Chapter 69: Magical Fireworks Bloom
At the very moment the girl and the Heroic Spirit reached an agreement, their compatibility rapidly increased—hitting 100%.
As the pillar of light descended, Ibaraki-Douji officially manifested in the world.
Yuigahama's light yellow kimono, adorned with small floral patterns, opened to reveal a tight white undergarment.
Her waist was tied with a massive Buddhist bead belt, a pair of crimson horns grew from her forehead, and she wielded a sharp bone blade.
The magical energy surging from her body ignited behind her like blazing flames, forming massive wings of fire.
The horned girl raised her blade, pointed toward the demonic dragon on the mountain, and shouted:
"I am Ibaraki-Douji! Leader of the demons of Mt. Ooe! Though this is not Heian-kyo, if you want a Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons), then it's only proper etiquette to have the strongest oni lead the way! These unruly magical beasts—wipe them all out!"
"Hey! Human—leave that freakish dragon to me. You help clear out the small fry around here."
A golden magic cannon shot up from the ground toward the stairs, blasting the beasts above into the air.
Shirou raised his Sword and called to Ibaraki-Douji:
"Got it! I'll leave the dragon to you! We'll clear a path!"
"Oh? You must be that Shirou who's good at making delicious food—I'm really looking forward to it! I'm off!"
With that, Ibaraki raised her bone blade and charged straight for the mountain's summit.
Shirou swung his staff and cast an illusion spell, cloaking Ibaraki-Douji in a thin mist to hide her presence and prevent interference from the magical beasts along the way.
Then, he condensed a bit of magical energy from the interdimensional space and reinforced her body.
This act—supporting others by reshaping their Spirit Origin—was the Flower Magus's greatest achievement and most proud technique, like when he nurtured an unrivaled king.
In a short time, he reforged Ibaraki-Douji's spiritual core, repairing flaws, boosting her endurance, magical energy, and combat ability—granting her a maximum level buff.
The staircase path that had been cleared by the blast was quickly filled again by magical beasts charging down.
"We'll take care of the front!"
Asuna rushed ahead of Ibaraki-Douji and activated her Noble Phantasm.
"Tch... why is Raikou here too?" Ibaraki clicked her tongue but kept running forward.
"—Ox-King Summons Lightning: Heaven's Net Closes In!"
Asuna swung her blade, releasing a long arc of lightning that wiped out the magical beasts in their path.
"Phoebus Catastrophe!"
Yukinoshita, powered by Atalanta's speed, leapt high into the air and drew her bow. A storm of arrows rained down from the sky, clearing the beasts that had been lying in wait near the mountaintop.
"Well done! Cat-eared youkai girl—leave the rest to me! Run, Sōgenbi Flame! —'Rashomon's Great Resentment!'"
Ibaraki-Douji roared as she leapt high into the air. At the moment she landed atop the mountain, she launched a blazing punch at the demonic dragon atop the pavilion.
A crimson giant claw, burning with intense heat, flew forth—its mere touch shattered nearby magical beasts into ash. The claw grabbed the mutated dragon's neck, twisted it forcibly, and the inferno wrapped around its entire body.
This was a magical flame born from a thousand years of accumulated resentment of demonic beings. It scorched trees, earth, atmosphere—everything. It even burned away the magic being gathered within the dragon's body, finally erupting in a violent explosion.
The dragon let out a terrible scream. The energy it had been gathering in its mouth dispersed, and its crystallized wings were shattered in half, sending it crashing to the ground.
"Kahaha-ha-ha! So what if you're a dragon?! This is my overwhelming victory!"
Ibaraki-Douji laughed wildly, raising her bone blade and slashing it down at the dragon's neck!
This bone blade—crafted from the unbreakable bones of oni, tempered through the flames of hell and hammered thousands of times—was incredibly sharp. It sliced the dragon's neck cleanly in two, unleashing a rain of blood.
With the dragon defeated, the remaining beasts no longer posed a threat.
Mash held the front line with her defense, Shirou supported from the rear using Merlin's magic, and the girls fought fiercely, gathering magical energy for their Noble Phantasms. After several cycles of battle, the entire mountain was gradually cleared of magical enemies.
"Haha! Watch Komachi's move now! One step, break sound! Two steps, vanish distance! Three steps, pierce the blade! —'Threefold Thrust of Ignorance!' Mumyō Sandan Zuki!!"
Unfortunately, by the time she unleashed her technique, the fireworks had already ended. Looking toward the bridge from the mountain, only faint traces of lingering smoke could be seen in the moonlight.
"Ahhh... the rare fireworks festival..." Yuigahama said with disappointment.
"Yes... such a shame," Mash echoed, equally regretful.
"Still, there will be more fireworks festivals in the future. Let's go back and celebrate Komachi's acceptance," Asuna suggested with a smile.
"That's right. I'm sure we'll find other places holding fireworks shows. Let's head down the mountain," Yukinoshita agreed, although a bit disappointed herself.
"That's true... Ibaraki, you can hide within me now, right? I'll return to my normal form and go buy some food," Yuigahama said to the Servant inside her.
"Sure thing!" Ibaraki cooperatively dismissed her spiritual armor, allowing the girl to return to her usual self.
With their compatibility at 100%, this new ability to freely control the transformation had awakened.
"Still... I'm not in a great mood," Komachi said glumly. "I didn't really get to show off my power. Even though I finally used my Noble Phantasm, the enemy was just a weakling... it's a little underwhelming."
"Don't worry, Komachi. As long as you keep gaining experience in battle, you'll definitely get stronger! Mm... Although your 'Sickly' trait is a Skill, even the Holy Grail can't change that..." Mash gently consoled her.
"So I'm doomed from the start? Whatever... everyone's so enthusiastic, we might as well go down the mountain..." Komachi replied with the dead-eyed stare of someone letting go of a dream.
"No—everyone, wait a moment."
Shirou stopped the girls and turned to Da-chan, floating in the air.
"Can I use one more spell for something non-combat-related?"
"Well, as long as it's not destructive, and the Servant agrees, I think it's fine," Da-chan nodded.
"Then let me be a little selfish."
Shirou summoned Merlin to possess his body once again. Raising his staff, he chanted a spell Merlin often used when calling a young Artoria to dinner during her knight training travels across the land:
"—Artoria, time to eat!!"
One after another, fireworks sparkling with rainbow light shot into the sky.
They burst brightly in the night, blooming into all kinds of vibrant patterns—long blue glowing streaks piercing the heavens, concentric spirals of purplish red, and dazzling golden-orange-white camellias exploding into shimmering petals.
The spectators, who had already started leaving the park for dinner or to go home, stopped in their tracks, surprised, and looked up at the sky where new fireworks were blooming once more.
"So pretty!"
"Where are these fireworks coming from?"
No one knew that this was simply a boy's spontaneous act of whimsy—just a small selfish wish.
To ease the girls' regret, Shirou had modified Merlin's "dinnertime signal" spell using illusion magic.
Sitting on a bench at the mountaintop platform, the boy occasionally shot beams of light into the sky, and sat side-by-side with the girls, enjoying the view from this special VIP seat.
Every time the fireworks exploded at their peak, the brilliant glow reflected on the faces of those looking up. Perhaps it was just an illusion, but the lights in the sky felt warm... and gentle.
Maybe it was the boy's heartfelt wish that had transferred into the magic—offering this world a sincere blessing:
That all people may one day find peace and happiness.