22 JK Girl Jumps Out of the Phone
In an abandoned shopping mall wrapped in a different dimension, the red afterimage froze after being hit.
The Soul Eater was struck on its rugged back by an arrow. Blood flowed from the wound, but on the red body, it was impossible to tell whether it was blood or sweat.
"Roaaaar!"
The monster howled in pain, letting out a long screech. The soundwaves spread outward like shockwaves, shaking the space inside the building with its roar.
The crimson monster trembled and suddenly swung its long lizard tail up, fiercely striking its own body. The arrow stuck in it was swept away.
The monster turned its head and let out a shrill scream at the boy who had injured it, still ferocious. It stepped forward with its claws and charged.
"That was too shallow…" Shirou clicked his tongue and backed away.
Mash moved forward with her shield, blocking the Soul Eater that was trying to lunge at Shirou.
"Shirou-Senpai, this seems to be a specially modified monster, just like that pitch-black Chimera from last time.
That one was focused on attack—every hit on the shield was as strong as a critical strike from a normal Chimera. This time, the enemy is of the Lancer class, focused on speed. Archer class is at a disadvantage—arrows are ineffective."
"So why the hell do these monsters have assigned classes?! And who says using a bow means I have to be an Archer class?
If I ever became a Heroic Spirit, I'd definitely be Saber class!
My trump card is Unlimited Blade Works, though I can't use it now with my current Spirit Origin." Shirou grumbled as he retreated, discarding the projected bow.
Even though he could rely on Saint George's top-class defense and had drawn Ascalon to charge in and help Mash share the pressure, it was meaningless if he couldn't land a hit.
Due to insufficient compatibility, he couldn't even use his Noble Phantasm—he could only swing his sword. But now, he couldn't even land a hit. What should he do?
"I'll hold it off for now! Senpai, hurry and summon a Servant to assist!" Mash urged.
"I want to! But I can't get Yukinoshita's account to refresh! What the hell is up with this support refresh system?! I want to file a complaint!" Shirou cursed.
He tapped "refresh" on his phone repeatedly, but Yukinya wasn't showing up in the Saber class slot.
After two refreshes, he couldn't refresh anymore.
"I'll help you scold Da Vinci and the shady devs afterward. But right now, just pick someone else! Get a Saber class who's good at fighting agile monsters!" Mash shouted.
"Got it! I've got it!"
Shirou suddenly remembered a guildmate they'd farmed with last night and tapped the most familiar name: "Sabre, don't run off!"
A pillar of light rose from his phone. A brown-haired girl jumped out and lightly landed on the ground.
Shirou took a look—yep, it was someone he knew. And with how she looked right now, the tense battle atmosphere was instantly swept away.
"Hey! Yui, are you cosplaying or something?" Shirou greeted.
"Ah! Yahallo! Shirou! …Wait, no! Why did I suddenly appear here?! And this isn't cosplay!" Yui screamed.
The girl was wearing a JK uniform from some unknown school—a red ribbon, a red pleated mini skirt, with a touch of shrine maiden style.
Her usual bun hairstyle was down, and she had fox ears and a fluffy tail, transformed into a fashionable "gyaru" style girl.
Her hair was dyed, she had a slightly flirty aura, and wore a cheerful smile. She looked no different from the JKs who often hang around Shinjuku.
Only the katana hanging at her waist indicated she was a pseudo-Servant.
"What the heck is going on here? Shirou, you look more like you're cosplaying as Saint George. Maybe Amakusa Shirou Tokisada would suit you better." Yui walked up, knocking on the armor he wore with a "clang-clang."
"No, seriously, think harder. You should already have relevant knowledge in your mind," Shirou said helplessly. "It's rare to summon a Heroic Spirit that fits you so well—don't mess this up."
"Ah! Come to think of it, after being sucked in by that beam of light, I did hear someone talking to me!"
Yui touched her temple, trying to recall, and her mind filled with information.
"I see, we're here to save the world and defeat monsters. So we're like magical girls? Iyaaah, being in high school and still being a magical girl is kinda embarrassing."
Yui scratched the back of her head sheepishly.
"Well, it's not exactly magical girl stuff—it's Heroic Spirit possession. But whatever, if you like it, fine."
Shirou had no energy left to quip. Still, wasn't this exactly how a typical 21st-century high school girl should react?
"Ah! Isn't that Mash-chan? Yahallo~! Good luck!" Yui greeted cheerfully.
"Yahallo~! No! Senpai! Stop chatting and help me out already!" Mash complained.
Just then, the Soul Eater, having changed direction, launched a sneak attack. Mash was caught off guard and struck—first by its massive palm, then by a sweeping tail.
"Wah!"
Mash quickly raised her shield in defense but was knocked several meters back, crashing into a wall.
"I'm fine…"
Mash propped herself up against the wall. Fortunately, at the moment of impact, she had activated her enhanced defense skill: Glorious and Resolute Snowflake Wall, and with the natural toughness of a Shielder, she managed to withstand the blow.
"Forget about me! Shirou-Senpai, think of something! We need Yui-senpai to defeat this monster!"
"Eh? Eh! Me?"
Yui pointed at herself, stunned. She didn't expect to be entrusted with such an important task on her first transformation.
Could she be… the protagonist?
"Don't be so surprised. Honestly, only you can handle this. Think hard—the Heroic Spirit you're hosting should be able to hit something this fast, right?" Shirou snapped. Why else would he summon her?
"I guess I can, but… I think I'm supposed to have two swords? That's weird… did I forget them at home or something?"
Yui lifted her tail to check behind her, but no matter how she searched, she only had one sword.
This must be another compatibility issue. Without sufficient compatibility, the Heroic Spirit's strength gets nerfed.
"If you had both swords, you could cut it down? What are their names?" Shirou asked.
"Yup! Otōren and Kotōren! Trust me—girls' sixth sense is super accurate!"
Yui flashed a peace sign and a cute smile, seeming even more bubbly than usual—more like a stereotypical gyaru JK.
"Yeah, you're cute alright. But can we talk about this after the battle?"
Shirou praised her bluntly.
Yui was already very pretty, and now with fox ears and a fluffy tail, she embodied the triple appeal of a JK, samurai girl, and beast girl. The visual impact made her cuteness all the more overwhelming, drawing the eye irresistibly.
"Ehehe~! I know, right? Super cute…"
Yui's cheeks flushed as she smiled proudly.
Though her head was filled with new knowledge, a voice inside her kept saying:
"Being a dumb, cute JK is definitely more attractive than a serious, gallant woman."
If there were time, Shirou would've loved to sit down and appreciate the view—or even pet those fluffy ears, which looked irresistibly soft. But if they dawdled any longer, he was sure a certain shield maiden would smash him with a shield the size of a dining table.
In fact, Mash was already staring at them with wide eyes.
"Yui! Leave the weapon to me! I'm counting on you to deal with the monster!" Shirou quickly said.
Shirou's amber eyes gleamed like gemstones.
His Mystic Eyes connected across time and space—past and future, across deep oceans and the distant sky, even reaching other worlds—searching for information about the Noble Phantasm of the girl before him.