"That was a close one..."
"It's a huge relief that our money is actually usable in this era."
Rin Tohsaka and Artoria held their shopping bags, letting out simultaneous sighs of relief.
If their currency hadn't been accepted, they would have been facing a significant hurdle right from the start.
While they could have used magical suggestion to "Borrow" supplies, the idea of a group of elite magi and Servants resorting to such petty tricks was simply too humiliating to consider.
"Good work."
Inside the house they had rented as their base of operations, Sakura Matou stepped forward to take the bags from them, seeing that they had returned with the necessary supplies.
"Where are Shirou and the others?"
Rin and Artoria looked around, noticing that only Sakura was there to greet them.
"Well..."
"They're all in the kitchen. But things aren't looking very good right now."
Sakura's expression was a bit stiff, hovering somewhere between a pained smile and a look of total exasperation.
Confused by her reaction, Rin and Artoria made their way toward the back of the house. As they approached the kitchen, they were met with an incredibly tense, almost hostile atmosphere.
Shirou, Red Archer, Black Archer, and Muramasa were all crowded into the tiny kitchen, staring each other down with varying levels of intensity.
Each of them was holding a different ingredient, and it was clear they were all intent on preparing dinner themselves.
"Look, I can handle this on my own..."
"I already told you, youngsters should just sit back and wait for the food to be served."
"No, that's not going to happen. I'm not backing down on this."
"You guys are still too inexperienced."
The scene of the four of them refusing to yield even an inch of the kitchen was nothing short of a disaster.
Rin watched from the doorway, her mind struggling to comprehend why a simple task like cooking dinner had turned into such a fierce confrontation.
Was their compatibility really that poor?
And why were they all so obsessed with cooking anyway?
Aside from Shirou, were these three Heroic Spirits really such expert chefs?
"How long do you plan on carrying out this nonsense?!"
"It's just dinner!"
"Delaying any further will only result in everyone going hungry. This is unacceptable!"
Artoria had reached the limit of her patience. She stepped into the kitchen and unleashed a sharp, authoritative scolding.
If this continued, she didn't know when she'd finally get to eat.
She could tolerate them acting like bitter rivals on the battlefield, but when it came to food, she wasn't going to sit idly by.
"..."
The four men all turned to look at her. Eventually, it was Black Archer who made the first move.
"Hmph. Do whatever you want. But if the final product is inferior..."
He set down his knife and ingredients, washed his hands, and walked past Artoria with a cold, haughty expression.
His threatening tone made his high standards painfully clear.
"Tch."
Recognizing that the standoff was over, Red Archer was the second to set down his things.
"Ehh? I thought you'd put up more of a fight than that."
Seeing her Servant being so unexpectedly reasonable, Rin leaned forward slightly, offering a playful, mocking comment.
Her lively, cheerful demeanor caused Red Archer to stare at her for several long seconds.
"W-What is it?!"
Uncomfortable with the intensity of his gaze, Rin straightened up and let out a sharp, embarrassed cry.
"Nothing..."
Red Archer let out a soft, internal sigh and closed his eyes. He didn't say anything further as he turned and walked toward the living room.
While her personality was still as "Playful" as he remembered, there was a visible difference between her and the "Prim and Proper Heiress" of his own memories.
In fact, after spending even a little time with this group, Red Archer had noticed something.
Whether it was Illya, Sakura... or even Rin... they were all incredibly cheerful. They didn't carry the heavy, somber weight that usually defined a magus.
Even his past "Self" seemed to have grown in an entirely different direction.
What exactly had happened to these people to cause such a radical shift?
He couldn't find an answer, so he chose to bury the question deep within his heart, waiting for a more appropriate time to seek the truth.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Old Man."
"That's more like it."
"You kids just go and sit down like good little boys."
Shirou didn't push the matter either. He followed the others out of the kitchen, leaving Muramasa alone to begin the preparations.
"Honestly, why were you guys even arguing over who gets to cook?"
"I don't know. I just went in there with the ingredients, and a second later, everyone else had followed me."
"It was a ridiculous confrontation."
"Hehe! But sister, at least everyone is getting along now, right?"
The sounds of the conversation drifted into the adjacent room, waking the man who had been sleeping. He reached up and rubbed his groggy, heavy head.
"Where am I..."
He looked down, realizing he was lying on a makeshift bed on the floor. Memories slowly began to surface.
Ah, right. He had been summoned as a Servant.
The image of the girl with the snowy white hair flickered through his mind.
'The injuries healed remarkably fast.'
'Is this the convenience of being a Servant?'
He recognized the benefits of having an exceptional Master.
His physical condition felt entirely different than it had before.
"Shirou, there's only a radio here! No TV! And I was hoping there'd be some games to play!"
The thin walls of the house allowed the voices from the other room to drift in clearly.
Shirou.
They were likely calling for him, right?
But he was still in here...
And he thought he'd heard the name "Sakura" just a moment ago.
'I should go and see...'
With that thought in mind, he straightened his bedding and walked out of the room.
"Hmm?"
"Ehh..."
As he entered the living room, he immediately saw Sakura, but beside her was "Himself," who was currently engaged in conversation with his Master.
At the same time, the eyes of the entire group turned toward him.
"The other Shirou is awake."
"Ah, this is going to be a problem."
"If we just shout 'Shirou,' we won't know which one we're talking to."
He listened to the conversation, his brow furrowing. But it was Rin's final comment that caused both Red Archer and Black Archer to stiffen.
"His true name has the same surname as my other name."
Illya sat on the floor, offering a blunt, straightforward answer.
"Surname?"
"Emiya?!"
Sakura and the others finally realized what she meant. Illya did indeed have two names.
One was her original "Illyasviel von Einzbern."
The other was "Illya Emiya."
And this Servant named Shirou... his surname was Emiya?
"But wait... isn't Shirou's surname supposed to be Fujimaru?"
"Why is he being called Emiya?"
"If you're asking me, I have no idea!"
The chaotic, overlapping voices created a bizarre, almost surreal atmosphere.
Shirou Fujimaru looked at the group with a look of extreme awkwardness.
The only person he truly recognized was Sakura, but he didn't know anyone else.
Yet everyone seemed to know him...
He had certainly landed himself in a complicated situation.
***
"Setting up an ambush in this wide, desolate area... it's certainly practical."
Minato surveyed the long, straight road ahead. He had received a message from Amakusa.
Apparently, a Servant from the Black faction was currently making their way toward their territory.
They were expected to arrive in about half a day.
Therefore, Minato had chosen a specific point along their path to set up an ambush.
Well... he called it an "Ambush," but in reality, he had simply spent his time carving [Flying Thunder God Seeds] into the landscape. He himself was hiding nearby, using his [Presence Concealment] and spiritual form to remain undetected.
Thanks to his new mana source, he was no longer limited by the capacity of his own "Chakra."
He could finally unleash his full potential.
"Well then... let's see who exactly is coming."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]