Emiya Shirou doesn't want to work overtime

However, out of caution, Shirou Emiya still asked Sakura about the number of people participating in this Holy Grail War.

"The Holy Grail War has not yet begun; it is currently in the preliminary selection phase, which is a fixed ritual necessary for participating in the Holy Grail War."

"A total of 999 people have participated in this Holy Grail War, but after the preliminary rounds, participants who cannot remember who they are will be deleted along with their school buildings."

Chapter 529 A Day That Keeps Repeating

"My head hurts so much—!?"

As if he had just been teleported here from a very far place, Shirou Emiya's body became extremely unstable. He covered his head and knelt on the ground.

The intense pain emanating from the depths of his mind made Shirou Emiya clench his teeth tightly. He was somewhat confused about what had just happened and why his head was throbbing so badly after arriving here.

I didn't feel any pain when I transformed into a data-like soul and traveled through time.

Shirou Emiya, unable to understand what happened the moment he arrived here following those data, slowly stood up.

"Homurahara Academy High School?"

Looking at the school gate in front of him, which was very familiar yet slightly different, Shirou Emiya couldn't help but speak.

Is this Fuyuki?

Looking at the school gate in front of him, which was almost identical to that of Homurahara Academy High School except for some differences in details, Shirou Emiya frowned slightly and looked around.

These streets, so full of déjà vu, these buildings so similar—if Shirou Emiya hadn't had such keen observation skills that he could quickly spot the differences in the details, he probably would have really thought he had returned to Fuyuki City.

But given the similarities, it's generally true that I am indeed in Fuyuki City.

It's probably just Fuyuki City in a parallel universe.

only----

For some reason, Shirou Emiya felt a strong sense of unease swirling in his mind.

　Although the buildings here are indeed very similar to my own world, this must be my first time here.

So why do I have this feeling that I've been here before?

Looking at the school gate in front of him, which seemed to be a place he had been before, Shirou Emiya was filled with deep doubt.

In my memory, I should have just stepped through the door, after my body was destroyed, and this was my first time coming to this world. Why do I have this inexplicable sense of familiarity?

It was as if this wasn't the first time he had stepped through the school gate.

But as I continued to think, my head started to throb violently again.

"What happened?"

Emiya Shirou stood in front of the school gate, covering his head and frowning as he looked at the school that exuded a sense of familiarity.

What exactly is this place?

He could only suppress this question deep in his heart.

No matter how much I think about it now, I can't find the answer, because I, who have just arrived in this world, know far too little.

"Let's go into the school first; this feeling of familiarity comes from there—"

A short sword with a chain appeared in Shirou Emiya's hand. Apart from the school, although the surrounding buildings and streets also had a strong sense of déjà vu, it was far less intense than the feeling this school gave him.

What's more, every time I try to continue thinking about why I have this strong sense of familiarity, my head starts to ache violently.

Everything was telling Shirou Emiya that he had to go inside the school to find the answers he was looking for.

Covered by armor, Shirou Emiya's figure vanished into thin air in just a few seconds.

Given how strange the school was, he couldn't just walk into it without making any preparations.

Although the school looked very similar to the Homurahara Academy High School that he knew, the students' uniforms were completely different from the school uniform he was wearing.

He didn't want to enter the school in such a conspicuous way, and if it were a parallel universe, he wouldn't know how to explain himself if he ran into himself or someone he knew.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Shirou Emiya naturally chose the most efficient method: to enter the school by making himself invisible.

Moreover, the [Evil Spirit Possession] skill itself possesses excellent defensive capabilities, providing a defensive option should any unexpected situations arise.

But the more he wandered around the school, the more that strange sense of familiarity filled his mind.

"I remember, this door seemed to be completely impossible to open—"

"I remember, Class 2-A was the class Shinji and Fujiwara-nee were in—"

"I remember, Rin Tohsaka seemed to be alone on the rooftop—"

"I remember that student would fall to the ground at that moment—"

More and more familiar memories flooded Shirou Emiya's mind; it seemed that this was indeed not the first time he had moved around this school invisibly.

It seems that each memory is repeated four or five times, but each repetition is slightly different.

Covering his head and staggering as if he had been drinking, Shirou Emiya deduced that he was now trapped in the same day.

Because in each previous repetition, one's actions were not exactly the same.

When I first came to this school, I didn't seem to find Rin Tohsaka, but on my second visit, I remembered the rooftop that I had never been to.

On the third and fourth occasions, my actions were different.

Although many choices are repeated, the ways we arrive at them are completely different.

It's like I initially entered this school to find Rin Tohsaka, but later I figured out why this school had such a strange feeling.

Why, after so many times, am I still unable to escape this endlessly repetitive day?

Is there no solution? Or is there another reason?

Emiya Shirou couldn't come up with an answer; his memories hadn't fully returned yet.

At this moment, all he could do was cover his head, endure the excruciating pain, and walk forward while trying to think.

In all my previous memories, it seems I never bothered to look for why I was stuck on this one day.

They also did not take any action to resolve the matter.

It was as if they already knew and tacitly accepted it, even knowing that they were trapped on the same day, yet they still did nothing.

What exactly is this for?

Emiya Shirou was filled with questions.

But no matter how much I continued to think about it, all I got was intense pain emanating from the depths of my mind.

The next second————

As if he understood something, Shirou Emiya swiftly appeared in the air and rushed towards the woman lying on the ground ahead, with long purple hair that reached past her knees, a red ribbon tied to the left side of her head, and wearing a white coat.

Even knowing that this day would repeat itself again and again, the boy named Emiya Shirou would still rush towards the person lying on the ground with an extremely tense expression.

"senior--!"

Seeing the white-haired boy appear before her, the purple-haired girl responded weakly.

Chapter 530 The Girl for This One Day

Inside the infirmary, the white-haired boy continued to take meticulous care of the purple-haired girl lying on the hospital bed, breathing softly.

Looking at the girl who was temporarily unconscious, Shirou Emiya let out a soft sigh.

He understood. The moment he saw the girl, Shirou Emiya completely comprehended everything, and his memories quickly returned.

By the third day, Shirou Emiya already knew who was keeping him trapped in this day.

That was the purple-haired girl lying in the hospital bed—Matou Sakura.

It is easy to deduce that the cause of this situation is the young girl lying in the hospital bed.

This is a repetitive day, with everyone doing the same things. Even Shirou Emiya himself would make the same decisions and do the same things when his memories hadn't returned.

Without external influence, no one will change their behavior on this recurring day; students who fall will still fall, and trash that isn't thrown into the trash can will still not be thrown into the trash can.

Everything was proceeding smoothly, except for the girl named Matou Sakura, whose behavior was never the same. Apart from their initial encounter, every subsequent interaction or time spent together was completely different.

Even if you say the exact same words as before, you get different answers and different reactions.

The key point is that, in the entire school, only a girl named Matou Sakura is like this.

If other Shirou Emiya were to use the same expression and words in a conversation, he would receive the exact same answer.

Emiya Shirou almost immediately realized that Sakura was the one who caused this abnormal situation.

But he didn't question Sakura about why she did it, nor did he try to stop her.

Although she wasn't the Sakura he knew, there was almost no difference between her in terms of personality and other aspects.

Emiya Shirou had no idea what Sakura's purpose was. He was rather oblivious to matters of the heart and didn't know what Sakura was feeling at that moment. However, he didn't sense any malice in Sakura's actions.

Moreover, Shirou Emiya was also filled with guilt towards Sakura.

He felt guilty because he had promised Zouken Matou to take care of Sakura, but he always disappeared for various reasons and was not by Sakura's side. He only took Sakura to his house and then never cared about her again.

He felt guilty for constantly making Sakura worry. Every time he returned home and saw Sakura looking at him with a faint smile, his heart would tremble.

He felt guilty because he had made Sakura bear many of the things that he should have taken on himself.

He also wanted to spend time with Sakura, but his current situation did not allow him to stop. Shirou Emiya also understood that, given his physical condition, it was already a miracle that he was alive.

Upon seeing the genuine smile on Sakura's face—a smile he didn't recognize—Shirou Emiya abandoned his plan to question her.

Emiya Shirou could also sense that she, like Sakura, seemed to be carrying something on her shoulders and worried about something.

But Shirou Emiya didn't ask. Just as Sakura was willing to wait for him to tell her what he was carrying, he was also willing to spend time waiting for Sakura to tell him what she was carrying.

Whether Sakura was making bento boxes in the infirmary, flying kites on the playground, or doing anything else, Shirou Emiya accompanied her wholeheartedly during these days, no matter what Sakura wanted to do.

There was no pretense, nor did he show any suspicion towards Sakura; as always, he acted as if he knew nothing.

Upon seeing Sakura's genuine smile, Shirou Emiya couldn't help but smile as well.