Chapter 60: Decisions, Decisions...

After an awkward but delicious lunch, Thomas was given the opportunity to peruse the Install Cards in Illya's and Miyu's possession.

"This is it...?" asked Thomas.

Despite being in the world of One Piece for three and a half years, Shirou and his younger sisters had only managed to collect a dozen or so Install Cards. Some had pretty scary numbers on them, like the Grade 8 Archer, Grade 7 Lancer, and Grade 7 Saber Cards, but it was clear they had a long way to go before collecting all 63.

Smiling wryly, Emiya explained, "Our first few months in this world were spent getting our bearings, securing funds, and acquiring a ship to travel. Traveling between islands also takes time..."

Adopting a wry smile of his own, Thomas replied, "Fair point..." before picking up the Grade 8 Archer Card and asking, "Is this Gilgamesh? If so, couldn't you use his ship to travel...?"

Responding in Shirou's stead, Miyu explained, "The Grade 8 Cards are powerful enough to retain part of their original Ego. Gilgamesh only lets people he approves of utilize his Card. Using it to travel isn't an option..."

"Ah..." uttered Thomas. Then, after setting the Card on the table, he said, "That sucks. I have no intention of speedrunning through this world, but having access to Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon would have made things much easier. It's one of the most badass and overpowered abilities in the Nasuverse."

In an obvious attempt to promote her usefulness, Chloe pointed out, "The Gilgamesh Card is powerful, sure, but the Grade 5 Archer Card can give it a run for its money. Mine and Shirou's Projection Magecraft lets us create Mystic Codes and Noble Phantasms. They might not last long, but they're an effective counter against most of Gilgamesh's arsenal."

Demonstrating it wasn't 'that' easy to pull the wool over his eyes, Thomas replied, "Projection Magecraft is awesome, but the only reason Gilgamesh loses fights is because he doesn't take them seriously. If he pulled out Ea, Enkidu, or Vimana at the start of a conflict, there isn't much his opponents can do."

Directing his attention to Shirou, Thomas added, "Don't get me wrong. Your Unlimited Blade Works is one of the most iconic abilities in the Fate Series. But that's a power your future self acquired after surrendering his freedom and becoming a Counter Guardian. It wasn't meant to be used in combat against Heroic Spirits..."

Instead of refuting Thomas's words, Shirou raised his corrupted left hand and balled it into a fist as he replied, "I know. I have never once believed myself equal to the King of Heroes. I'm just doing what I must to protect what's important to me..."

Adopting an awkward smile, Thomas remarked, "And that's why you're the protagonist in so many anime, manga, and video games..."

Before anyone could ask him for details, Thomas returned his attention to the Install Cards in front of him, focusing on the Grade 7 Saber and Grade 5 Caster Cards, remarking, "I'm pretty sure the Grade 7 Saber is Artoria or Arthur, but who does the Grade 5 Caster belong to? Medea...?"

With an accusatory look on her face, Illya narrowed her eyes and asked, "Didn't you say you didn't watch the anime we originated from? You know an awful lot..."

Shaking his head, Thomas revealed, "In the original anime and video game, Fate Stay Night, Artoria and Medea were two of the Servants summoned to participate in the Fifth Fuyuki Holy Grail War. Alongside them were Gilgamesh, Cu Chulainn, Medusa, Heracles, Hassan-i-Sabbah, EMIYA, and a False Assassin inspired by Sasaki Kojiro. My guesses were based on that lineup."

Answering in Illya's stead, Chloe replied, "Well, you hit the nail on the head. Except for Sasaki Kojiro, we possess the cards of every Heroic Spirit you mentioned. It's almost uncanny."

Picking up the Grade 5 Caster Card, Thomas asked, "What happens when a guy equips the Install Card of a female Heroic Spirit?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Chloe caught Thomas off guard by changing into her incredibly skimpy Archer EMIYA outfit, explaining, "Even when using the same Cards, Illya and Miyu end up with completely different outfits. I'm guessing the same will apply to you."

Averting his eyes from the scantily clad loli, Thomas focused on the Cards in front of him. He could borrow more than one, but one of the conditions they set was that he only takes one at a time. If he was going to let Chloe accompany him, the most 'sensible' option would be to choose the EMIYA Card. Projection Magecraft was the penultimate form of his Reinforcement and Material Transmutation. With the EMIYA Card in hand and a qualified teacher, he could potentially become an unstoppable force...

Before making a decision, Thomas asked, "What are the identities of the other Cards?"

Pointing to each of them in turn, Illya revealed, "The Grade 4 Saber is Bedivere, one of the Knights of the Round Table. The Grade 1, 4, and 5 Lancers are Gareth, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, and Cu Chulain. After them, the Grade 3 Archer is David, from the legends of David versus Goliath. For the Casters, we have the Grade 3 Paracelsus and Grade 5 Medea..."

Getting to the Berserker Cards, Illya's expression became somewhat serious as she said, "I wouldn't recommend choosing a Berserker Card. Unless you possess a strong will, you will gradually lose your ability to reason. If you 'do' choose one, we have the Grade 4 Penthesilea, Grade 5 Heracles, and Grade 7 Lancelot. For Assassins, we only have the Grade 5 Hassan-i-Sabbah..."

Noticing a distinct absence of Rider Cards, Thomas asked, "What about the Medusa Card? Did you lend it to Hancock...?"

While Miyu and Illya promptly furrowed their brows, Shirou adopted a wry smile as he explained, "Hancock was already in possession of the Grade 7 Archer Card, but we lent her and her sisters three of our own in exchange for their assistance. The Grade 4 Archer and Assassin Cards happened to be Euryale and Stheno, two of the three Gorgon Sisters from Greek Myth, so we loaned those to Sandersonia and Marigold while Hancock took the Medusa Card for herself."

Since Hancock and her sisters were known as the Gorgon Trio, Thomas just nodded his head in response to Shirou's explanation. He was curious about the identity of the Grade 7 Archer Card, however, so he asked, "And what about the Card already in Hancock's possession? It must be pretty strong to be ranked between the EMIYA and Gilgamesh Cards."

Nodding his head in affirmation, Shirou maintained a wry smile as he replied, "The Card's identity is Ishtar, the Mesopotamian Goddess of Love and Fertility. As for its power...it's honestly a little ridiculous..."

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"..."

Not expecting Shirou to reveal the name of one of his Top-3 Waifus from the Nasuverse, Thoma's thoughts promptly ground to a halt. He knew the Cards weren't the actual Heroic/Divine Spirits, but still...

Recovering his senses, Thomas adopted an expression similar to Illya and Miyu as he asked, "What's your relationship with Hancock...?"

Instead of answering Thomas's question directly, Shirou's smile became wrier as he scratched the back of his head. In his stead, Chloe revealed, "She's been trying to get Shirou to marry her ever since he resisted her charm and went on a rampage in Marie Geoise. That's why he lives out here on the island's periphery. He's trying to avoid her."

Though it was the truth, Shirou furrowed his brows slightly and argued, "I'm not trying to avoid her...I just don't want to get too entangled with the inhabitants of this world. If I were to give in and accept her proposal, it might affect my motivations to return home..."

While Hancock wasn't one of his 'primary' targets, Thomas breathed a sigh of relief alongside Illya and Miyu. Shirou was famously dense, but he was infamous as a harem protagonist. He was like a magnet that attracted Heroines, so much so that if he weren't injured, Thomas could imagine him 'picking up' every major female character he came across...

To prevent Shirou from roaming about freely, Thomas promptly picked up the EMIYA Card and said, "I've made my decision. I'm currently trying to master Reinforcement and Material Transmutation, so this is probably the Card most suited to my current skillset."

While Chloe immediately narrowed her eyes in suspicion, Shirou replied, "That may be so, but if Crocodile owns the Grade 6 Caster Card, you will benefit more from borrowing one of the Saber Class Cards. The Grade 7 Saber grants A-Rank Magic Resistance and Instinct, so it's a perfect counter against Casters. And with your Mana-Mana-no-Mi, you should have no trouble outlasting the average Cardholder."

Nodding his head, Thomas replied, "I would probably do exactly that if I were fighting alone, but I have my Captain and several supporting Spirits that can intervene if shit hits the fan. Astolfo, for example, has a grimoire that can negate any Spells beneath A-Rank. After here, there's Benienma, who possesses A-Rank Magic Resistance on her own, and Caenis, who is virtually indestructible. We'll be fine."

Exhaling a faint sigh, Shirou softly remarked, "Your entry into this world has been a lot more 'blessed' than our own..."

Shaking away his negativity, Shirou raised his head, adopting a smile as he supplanted, "I suppose I should be grateful you're on our side. If you were an enemy, achieving our goal might be impossible."

Though Shirou's words made him feel a little guilty, Thomas did his best to suppress it, responding, "I might be an asshole, but I'm not the type to ignore people in need. I might not race from island to island in search of them, but I can promise to help you assemble the remaining Install Cards once my journey has ended. My wish was granted the moment I came to this world, so I don't need really them outside of learning their skills."

Sensing no falsehoods in Thomas's words, Shirou said something the former was starting to get tired of hearing, specifically, "You're a good man, Tom..." before bowing his head and adding, "Thank you for agreeing to help us."

Furrowing his brows, Thomas insisted, "I'm ultimately doing this for my own benefit...I don't need your gratitude..."

Undaunted by Thomas's words, Shirou raised his head, replying, "Maybe not, but I'm still grateful. Now, even if something happens to me, I know there will be at least one person I can trust to look after my sisters..."

Raising his hands, Thomas's eyes widened as he beat Illya and Miyu to the punch, exclaiming, "You shouldn't say shit like that! Haven't you ever heard of a Death Flag!? Jesus Christ, man..."

Exhaling a light chuckle, Shirou replied, "Don't worry. I have no plans to die anytime soon. Rather, now that we have you helping to collect Cards for us, I can relax here on the island and focus entirely on my recovery."

Shaking his head, Thomas rebutted, "Even if that's the case, you should choose your words more carefully. I mean, just take a look around. You managed to piss off all three of your sisters in one fell swoop..."

Following Thomas's direction, Shirou looked around to find Illya, Miyu, and even Chloe 'glaring' at him. His words held a bit of sincerity but were primarily intended as a joke. Seeing how 'serious' their reactions were, he couldn't help smiling awkwardly, scratching his head as he remarked, "I may have taken my joke a little too far..."

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(A/N: Thomas be like, "Ain't no way in hell you're dumping these Lolis onto me...". Also, a friendly reminder to check out the updated AUX chapters. We really worked hard on them xD...)

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