Onsen Jamboree Episode 3 Part 4

Things continue on from before midway through the encounter as Shirou and Wen Kamui are taking a moment to breathe. The minion battle between Evils and ciramantep has been deadlocked, and Kimun is mad that he brought out a ground march that didn't really help. Shirou for his part is also in disbelief that he had to pull out a friendship dance he had been practicing with his Evils that he says he did for you. You comment that both groups had great coordination, that both groups looked brilliant, and suggest things might end peacefully.

 

Wen says he thinks better of Shirou and the Evils now and compliments the affection between them all. Shirou responds by saying he's seen for himself how much Wen and the ciramantep trust each other. As you and Maria clap, Wen and Shirou put out there hands towards each other...and then they snap that this isn't how things are supposed to go and jump back from each other. Wen says it's time for things to be settled with force and tells his mobs that the sideshow is over. Shirou notes that Wen just got more worked up and tells you and the Evils it's time to fight. You either sigh about how the peaceful end got yanked away, say to Shirou that you guys will go, or tell the Evils you'll all do your best.

 

Time skips a little, and Shirou notes that Wen's side are all used to fighting in the mountains, and that your side is at a disadvantage in this terrain. Narration describes how the ciramantep are weaving in closer through the trees to hunt you guys down, though the Evils are fighting defensively and are managing to keep the mobs at bay.

 

Maria calls out warning you guys to be careful because Wen has disappeared somewhere, and Shirou turns to you to repeat the warning as he says Wen is being careful against you and your power. He talks about how the side that can better hone their senses when fighting in the forest wins, so you guys need to turn things around. You however realize that Wen has a target besides you and a way to tip the numbers his way. Shirou catches on, at which point Wen manages to get the jump on him.

 

Wen laughs about getting some of Shirou's skin, though I'm pretty sure it's still just a cut of his clothes. But anyways Wen repeats the command he used the first time around when he showed up with Kagutsuchi as he activates his NP. Shadow Shirou manifests and starts talking about how he feels it's fine if things stay as they are, that it's enough for him to be next to you. All of his feelings about you are swelling up, and he says he wants nothing more than that. He's afraid of losing his relationship with you, so things staying the same is fine.

 

Shirou is shocked by what his Shadow copy is talking about as he quickly denies what it's saying is true and begs you to not listen to it. He also tells the Evils to not listen to the copy either, though they just seem confused. Wen starts cackling about how the copy is totally a true representation of his past self, but Shirou interrupts by whacking him across the face and yelling desperately for him to shut up. Wen then proceeds to complain that being hit with the corners of a book hurts, man. Shirou snaps out of his panic and tries to act calm again, repeating a warning to be careful to you guys.

 

Time skips a bit again as Shadow Shirou has summoned a bunch of Shadow Evils to his side, and Shirou calls for a pullback since you guys are outnumbered. Shadow Shirou orders a long range attack with him and the Evils, though rather than being aimed at your group the attacks are being used to cut your retreat off. Shadow Shirou then orders the ciramantep to flank you guys in the meantime.

 

Wen laughs about how well Shadow Shirou is working out, and the Shadow talks about how he's good at support, perfectly so when you take into account his personality. Shirou indignantly yells for his Shadow to shut up, then just starts yelling. Maria says that the the ciramantep are getting closer while the Evils are attacking from the front.

 

Shirou decides now is a good time to ask you for an opinion, specifically about whether you think things would be better if he were the guild's leader. You tell Shirou that he is who he is, and that he'll make the same effort whether he were leading or supporting. Shirou seems surprised by your answer before being relieved and happy you said so as he agrees. He wonders if he had what he was looking for when he acted as a strong leader.

 

Shirou then narrates as he says he doesn't believe putting on an act is a bad thing, but he does feel like he forced it a little. He might have been too focused on the outside and might have just not seen what was within himself. Shirou speaks to you and Maria again as he says he has a plan of attack, and he asks you to go with it when he gives the signal. The Evils chirp at Shirou, and Shirou asks for their help too as he says they're irreplaceable to him.

 

After the battle, the story picks up as Shadow Shirou tells Wen that your Evils' attacks are meant to sabotage and defend. You yell Wen's name as you run in to attack in the middle of the Evils' covering fire, though Wen blocks it. He's surprised and amused you guys really are going on the offensive, though he sees it coming when Maria casts her NP at him too as he evades that.

 

Shadow Shirou says that his original is all that's left, so all they need to do is to bring down the rear support Evils. He's interrupted when Shirou's Evils rush out squealing for a melee attack, which surprises him into doubting his eyes. Maria's attack has turned out to position them all into having to take the attack head on. The Evils prance around shooting curse beams, dancing, winking, and yelling as they please, which throws everything into chaos as it becomes hard to tell who is who.

 

Shadow Shirou is baffled as he asks why Shirou put his Evils up to this. Shirou jumps out of the mess to tackle his copy and ends up blowing him away. After that he quickly pulls out his book, and he talks about how shameful he was to think about whether he was support or the leader. If it'll help you, then he doesn't care which position he has. Narration says he was caught up in words and caught up in what his appropriate Role is. He senses you behind him, and he feels he can believe that you'll be there with him.

 

Shirou says he can do anything if it's for your sake as that is his wish. Shadow Shirou protests that this is absurd and out of character for himself. Shirou agrees as he says he's changed from the time he'd spend his after school alone at the library. He doesn't know yet whether his change can be described as growth, but he's sure he's gone to a different place than where he was back then. He can see more than he could from his past, and he can see how he's changed. The world, the universe can expand when you see the same things from a different angle.

 

Shirou casts his NP, and narration talks about how Shirou's world is expanding, quicker and further away beyond his fears and the universe. This attack defeats Shadow Shirou and the Evils, and Wen's presence starts weakening as well. He clicks his tongue about Shirou being a hard worker and tells you guys to be ready for next time as he switches back to Kimun Kamui. As he goes you get curious about the expression he made as you wonder if he was expressing frustration or something else.

 

Some time after the app battle finishes up, Kimun wakes up. You, Shirou, Maria, and Kimun make it to the second checkpoint after that and Aizen is the first to see you all arrive. His immediate reaction is to be scandalized at how dirty and sweaty everyone is and demanding an explanation for that. Someone tells him you guys mistimed the battle's ending and ended up falling in the dirt after it stopped, so he pushes you all to go take a bath.

 

Scene shifts over to the tub where you can choose to have things play out with a foot bath or a full on bath. Maria sighs about how the bath is making her fatigue fly away, and Kimun mentions the same thing before commenting on needing to thank Aizen for heating up the water. The Evils seem excited about being in the water, and Shirou is in full mom mode telling them that the bath isn't a place to play. They can only have one toy for now, and Shirou reminds them not to bother everyone else. Kimun laughs and says it'd be okay once in a while since the Evils worked hard too, and you agree with the idea.

 

Kimun changes the subject to talk about how he doesn't have any memories of what happened when he was Wen, and he phrases this in a way to suggest Wen is an object rather than a living being. Maria asks if he remembers absolutely nothing, and Kimun is frustrated as he confirms that. You tell Kimun he doesn't need to worry about that as you guys can figure something out the next time Wen pops out.

 

Kimun says you're reliable, even moreso than how you seemed when this all started. He talks about how you're all growing, just as Shirou had done by breaking out of his shell. He says the growth of mortal children is a wonderful thing, something that needs to be known. He wonders where Wen came from and why he changed into him, then figures the more important question is What Is He Even Doing.

 

Time skips a bit later as Maria says it's about time to excuse herself to go to a staff meeting. Kimun says he'll be going to the meeting with her, and he tells you guys to enjoy the water. Shirou seems a bit sad they left, but he quickly clarifies that he's not against being with you. He thanks you for everything that's happened here and talks about how a lot of embarrassing parts of him were put out there. He says he has a lot of feelings, which he struggles to verbalize for a bit before settling on friendship. You respond by smiling at him, grabbing his hand, and/or hugging him around the shoulder.

 

Shirou is a bit shocked by your reaction, though the Evils seem excited as they watch. Aizen is also watching from somewhere as he asks if Shirou thought he was going to outwit him. He gets huffy for a moment wondering if Shirou also thought he'd overlook the feelings he was holding in his heart, and Aizen says it'll be helpful for his mission as an exchange student. Around the same time a shadow sneaks up to camp from the rear, and the episode ends with them stealing away a sword from among your party's luggage.