Don't use Type-Moon references in Oregairu!

"You can do anything, right?" Fujimaru Ritsuka sat back on the sofa, leaned back, and adopted a boss-like posture, crossing her legs.

"Hikigaya!"

"Hey!" Hachiman Hikigaya still broke out in a cold sweat. He considered himself to have a good eye for people; a lone traveler needs the ability to assess risk. Because of this, the more people he observed, the harder it became for him to completely trust anyone. Was Yukino Yukinoshita angry that he had concealed the truth from his companions?

No, he knew that Yukino Yukinoshita was angry because he didn't trust his companions. The Holy Grail Drop was too important to him, so much so that even knowing the truth, he hadn't fully told his companions.

Yui Yuigahama may have vaguely guessed this, but she didn't fully understand it.

As for Fujimaru Ritsuka? She should know very well.

“I know you…” Fujimaru Ritsuka spoke slowly, but in a deep and powerful voice, “You are trusted in the Reform Society, you are living well, and you have Totsuka Saika and Hiratsuka Shizuka protecting you. You don’t need a friend like me.”

Hachiman Hikigaya felt a little powerless—no, it's just that I'm afraid, afraid of all of Komachi's few remaining opportunities...wait, why does that line sound familiar?

"...Now, you come to me and say, 'Fujimaru Ritsuka, I'll do anything.' But you have absolutely no respect for me! You don't treat me like a friend; you won't even call me 'father'!"

"You're still using tired movie tropes at a time like this?!" the three of them shouted in unison.

Fujimaru Ritsuka smiled without saying a word, finding joy in being mischievous, hehe.

43. Easing the tension

"Hey, cheer up, stop looking so serious~ Did you relax a bit by using a tired joke?" Fujimaru Ritsuka chuckled, being completely unserious. He singled out Hachiman, "Especially you, didn't the underground caves say they gave you that thing? You act like you snatched it from us."

Hachiman Hikigaya said weakly, "But that's a drop of the Holy Grail..."

Fujimaru Ritsuka didn't care at all: "I know that collecting all seven can create the Holy Grail, and each one is an excellent magical artifact, but I'm the leader, so I'll just give it to you. What are you going to do about it? Yukinoshita, are you going to kill the leader with the equipment? Or Yuihama, you do it?"

Yui Yuigahama shook her head shyly.

Yukino Yukinoshita snorted, "Why are you trying to ease the tension? I want to see this good-for-nothing look like he's suffering for a little longer. How delightful."

Hiss... All three of them gasped simultaneously.

We can't keep going on this topic. If Yukino's sadistic personality is amplified, no one present will be happy. Fujimaru Ritsuka quickly changed the subject: "Speaking of which, how's Komachi doing?"

Hachiman Hikigaya returned the look with gratitude. Thanks to Ritsuka Fujimaru's performance, the matter was glossed over. He then began to talk about Komachi's situation.

"About Heroic Spirits... I talked to you about this before, Fujimaru. Will we be affected by Heroic Spirits and become unlike ourselves?" Hachiman Hikigaya looked at his outstretched palm and smiled bitterly. "Whether our perception changes or not is actually a matter of personal judgment. Everyone who lives in this world inevitably changes. But Komachi... she's probably the worst case scenario."

“Okita Souji.” Hachiman Hikigaya and Ritsuka Fujimaru said the name at the same time.

"I know, I know! That genius, sickly, beautiful boy, ah, could it be..." Yui Yuigahama was as excited as a variety show contestant who had finally won the right to answer, but after thinking about it for a moment, she felt a little sad.

Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded: "Based on what I know at Chaldea, Okita Souji's [Sickness] has become an inherent skill that cannot be changed."

"By the way, she's a woman."

"Huh?" Both ladies were shaken.

Hachiman Hikigaya understood perfectly. At first, he was furious—who came from, you stinky man, daring to let my cute little sister see your memories?

Then he was stunned...

Maybe even King Arthur and Uesugi Kenshin were girls.

Putting aside such a nonsensical (?) idea, Hachiman Hikigaya continued to talk about Komachi Hikigaya's experiences.

The Hikigaya siblings awakened their Heroic Spirit powers quite early, probably during his hospitalization in his first year of high school.

(At this point, the two ladies looked at each other in bewilderment.)

When he returned home and saw Komachi Hikigaya collapsed, coughing up blood, he was utterly devastated.

At the time, he was feeling a bit apprehensive and excited because of the power he possessed. When he discovered that Komachi was in trouble, he thought it was like the unfolding of an RPG game, with some terrifying enemy around him coming to destroy him, the hero, and his family.

Komachi was in a coma and was unable to tell him the truth.

After settling Komachi in, he rushed out of the house and discovered a creature with magical properties lurking nearby. Enraged, he acted decisively, demanding that the creature lift the curse on Komachi.

"Then I got pinned to the ground and beaten up, and was even teased as the 'Chuunibyou Hero'... Just laugh if you want to, don't hold it in." Hachiman Hikigaya said in a sullen voice, his face sour, recounting his embarrassing history.

"Hahahahaha..." The three of them finally couldn't hold back and burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs.

"A masterpiece! My friend. This is... This embarrassing history alone makes the trip worthwhile, hahahahahahaha." Fujimaru Ritsuka laughed like a caveman, wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Anyway!" Hachiman Hikigaya raised his voice, trying to drown out the group's unrestrained laughter, making it sound a bit shrill. "After I was beaten down, that guy said he just noticed a familiar magical reaction while wandering around. Then, after discovering that Komachi was [Okita Souji], he pulled us into the [Shinsengumi]. He even gave us a plan that might work."

Hachiman Hikigaya vaguely described his search for a solution over the past year, only briefly mentioning his pursuit of various bizarre events. He also unexpectedly discovered that Saika Totsuka had awakened the power of the Prince of Lanling and volunteered to join the team to search for their target.

"Does Komachi know about these things?" Fujimaru Ritsuka couldn't help but ask the question that already had a known answer.

Hachiman Hikigaya remained silent for a while:

"Komachi doesn't know much about it, she just knows that I'm looking for a solution, and I don't want her to worry."

“In the past year, Komachi’s health has not deteriorated, but she has become unhealthy and unable to engage in physical activities normally. She even collapsed and vomited blood once. She used to be a lively child... So after discovering the target that might contain the Drop of the Holy Grail or even the Holy Grail, I became a little anxious.”

Fujimaru Ritsuka waved her hand: "It doesn't matter, I'm more concerned about how Komachi is doing now."

Hachiman Hikigaya's face shone brightly as he excitedly said, "We've contacted the Doctor and the Fraudster through the Reform Society, and with their help, we've drafted a plan to implant the Holy Grail Drop into Komachi's body."

"The 'sickness' trait is something that Okita Souji couldn't avoid after awakening, so instead of trying to solve the 'sickness,' they used a ritual to transform the power of the 'Drops of the Holy Grail' into a healing technique and gently release it into Komachi's body. Even if Komachi vomits some blood, her body will actually be replenished, and the more she vomits, the more energetic she becomes. At least... she can live a normal life." Hachiman Hikigaya smiled bitterly.

Fujimaru Ritsuka felt a pang of sympathy—let alone the Holy Grail Drop, even a complete and harmless Holy Grail might not be able to cure "sickness" by making a wish. This was an unavoidable side effect of Okita Souji's Spirit Origin.

This might be the optimal solution.

"Do you need any help?" Fujimaru Ritsuka sighed at Hachiman Hikigaya's efforts, her desire to cause trouble stirring within her.

Hachiman Hikigaya hesitated for a moment, but Ritsuka Fujimaru persuaded him: "Because I'm also a little curious, what exactly is the [Reform Society]? How can it be so powerful, solving problems that even Heroic Spirits find troublesome? I really want to meet them."

Hachiman Hikigaya chuckled and scratched his cheek: "It's different. Compared to those great heroes, our power is too small. We're still living people, so there's still room for maneuver. Let me tell you about the Reform Association first."

"Speaking of the Reform Society..." Hachiman Hikigaya hesitated for a moment, "To be honest, I don't really know much about it."

?

When I type a question mark, it's not that I have a problem, it's that you have a problem.

44. Starting Again

Seeing the confused looks on their faces, Hachiman Hikigaya could only explain in detail.

For him, the most tangible experience was being brutally beaten up by the Shinsengumi. This organization was founded by someone involved in the matter, who then arbitrarily recruited some people who were acceptable and possessed Heroic Spirit powers.

The Reform Society is even more complex, resembling a mutual aid association between organizations where various groups communicate. Its members are also more diverse, including not only awakened Heroic Spirits, but also Shintoists and Onmyoji whose power has recently revived, and even government officials.

"Most of the time, people will still hide their identities, and the purposes of different organizations are not the same. The reason it is called the 'Innovation Society' is because all the relevant members share a consensus—this is an era of 'innovation,' and we, who have special powers, need to adapt to change. As for how to take action? That depends on the ideas of each organization. The only thing to do is not to expose your special abilities too much."

Hachiman Hikigaya pointed upwards: "Disruptive behavior is also unacceptable, after all, there are still people in the government who are in charge."

After listening, Fujimaru Ritsuka seemed to be deep in thought, and suddenly asked a question: "Aside from those who awaken the power of Heroic Spirits, whether they are special ability users or the [abnormal] events you mentioned, are they all related to materials—the spoils we obtained in the three rituals before?"

“...You’re really perceptive.” Hachiman Hikigaya smiled wryly. “That’s right.”

The exact timing is unclear, but several years ago, strange phenomena began to appear, causing widespread panic. Many people caught up in these phenomena sacrificed themselves to eliminate even the weaker ones.

After they destroyed the "strange thing," they were surprised to find the same material that Fujimaru Ritsuka knew.

The bones of the evil spirits were boiled into a soup, which activated the ability to command ghosts and gods.

By repeatedly injecting magical marrow into their spines, the Onmyoji regained their magical abilities.

By sacrificing dragon fangs, the swordsmen gained incredible physical bodies.

......

Such things happened one after another.

The “strange” phenomenon, while causing casualties, also awakened extraordinary abilities from their dormancy.

This seemed to be a sign, because afterwards, some people began to awaken the power of heroic spirits.

There are examples of righteous people, cruel people, and unorthodox people who have randomly awakened heroic spirit abilities.

As a result, small societies and organizations gradually emerged, centered around extraordinary individuals. Governments in various countries also began to take notice and intervene.

The potential suppression and absorption were aborted halfway through after the discovery of the massive labyrinthine ruins in London.

"Albion, the Tomb of the Spirits—that's what it's called in documents discovered during shallow explorations. After it, smaller caves appeared from time to time in various places, and the frequency of strange events increased. Thus, the Reform Society emerged."

Fujimaru Ritsuka's expression was strange. "Poor Clock Tower! All your roots have come here!"

He rubbed his forehead: "Where is the excavation of the Spirit Tomb Albion at now? Is it the ruined city, or the corridor? Or deeper?"

Hachiman Hikigaya exclaimed in amazement—Truly worthy of being the Master of Chaldea: "It is said that they were stopped at the ruined city. Legend has it that someone discovered a corridor filled with magical decorations, but died before even leaving a map in the attack of the white giants. There was no other way; the ruined city was teeming with monsters. Even now, many people still guard the exit to prevent the monsters from being released."

This is bad. Could it be that the Gates of Chaldea have all shattered in the Spirit Tomb of Albion?

Fujimaru Ritsuka muttered to herself, though it was unlikely—in terms of the setting, the Chaldea Gate was most likely a simulated combat device, more like a singularity or Lostbelt, or perhaps something that the Age of Gods crashed into here.

This is even more terrifying.

Will it be that when they later venture into the depths of the Spirit Tomb, Getia, Yuanyuan, Kama, and Ayu will all gather together and chat about everyday things?

Fujimaru Ritsuka felt a chill run down his spine; he had a feeling he would end up in that place someday. This intuition had rarely been wrong since he was a child—well, except for the time before he entered Soubu High when he thought he would be living a happy, ordinary life.

Fujimaru Ritsuka's gloomy appearance made the two people listening quietly beside her feel a little strange.

Yukino Yukinoshita crossed her arms and said calmly, "Fujimaru, if you think the situation with the Reform Association is too complicated, just say so. Hachiman may be a bug, but he should be able to understand. It's just a pity about Komachi."

Fujimaru Ritsuka covered her face in frustration: "Yukinoshita, you don't have to be so sarcastic when you remind people. I'm having a headache about the Spirit Tomb. Anyway, Hachiman, is there anything we can do to help?"

Hachiman Hikigaya shook his head: "The Reform Association involves such complicated matters, are you all going to get involved in all of this?"

"Komachi is so cute, I still want to help her out." Yui Yuigahama shook her head and kicked her legs.

“Besides, now that we have the power of Heroic Spirits, we’re inevitably getting involved in this vortex. So it’s better to take the initiative to reach out to others.” Yukino Yukinoshita calmly analyzed the situation, drawing agreement from Ritsuka Fujimaru and Yui Yuigahama.

"To be honest, I'm quite confident about this ceremony. The acting director of the Shinsengumi will be there, along with the doctor and the con artist, so safety should be guaranteed." Hachiman Hikigaya thought they were right, so he made the decision.

"The ceremony will be held at Fukuoka Tenmangu Shrine. We need to split into two groups." Hachiman Hikigaya smiled. "Actually, it's fortunate you came. The materials can't go through security, so it's difficult to bring them on JR or airplanes; we'll have to rent a car. Aya and I were originally planning to split up, with one person accompanying Komachi..."

Fujimaru Ritsuka chimed in, "For Komachi's health, the three of us will fly there with her. You and Aya can take the [Drops of the Holy Grail] and the other materials and head over there. We'll meet up at Tenmangu Shrine then, but it's a bit hard to get plane tickets during Golden Week."

“If it’s in Fukuoka Prefecture… I have a way, but we might have to go with my sister.” Yukino Yukinoshita interjected. She had already planned to stand her sister up, but if she went to Fukuoka Prefecture without her, it wouldn’t be good if it got found out later.

"Your sister?" Fujimaru Ritsuka hesitated. He didn't think it was a good idea, since it would involve Yukino Yukinoshita's family.

Yukino Yukinoshita sighed, "If what Hachiman said is true, then we will inevitably have to face changes. It's probably a good thing that she knew sooner rather than later."

Moreover, judging from the aura emanating from Yang Nai, she may have also come into contact with the "strange".