a handsome man with long white hair, a white robe, purple eyes, holding a black staff, and smiling smugly. The label read: Caster.
"Ah! I just tried a summon earlier. Huh, five stars! Is this one strong?" Shirou asked his sister, confused.
He thought to himself, If Servant strength is ranked by stars, then Saber, Gilgamesh, that monster-like Berserker Heracles, and the spear-wielding Light Child Cú Chulainn who once hunted him—should all be five-stars too, right?
"Strong? You ask if he's strong?" Komachi's voice grew dark. She clutched his collar even tighter.
"Onii-chan… I thought we'd always be close siblings. But I never imagined you'd betray Komachi… You emigrated to Europe behind my back! You traitor! From today onward, we're cutting ties!"
"Traitor? Isn't that a bit much? Let me check… this character is… the Flower Magus? The legendary king from the Arthurian myths…" Shirou opened the card's details and was reminded of a dignified golden-haired girl who had once stood before him in the moonlight.
"Onii-chan, hand over your phone." Komachi reached out with an ominous tone. If she saw both Lancer Artoria and Caster Merilin in there, she'd make him delete the account and start over. As much as she wanted to enjoy grinding together with her brother… this was Japan. Europeans were not needed.
"Here." Shirou handed the phone over without hesitation.
Komachi took it with a deadpan face and began scrolling through his card deck. Suddenly, she burst into laughter:
"HAHAHA! Onii-chan, what is this account?! It's hilarious! Over level 100, and if not for Merlin, you wouldn't even have a single 4-star! And you Grailed George-sensei?!"
"Well, it's an account from a kouhai of mine. I'm still figuring things out." Shirou replied.
Could it be that Mash actually had terrible luck?
"No worries! Komachi will give it her all to help you, onii-chan! First, let's add each other as friends. In this game, as long as you know how to piggyback on strong allies, you'll be fine.
No matter what, we're family! That summon earlier? Komachi gives it full marks!!" Komachi's frustration vanished in an instant, and she beamed brightly.
FGO bonds the whole family. Anyone with worse luck than you… is a good person.
"Is that so?" Shirou wondered to himself, puzzled at why his sister now looked at him like a tribe elder welcoming a new recruit.