Chapter 36. Yukino in Despair, the Converging Worlds, and the Disappearance of the Service Club!
The BGM across the sky turned gentle, lingering.
One could clearly hear the frantic, panicked breaths of a girl—as if adrenaline had taken over during her desperate escape.
Countless viewers stared intently at the screen, eager to find out who had interrupted the legendary clash.
[Inside the lecture building, a beautiful girl with black hair was running for dear life, scrambling up the stairs to the rooftop.]
["What the hell… was that just now?!"]
[The beautiful girl was utterly panicked, clearly regretting her reckless decision.]
[Even after running with everything she had, the pursuer showed no sign of letting up.]
[Icy chains glinted with a deadly gleam, their tips threatening to pierce straight through her chest.]
[She was going to die…]
[She was really going to die…]
[There was not a shred of hope left!!]
[At this moment, Yukinoshita Yukino—a perfectly ordinary high school girl—fell into utter despair.]
"Wait, that's me from a parallel world jumping straight into the middle of the war?!"
From the Celestial Curtain, Yukinoshita Yukino stared wide-eyed in shock.
She had imagined many possible ways she might appear.
For instance, a proud and graceful flower striding elegantly into the Holy Grail War.
Or perhaps as a top student from the Clock Tower, arriving to negotiate a ceasefire.
Or even as a kind-hearted girl determined to save the world, rising up to slay her own Heroic Spirit self, driven by obsession.
But she had never expected that her parallel self would be… so ordinary. Barely appeared and already being hunted down, on the verge of death.
The entire global audience was stunned.
They had assumed she was some hidden master, playing the "mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the sparrow behind" game.
Waiting for the white-haired female Servant and Medusa to unleash their Noble Phantasms and both get injured.
But no—it was just an ordinary person who had stumbled onto the scene...
And this was the result?
The scene on the Celestial Curtain flickered, shifting to Yukinoshita Yukino's memories.
[The sun had set. In the teacher's office at Homurahara Academy, Hiratsuka Shizuka frowned.]
["You want to start a 'Service Club' to help others?"]
[Though the name sounded a bit sketchy, it was clearly meant to be a genuine support group.]
[Yukinoshita Yukino looked dead serious, her voice resolute: "Yes, Hiratsuka-sensei. I hope you'll approve!"]
["According to school regulations, I shouldn't… but as your guardian…"]
[The middle-aged single woman sighed softly, feeling a headache coming on.]
[Ever since Haruno passed away, she had become Yukino's guardian. After ten years of caring for her, she saw Yukino as her own daughter—and naturally understood the twisted sense of justice driving her.]
[After a long silence, Hiratsuka Shizuka finally spoke: "Alright. I'll allow it."]
"ALLOW IT MY ASS!!"
In the real world, inside the teacher's office at Homurahara Academy, Hiratsuka Shizuka screamed in rage.
The Celestial Curtain had made it painfully obvious—if she still didn't understand why Yukino had snuck out that night, she might as well retire.
It was highly likely that Yukino had stayed at school because of something related to the Service Club… and ended up getting hunted down.
That damn Service Club was nothing but trouble!!
Fuming, she glared at the application form sitting on her desk—submitted by none other than Yukinoshita Yukino.
"Denied! Straight-up rejection! That club only brings misfortune!"
While grumbling and cursing under her breath, the middle-aged woman made a decision that completely contradicted her earlier one.
First, she drew a huge red X over the form.
Then crumpled it into a ball, and with a sour look on her face, chucked it straight into the trash.
Immediately after, the Celestial Curtain changed scenes once more.
[Night had fallen.]
[A black-haired girl with her schoolbag was about to leave the school, when she noticed a commotion in the distance.]
[Driven by curiosity, Yukinoshita Yukino quietly moved closer.]
"That girl—stop courting for death!!"
Countless people, now understanding the cause and effect, couldn't help but mock.
Was she really going to be the first sacrificial pawn in the Holy Grail War?
…
[Swords clashed, light flashed, and Homurahara Academy was ravaged in an instant!]
[Witnessing such an overwhelming scene, Yukinoshita Yukino stood frozen in place.]
[It had clearly been an ordinary evening, yet she now found herself watching a godlike battle straight out of an epic, the terrifying aura causing her entire body to tremble, pupils contracting violently as she cried out in shock.]
[Fortunately, the two mighty combatants were completely engrossed in their violent clash, paying her no mind.]
[Yukino did her best to stay hidden, quietly observing the battle.]
[She watched silently as the two female Servants tried to kill each other. The surrounding ground was being torn apart, deep fissures opened everywhere, buildings collapsed with loud booms, and monstrous sword slashes left marks all across the ruined campus.]
[The ground looked like it had just endured a shower of small meteorites.]
[That level of personal power, far beyond any human limit, was enough to drive any witness to mute terror!]
As they watched the intense images on the Celestial Curtain, the crowd couldn't hold back their sarcasm.
"Are you serious? That flat-chested girl saw all that and still didn't run?"
"With all this going on, nobody's filming? Is the whole city of Fuyuki asleep or what?"
"Maybe they just sleep really well?"
"Goddamn, if people can sleep through this, I'll kneel right here and call them Dad!"
"Fuyuki's probably under a gas attack, huh?"
"If I lived nearby, I'd think World War III just started!"
"Feels like a missile strike or something!"
"From her name, isn't she related to Yukinoshita Haruno?"
"I noticed too—she looks like that kid in the photo Uncle Mouri was holding."
"Bro, it's been ten years. You think you can recognize how a kid would look all grown up?"
"Well, she's still got eyes and a nose—her facial features haven't changed that much!"
…
[In the corridor of the top floor of the school building, two figures were now within striking distance.]
[Moonlight poured in through the window, illuminating the terrified and despairing face of the black-haired girl up ahead.]
[Medusa saw it, and a trace of hesitation flashed in her eyes—but in the end, she still raised her jade-white arm.]
[By the rules of the Holy Grail War, any civilian who witnesses a Servant battle must be eliminated.]
["Whoosh!"]
[Through the sound of slicing wind, a chain tipped with a sharp blade shot forward with deadly precision.]
["—Guh!!"]
[Yukino suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, slowly lowering her head as searing pain pierced straight through her chest. She looked at the bloodied wound with dazed eyes, feeling nothing but a cold sorrow.]
[Am I… really going to die here?]
[There were still so many things she wanted to do, and her ideals remained unfulfilled…]
[Moments later, her pupils collapsed, her mind went blank, and she fell to the ground.]
[As her body temperature gradually faded, the sound of her heartbeat ceased completely.]
["…I'm sorry."]
[Medusa bit her upper lip tightly, her fingers clenching as she withdrew the chain.]
[She had just done something she utterly loathed.]
[She really hadn't wanted to kill that girl… not one bit.]
[Perhaps this was her destiny—as an Anti-Hero.]
[That mature, violet-haired woman, brows furrowed in sorrow, dissolved into spirit particles and vanished on the spot.]
[Not long after Medusa left, Team Archer appeared beside the corpse.]
["As expected… she's dead."]
[The white-haired female Servant wore a complicated expression as she silently gazed at the corpse of the "flat-chested young girl."]
[Raku Sou crouched down slightly, placing his pale hand over the girl's chest, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Her heart was damaged... but she can still be saved."]
[As he spoke, he glanced at his Servant's expression, which showed no surprise at all.]
[As if she had foreseen the future—clearly, she already knew what he was about to do.]
[Not only was she familiar with every corner of his house, she also possessed the exact same Projection Magecraft as Yukino. And now, this unbelievable reaction…]
[Just as he had suspected.]
[He only needed to undo Archer's ponytail to confirm the truth.]
[Rustle~.]
[Facing the corpse, the Young Master calmly reached into his pocket, producing a screeching rustle as he fumbled around, and quickly retrieved a ruby necklace from a pile of gemstones—radiating powerful magical energy capable of resurrecting the dead.]
[Then, as he placed the necklace on Yukino's smooth neck…]
"This necklace…"
Inside the Celestial Curtain world, Yukinoshita Yukino rubbed her eyes, a dazed look on her face.
So it turns out that no matter the world, her high school self always ends up facing deadly danger.
But each time, she escapes her destined end—thanks to the necklace Raku Sou gave her?
…
"Worldline convergence, huh…"
Yukinoshita Haruno muttered, her tone deep and her face filled with gravity. Her heart ached as she watched the tragic fate of her younger sister unfold.
However, this also indirectly confirmed the inevitability of Raku Sou.
If, in a parallel world, Yukino and Raku Sou were husband and wife… then in this world, it was more than possible. (note: I don't understand why she has this thought.)
…
A gentle, elegant melody drifted from the Celestial Curtain—smooth and unhurried, like flowing water and drifting clouds.
["Let's go, Archer."]
[The young man in white robes spoke flatly, as if he didn't care in the slightest that he had just handed over a priceless magical artifact.]
["Not planning to stick around and wait for her to repay you with her body?"]
[The white-haired female Servant raised her brow, her smile filled with teasing innuendo. "With a favor this big, you could totally make her repay you with her body—and maybe pop out a few cute kids together."]
["Huh...?!"]
[Raku Sou was stunned. "Yukinoshita-san has no boobs and no butt—definitely not my type. At the very least, she needs to be a C-cup to meet my standards."]
[Immediately, the surrounding air seemed to drop by several degrees—an icy chill filled the atmosphere.]
["Master..."]
[The female Servant gritted her teeth audibly. "How could you insult a girl like that!"]
["She'll become a big-boobed moe onee-san in the future—so beautiful and enviable that you'll regret not chasing after her when you had the chance!"]
"… …"
Yukinoshita Yukino stood silent for a long time, casting a glance at the flat chest of the female Servant.
At last, she understood the saying—
If it's meant to be, you can't escape it; if it's not, no point forcing it.
Sometimes, even comforting delusions about yourself… bring little joy.
Wait a second!
Archer's identity will definitely be revealed—and that conversation will become her black history!?
Yukino jolted in horror.
Just imagining the scene—returning to class and having everyone burst into laughter, chanting "Flat-chested Heroine~" while her face burned red and she stammered back with theoretical rebuttals like, "Parallel worlds don't represent actual future outcomes"…
Only for the entire class to howl with laughter, the air filled with joyous teasing.
"No way! I can't let that get exposed!!"
She gritted her teeth, absolutely unwilling to let that nightmare become reality!
After she got home, she had to eat well, train hard, and evolve from "Little sister" into "Big sister"!