Shirou wasn't knowledgeable about these things, so he handed it directly to the System.
With a professional stepping in, in just minutes it picked out what he needed.
Barbells, resistance bands, rope ladder, reaction ball, jump rope, etc.
Since the place was the infirmary, he couldn't bring anything too big. Convenience came first.
Light stuff, Roman helped with.
The only heavy item was the barbell, which Shirou carried himself.
Just the bar itself weighed about 15 kilograms.
He also took two 2.5 kilogram plates.
All together, the weight was 20 kilograms (44 pounds), suitable for Shirou, whose strength and agility were still at C, and whose training sessions weren't long.
Back at the infirmary, he cleared some space.
Without another word, Shirou started.
Warm-up before training.
Loosening joints, muscles.
Dynamic stretching.
Once everything was complete, he began with strength.
Squats.
Barbell on shoulders, eyes straight ahead, golden-brown gaze flashing cold light.
Using perfect form, he did ten sets, twelve reps each.
[Strength: C＋]
'Good lord, he started straight at high intensity?'
No denying, after just finishing his run not long ago, Shirou's legs felt weak.
But too bad. For his legs maybe, but not for the System.
The System-Shirou, expressionless, finished squats and moved on to bench press.
Completely ignoring the body's cries of protest.
Again ten sets, twelve reps each.
Roman swallowed hard watching, "Maybe… take a break?"
He feared Shirou would die right here.
He knew Shirou trained like a maniac, but this was gambling with his life.
But Shirou's reply was one move after another. Deadlift, shoulder press, resistance-band-assisted push-ups.
All finished in just forty minutes.
[Strength: C＋, Agility: C＋, Endurance: B＋]
Not surprising. The three stats complemented each other.
A good body couldn't have one stat lagging far behind.
It just depended on which was more specialized, more prominent.
For now, Shirou's talent seemed stronger in endurance and agility.
At least with endurance reaching B, he barely avoided passing out by sheer willpower.
Next came agility, twenty minutes of drills.
Then endurance.
Finished, no rest, straight back to strength.
To ease the pain, to avoid fainting from weakness like before, Shirou trained while projecting magic, using it to distract himself.
Basically the same as meditation often used in training.
But under the dual torture of will and body, and such severe pain, entering meditation was nearly impossible.
And what Shirou aimed to do was turn that impossible into possible.
The strong never complain about the environment. They adapt to it, and create the environment they want.
So once again, Shirou wasn't born strong, he simply chose to become strong.
[Strength: C＋]
Countless times during training he wanted to quit.
Every time a voice asked him, ["You're already strong enough. Even if you enter the Holy Grail War, facing heroes of history, myth, and legend, you wouldn't be weaker in the slightest."]
["Besides, you train every day, you grow stronger every day, faster and faster with each step forward, why force yourself so desperately?"]
That kind of thinking was wrong.
Simplest example: you only hate not having money when the time comes to use it.
Strength was the same.
When a single-choice tragedy came, nothing could save it. He didn't need that, not once, not ever.
So this pain was only temporary, like dust on a sleeve, just brush it off and it's gone.
[Strength: C＋, Agility: B＋, Endurance: B＋]
'Heaven helps those who work hard… I really!'
Shirou nearly fainted, out of breath.
'What the hell? The strength training was longest, hardest, yet the slowest to increase.'
'Got a grudge against me?'
All he wanted was double A in strength and speed, was it that hard?
Just then, System Shirou suddenly steadied the equipment and started stretching.
'What's wrong, System?'
[Time.]
Once stretching ended and his consciousness controlled the body again, an intense hunger immediately crushed the pain of training.
"What time is it?", Shirou quickly drank the glucose Roman had prepared, and ate the snacks on his desk.
"..."
Roman watched this guy, who'd been training half a day, finish without issue, doubt in his eyes, 'Is this guy even human?'
He said: "One-thirty. We'll leave in twenty minutes."
"Mm, then I'll take a shower first."
That twenty minutes was probably the System kindly giving Shirou washing time.
Otherwise, in clothes soaked like he'd just crawled out of a river. Even if Shirou didn't care, Roman, going with him, might've felt embarrassed… right?
Though maybe Roman wouldn't care either.
Anyway, after changing into casual clothes prepared earlier, Shirou stretched his body.
A wave of hunger struck again.
No, he still had to wait another hour.
'Can't hold out, better grab some snacks first.'
———
When Shirou was heading to the 71 International Plaza, Rin Tohsaka, who had gone there in the morning, was just coming out of the cinema.
She sighed wearily, 'So tired.'
Even though it was just watching a movie, for some reason it left her exhausted, wanting to go home.
"Hurry up, Tohsaka."
Her companions called, she didn't even bother to check who.
"Let's grab something to eat, then water park?"
The three chatted noisily.
"Where should we eat?"
The 71 International Plaza was Fuyuki's Shin-Tokyo International City's commercial complex.
Over three hundred shops, across multiple floors.
Not only did it have various brand stores, but also the modern cinema where Rin had just watched her movie.
And right beside it, the aquarium.
It was also Shirou and Roman's destination.
He was on the way, at that very moment.
"Sorry, Sakura. I suddenly called you this morning to go buy video games with me."
Still at the 71 International Plaza, amid the crowd, Ayako Mitsuzuri pressed her hands together apologetically to Sakura.
She'd mentioned it to Rin, but that girl hadn't invited her or the other three along, so mean.
"It's fine, Mitsuzuri-senpai."
Sakura, dressed casually, smiled, "I didn't have anything to do anyway. Just right to have lunch with senpai."
"True," Mitsuzuri thought, then laughed brightly, "Since I invited this outing, then it's on me."
"No need."
Sakura pulled out her phone, "Looks like nearby there's a big eater challenge. Entry fee fifty yen, lots of food."
Scrolling, she sighed lightly with some regret, "The pair division requires a couple, so we can only do the solo challenge."
"You want to try, Sakura?"
Mitsuzuri was shocked, "We can't eat much, we'll definitely be eliminated immediately."
"Just once in a while is fine."
Sakura thought, 'If only I could do it with senpai, it'd be even better.'
"Well, since you put it like that."
Mitsuzuri acted like she'd given it serious thought, crossed her arms, took a deep breath, then agreed, "Let's do it."
"No, we still have some time. We can buy games first."
"True."
Same as before, Shirou was on the way.
Meanwhile…
"Hello, ladies, welcome. Today's our Happy Restaurant's grand opening, we're holding a big eater challenge, both solo and couple divisions. Interested in checking it out?"
A cute waitress pulled out four flyers, trying to hand them to Miyu, who had just come out of the aquarium.
Blocked by Sella, gaze sharp.
"Don't approach casually. Give it to me."
"Yes," Even though treated harshly, the waitress still smiled brightly.
A customer who took four flyers at once, what's a little bad attitude?
"What's a big eater challenge, Sella?", Illya asked curiously.
Sella, holding the flyer, replied, "It's just that kind of gimmick contest. Pay the entry fee and see who eats more. Nothing worth paying attention to."
"You can't… say that, Sella."
Liz leaned in blankly, glanced at it, and said, "There's… prizes. The pair one seems to be couple jewelry," The fifty thousand yen at the bottom was completely ignored.
"That's for first place," Sella dismissed it, "No one here can eat that much. And anyway, the pair must be a couple to join."
"If Shirou were here, no problem."
Thinking of how he'd left before she even woke up, Illya pouted, annoyed.
"Yeah, if onii-chan were here," Miyu recalled Shirou's terrifying appetite.
"Mm… Shirou," Liz said blankly, "If Shirou comes, I'll join him, and we'll win the championship for you."
At that, the three fell silent, all staring at the vacant, cute Liz.
———
"Is this really okay, Ritsuka?"
In the men's clothing section, Mash was uneasy, "Isn't this going too far?"
"No, Mash."
Fujimaru Ritsuka's expression was grave, "If no one finds out, then it's real. Besides, didn't you see? First place in the couple's division, fifty thousand yen, and couple jewelry we can wear together."
"And the cost is just teaming up with that blonde ahoge glutton from earlier."
"But…"
Mash looked like she was about to cry, "You're both girls, making her cross-dress as a boy…"
"Shhh!"
Before she could finish, Ritsuka glanced around warily, pulled her close, and whispered in her ear, "From this moment until the end of the big eater challenge, Artoria Pendragon doesn't exist in this world. There is only a man named Artorius Pendragon, and he's my boyfriend."
"Ritsuka, you, you…"
Not just from the hot breath on her earlobe, but also because, "You're too cruel!"
And once again, the same line:
Shirou was on the way.
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