Entry 22: Scouting: This guy again

[My second target is standing outside the 3rd year classroom.]

Shinji :: Wha…hey, is that you, Kishinami!? Thank god, finally someone understandable showed up!

Shinji’s face lights up when he sees me. We haven’t spoken for long yet, but I can tell just from that reaction that he’s the same Shinji Matou I knew at that “previous school.” Even if that previous school was just a dream, the characters were people I met in the real preliminaries, and projected an image of that person’s character. It looks like the image of Shinji I had in my memories was right.

Shinji :: So, you’re doing that too? If you can find any openings in the school building? Say, have you seen anything like an exit?

I shake my head in response to Shinji’s question. I explain that I just woke up here in the old school building, so of course I haven’t found anything.

Shinji :: Your were asleep? Where? What, the infirmary…? Huh, so they’ve got one of those here. Well, I guess it figures that a moron like you would come here and just stay in bed! You’re third rate, just as I thought.

It’s Shinji’s usual manner of speech. I know he’s insulting me, but it doesn’t bother me. It seems like during the dream I got past being annoyed by his elitism and his obsession with how people see him. …besides, if I look at it a certain way, Shinji really is an ace. I should scout him for the student council, like Leo asked me to.

Shinji :: Huh? The student council? You’re forming a team to cooperate to find a way to escape from this place? Hah, I refuse! A student council is useless. You can all make friends and escape together if you want. I’m a genius, after all. I don’t group with the normals. So I won’t be lending anyone a hand. On top of that, this is the first I’ve heard of Leo being here. I hate that guy. He’s too calm all the time, too full of himself. If Leo left and I were the council president, I’d think about it. So don’t come to me about this until then, okay?

…I was refused. But what is Shinji planning to do on his own anyway? I know he’s bad at being friends with people, but in this situation it won’t be enough just to be strong, and still…

Shinji :: Thanks for your concern. Though I don’t need it. I’m always by myself. I like single-player games better, see. Anyway, Kishinami, do you remember anything about the Holy Grail War?

I don’t remember anything, I answer. I feel like my Servant and I fought a number of times, but since I don’t remember how or with whom, there’s nothing I can really tell Shinji about it.

Shinji :: Eh? A Servant? You have a Servant with you!?

…yeah, something like that, I reply uncertainly. That golden Servant is pretty different from the usual notion of a “Servant,” but he is contracted to me, so far as that goes… On the other hand, Shinji’s shock is closer to fear than to confusion. I try asking him about his Servant…

Shinji :: …I don’t have one. It looks like she got lost when I came here. Well, I should have her back as soon as I return to the Grail War. …that’s right, I need to get out of here and go back to the Grail War soon. With her Master gone, even that woman would be stupidly helpless…Besides, the Grail War could still be going on. If you can’t make it to the elimination battle arena in seven days, you’ll lose by default, you know?

Seven days…Elimination battle arena…Lose by default…When he mentions them, I remember as well. The Holy Grail War was held in a seven round tournament format. The rules were that first your opponent would be decided, then there was a seven day preparation period, then you would proceed to the elimination battle arena, and fight the enemy Master. As a matter of course, if you lost a battle you would be disqualified, and if you couldn’t make your way to the elimination battle arena, that would be considered a loss. And then, the loser would get –

Shinji :: Heh. It’s “you lose, you die,” right? Idiotic. If it comes to that, you can just logout. What an old-fashioned threat.

Indeed, maybe it was like that in the main rounds of the Grail War. If you going to die, you could just cut your connection and return to your body on Earth. …However. They say that not one of the wizards who have ascended to the moon has ever returned from the virtual brain space. And then there’s also the practical problem that none of us can leave this school.

Shinji :: Hey, what’re you making that grim face for!? It’s just from this school building that we don’t have any connection to the Earth. Once we leave this structure and reach another area, the connection will come back online. Of course it will. What? The Moon Cell is the brain of God, right? Then help will come soon enough. Why? Because I’m here, and I’m the favorite for this competition. And administration side can’t just go without their star, can they?

Unchanged from original translation: https://tsukinoura.wordpress.com/2013/07/05/entry-22-scouting-this-guy-again/. Please support the original translator.