CH 1

It took three days, but Shirou finally accepted that he had traveled through time and ended up in the city of Fuyuki. The city is divided into two districts: Miyama and Shinto. It is home to the Tohsaka, Matou families, and the Church, particularly the Ryudō Temple and the Fuyuki Bridge, which are almost symbols of the city.

Despite finding it hard to believe, Shirou realized that he had become one of the main characters in this world: the second-generation hero of justice known as Shirou Emiya. However, he soon realized that the timeline of his time travel seemed to be a bit off. As he stood in the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror, Shirou couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

The little boy in front of Shirou was about six years old, wearing a sweater with Doraemon on it. He had a head of reddish-brown hair and eyebrows that seemed to be constantly flashing. Despite his young age, he looked quite old.

"September 7, 1993... that's before the Fourth Holy Grail War!" Shirou exclaimed, clutching his head in frustration. In addition to the fact that the Fourth Holy Grail War had not yet occurred in Fuyuki City, there were several other indicators that something was amiss. Most notably, this body – or the little boy who would later be renamed "Shirou Emiya" – was currently called "Fujimaru Shirou," and both of his parents were still alive. This meant that Shirou might experience a series of tragic events during the Fourth Holy Grail War. For example, he might wake up one night to find a killer ghost lurking in his house, or he might get caught up in attacks by ancient heroes while walking home from school.

The most critical issue was that Shirou's house was located near the Fuyuki Grand Theater, the site of the final stage of the Fourth Holy Grail War and the place where the Holy Grail's black mud would descend. The fire caused by the black mud would turn the area into a sea of flames, killing everyone in its path. In the original history, Shirou Emiya was the only survivor of the fire, but now that he had traveled through time, he had no way of knowing if he would be able to survive.

"No! Fuyuki City is too dangerous! It's better to hurry up and persuade my parents to move!" Shirou thought frantically.

He made up his mind to persuade his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fujimaru, to move out of Fuyuki City. However, his efforts were in vain.

"Shirou, you're not allowed to be stubborn anymore! Do you know how much effort your dad has put into getting this house? And moving? You're not allowed to say such stubborn words anymore," Mr. Fujimaru scolded him sternly.

The economic downturn in 1993, coupled with the real estate bubble and the international financial crisis in 1992, made it difficult for many people to move. Fortunately, Mr. Fujimaru's job was relatively stable, so the possibility of moving was out of the question. Who knows if they would be able to find a job in the next city after quitting and moving?

Shirou couldn't directly tell his parents that he was a time traveler and that a magician's war was about to break out in Fuyuki City, leading to a fire that would kill them all. Even if they believed him, they would probably send him to the church to have the "evil spirit" exorcised from his body. Shirou had no choice but to accept the situation and hope for the best.

Since the most effective way of moving had been vetoed, Shirou began to think about survival strategies for the Fourth Holy Grail War. He formulated the following survival guidelines: Absolutely do not approach famous facilities such as the pier, Fuyuki Bridge, and International Hotel. Absolutely do not contact anyone related to the Holy Grail War. Go home after school. Don't go out after dark, and close the door when entering and exiting the house. Walk on the main road and never walk down the alley. By following these guidelines, Shirou hoped to minimize the chances of encountering dangerous situations during the Holy Grail War. It would not be easy, but he was determined to do whatever it took to survive.

...

Article 19: Absolutely do not stick your nose into other people's business, prioritize your own survival above all else.

Article 20: Pay attention to the movements of the grand theater, and if anything unusual happens, quickly gather people and run away!

Having written down these 20 survival guidelines, Shirou carefully read through them and couldn't help but praise their effectiveness. As long as he could survive and wait until he grew up, he could move to another city and use his knowledge of the future to create a better life for himself. Even if he couldn't become the world's richest person like the protagonists in urban web novels, at least he could make his life in this world richer than his previous one. He wouldn't have to rely on being punctual to get by like he did in his previous life as a third-rate web novelist.

Just as Shirou was feeling proud of his plans and looking forward to his bright future, the arrival of one person caused his plans to come crashing down. On September 15, 1993, at 5:32 PM, Mrs. Fujimaru returned home from grocery shopping, carrying a basket full of vegetables and meat, as well as a small girl covered in dust who was slightly smaller than Shirou.

As soon as they entered the house and before Mrs. Fujimaru could even put down the basket of groceries, she confidently announced, "Shirou, this is Sakura. She will be your sister from now on."

The little girl, who was wearing a red dress and had short black hair and bright green eyes like emeralds, nervously and fearfully introduced herself. "Th-then...uh...hello...big brother."

Shirou had a blank expression on his face. Although she looked a little different from the girl in his memories, if he changed the color of her hair and eyes to purple, there was no doubt that she looked exactly like the girl he knew as either Matou Sakura or Tohsaka Sakura. But shouldn't either Sakura be out of his social circle at this time? How did she suddenly get brought home by his own mother?

"Shirou, I'm telling you, Sakura will be your sister from now on, and you are not allowed to bully her. Got it?" Mrs. Fujimaru said sternly.

"Got it," Shirou nodded in response.

It was clear that Mrs. Fujimaru wanted to adopt Sakura, but unfortunately, the family's decision was not up to her alone. Especially in this era of economic crisis, would Mr. Fujimaru, as the head of the household, accept the burden of an additional family member?

"What?! Sakura was abandoned by her parents? You found her in a garbage dump? Abandoning their own child? What kind of sh*tty parents are they? No matter what the reason, they shouldn't abandon their own child! Okay! I agree, from now on I will treat Sakura as my own daughter!" Mr. Fujimaru, filled with righteous indignation, agreed to adopt Sakura, causing Shirou's mouth to twitch.

However, having accepted the memories of this body, Shirou also knew why Mr. and Mrs. Fujimaru were so kind-hearted. This may have been related to their own experiences as abandoned infants in the post-war era of the 1960s. They had been like dependent siblings before eventually getting married and having Shirou on April 15, 1987.

Upon realizing that both of his parents have come to accept Sakura as their daughter, Shirou tears up his plan sheet and tosses it into the trash in frustration.