Chapter 54 It's Not Like We're Starting a Game Anyway
"The routine." Shirou hesitated for a moment.
As if summoning her courage, Sakura looked up, her face flushing as she and Shirou gazed at each other. Shirou had a premonition: if he didn't say something, the girl would simply stand there forever.
He glanced over in the direction of a certain older sister. Rin was turning her head, chatting with Saber about something; it was impossible to tell if she truly hadn't noticed or was just pretending not to.
Finally, Shirou braced himself. "Come in, Sakura."
Once inside the room, Sakura became somewhat fidgety. She even picked up the note Shirou had just written, staring blankly at the handwriting he had left on the paper.
"Are you sure you want to handle this now? To be honest, that method is a bit..."
"Eh? ...Y-yes. After all, we're about to dive deep into the Holy Grail War. I believe handling it now will put me in better condition, Senpai!"
The blush deepened on Sakura's cheeks. She looked somewhat unnatural, pursing her lips and glancing sideways, stealing peeks at Shirou's reaction—which in turn made Shirou feel just as awkward.
The usual Sakura wasn't like this. Usually, she was more relaxed, natural, and poised.
"Is it okay if we just do it like usual?"
"Yes! Senpai doesn't need to worry about a thing. You just need to look at the ceiling and it'll be over!"
Despite her nerves, she was actually very spirited and determined not to give up—as if giving this up meant abandoning a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Even if it was embarrassing, Sakura was going on the offensive! As for what she was attacking, Senpai didn't need to worry about that.
Sakura placed one hand over her heart. "Get ready, Senpai."
Accumulated within Sakura's lovely body was a quantity of magical energy that normally far exceeded ten thousand units. Unlike Illya, her magical energy wouldn't diminish just because she left Fuyuki. This mana was a result of having been connected to a genuine Holy Grail; it wasn't a trait limited to the Lesser Grail, nor did it depend on a connection to Fuyuki's ley lines.
While Sakura was capable of containing such a massive amount of mana, she still needed to vent it periodically. Or rather, the act of venting was itself a thaumaturgical ritual representing "adjustment."
During adjustment, one only needs to compress a portion of bodily fluids into magical energy and chant an incantation to expel it. Of course, there are many definitions for "bodily fluids"... but this was the relatively normal kind.
For now, still, the normal kind.
At the very least, a while ago, Shirou wouldn't have done this lightheartedly from a mental standpoint. Except for situations where one loses control of their emotions, it's hard to settle into the right mindset... and mainly, even if Shirou convinced himself it was fine, others would have an issue with it.
Lately, everyone had finally reached a strange sort of consensus. However, with the busy Holy Grail War period looming, Shirou felt that a sudden change in heart was somewhat ill-timed.
Sakura reached out her hand, a wisp of shadow coiling around it, which she then used to cover the surface of her finger. When the shadow receded, a few beads of blood appeared on her finger.
Blood is a catalyst used by many magi to perform magecraft. Even Rider's Noble Phantasm release is predicated on blood. This in itself was normal.
Sakura closed her eyes, gradually calming herself as she recited the incantation:
"Fische wollen Wasser, Meer in der Nähe der Küste (As fish crave water, the sea relies on the shore)"
"Alles, Festung, Opfer (Everything, condensation, sacrifice)"
"Opfer an die Natur geben, Segnen Sie die Fülle (The sacrifice returns to nature, bless the abundance)"
The girl then slowly opened her eyes and gently brought her finger to Shirou's face. Sakura wore a flawless smile.
"Opfer an den Ehemann. Viel Glück (Sacrifice to the husband. Good luck)"
She looked both holy and beautiful.
"..."
Shirou raised his hand to ask a question: "I'm not very good at German, but that last sentence... wasn't it a bit... unnecessary?"
It didn't seem like something required just for the act of "venting."
Sakura's smile was incredibly forceful. "How could it be, Senpai? Come, please drink."
Her fingertip was right in front of him. She brought the slightly reddened finger even closer.
Shirou dodged backward. "It's definitely not necessary. Besides, I don't think it's good to develop this kind of habit."
"If I needed blood, wouldn't Senpai definitely offer it to me of his own accord? There's nothing strange about this. If anything, the Senpai who is only willing to get hurt himself but rejects gifts from others is the strange one!"
Sakura grandly delivered a sharp critique that sounded both correct and somehow incorrect: "Expelling magical energy through this act is a necessary and perfectly fine magical ritual. I just wanted to share the excess mana with Senpai while I was at it!"
She stared at Shirou with resentful, slightly narrowed eyes like an abandoned kitten. Shirou gradually found himself unable to withstand it.
"Besides, didn't Senpai already promise to listen to me regarding these magus-related arrangements?"
Choked by her logic, Shirou could only gape emptily, wanting to say something but having no words. In the instant he opened his mouth, Sakura proactively sent her finger directly inside.
The movement could be described as light-speed, but the sensation was the opposite—extremely gentle. It didn't even feel like a collision within the mouth; there was only the tactile sensation of warm liquid dripping and flowing.
However, when Shirou himself accidentally touched it, the flow of blood suddenly accelerated. It was actively squeezing out from one side and being sent into the other.
As if it were ticklish, Sakura let out intermittent whimpers. Her beautiful waist-length black hair and her body bent slightly; she instinctively covered her mouth to keep the sound from traveling outside the room.
She maintained the posture of reaching out, her face growing increasingly flushed. She used one hand to shield her discomposed face, but between the gaps of her fingers, her panting lips were visible.
This level of endurance had moved past "awkward" and reached a realm where one should hear no evil, see no evil—Namu Amida Butsu, may the Awakened One of the East and the King of Knights of the West protect us.
"I-Is that enough!?"
"Still... please wait a bit... whew!"
Sakura wasn't lying. The moment the liquid flowed down his throat, Shirou felt a massive amount of magical energy entering his body. What was a small amount of mana for the girl was, for Shirou, a vast power that surpassed his entire mana capacity.
Furthermore, this mana-infused blood seemed to possess the properties of a Mystic Code. Even though it exceeded Shirou's personal limit, there was no discomfort of his body being bloated to the bursting point. Instead, it was simply stored away, automatically filling the void whenever Shirou's mana was lacking.
Much like Rin's Magic Crest. Or rather, the function of Rin's Magic Crest was temporarily being replaced by this "Mystic Code."
While making strange sounds and her body heaving with ragged breaths, Sakura managed to force a smile.
"Ugh, mm... this... is a victory!"
With a flushed face, she laughed while panting heavily and spiritedly.
It was very different from her usual state; beneath the flush of her dimples lurked a subtle, intimate atmosphere, rippling with a strange magical power that made one want to indulge in it.
However, even if the reason and the action were correct and logical, wasn't she neglecting herself too much by using her body this way? Like a thread that failed to pass through the eye of a needle, Shirou didn't immediately lose his ability to think; instead, a tiny worry surfaced, but the thought was immediately suppressed by her soft voice, losing all momentum.
Let's go back to the first question: Why does this have to be so weird?!
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