As it turns out, even after many years, some shops don't close. Though they may not have many customers, for loyal patrons, as long as they can still eat at the same place, that's enough. This is one reason why some old establishments keep operating.
The restaurant Touko, Naoki, and Ciel visited was one such place. It was an old shop Touko discovered seven years ago, tucked away in an inconspicuous shopping street, and it was the first place locals went to when they wanted to eat out.
Of course, since the original chef and owner had grown old, the shop was now run by his son. It had also been renovated, but thankfully, the taste remained unchanged.
"How's the food? My choice of restaurant is pretty good, right?"
At half-past seven in the evening, as they exited the shopping street, Touko asked the two with a proud expression. She was naturally confident in her choice.
Ciel nodded. "Yes, it was delicious. Especially the katsu curry. If I weren't already full, I'd want to order another serving."
As a hardcore curry enthusiast, Ciel even ate curry bread for breakfast. At dinner, as usual, she ordered katsu curry—three servings, no less. With her appetite, this was a bit excessive, and as a result, her stomach now felt slightly uncomfortable.
"You keep emphasizing how good the katsu curry was because that's all you ate, right, Ciel? The other dishes were great too." Naoki said with a smile, standing beside her. "The only downside is the portions are a bit small, not quite filling."
Hearing his comment, both Touko and Ciel glanced at him—this guy didn't realize how enormous his appetite was. He could eat a buffet restaurant out of business. If no one stopped him, he might actually clean out an entire restaurant's food supply.
Regular restaurants couldn't handle his appetite.
Fortunately, Naoki was aware of this. At the table earlier, he deliberately controlled his eating speed, so he didn't end up on the restaurant's blacklist. Though, as a result, he only felt about 40% full.
"I'm planning to grab more food. Wanna come along?"
"I'll pass. After this, I'm meeting an old friend to catch up and also look for Beowulf." Touko said with a laugh. "Since I'm back, I've got to reminisce. What about you, Ciel?"
"I'll investigate the Dead Apostle issue."
Ciel's face turned serious. "Even though the Church won't help me now, I can still track a Dead Apostle's traces on my own. If I find anything, I'll contact you immediately."
Since she had returned the Seventh Holy Scripture, Ciel's current arsenal consisted only of her Black Keys. Though she had plenty of them, they wouldn't be enough to face an Ancestor. Until she was fully prepared, Ciel had no plans to fight alone.
After all, there was an extraordinary fairy here.
After confirming their respective plans, Touko and Ciel went their separate ways. Once they disappeared from his sight, Naoki turned his attention back.
"So, where should I go to eat now? I'd better find a decent place where I can eat to my heart's content."
Naoki currently felt 40% full. He figured 80% would be enough. After all, eating too much at night wasn't good since it would be hard to digest.
But as he thought this and took his first step—
*CLANK!*
A sound like clashing armor suddenly rang out amidst the crowd. Because it was so distinctive, Naoki heard it clearly.
Was someone wearing armor on the street? Cosplay?
(No, wait a second, this feeling…)
His delayed senses made Naoki freeze. His eyes immediately followed the direction of the armor's sound. Though it was about two hundred meters away with many pedestrians in between, through the gaps in the crowd, his eyes caught a shadowy figure.
"Ar… thur?"
The figure that shouldn't be there filled Naoki's voice with questions and astonishment.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
At a factory on the outskirts of Misaki City.
Sitting atop a steel framework, looking at the bustling area not far away, Arcueid scratched her head with slight irritation. "Ugh… Naoki, you're so slow. I've been waiting here for an hour. No matter how slow he is, he should've found me by now, right?"
This factory was a spot Arcueid found suitable for moon-gazing. Though the environment wasn't great, the view was the best. Nowadays, due to rapid development, the city had too many neon lights, drowning out the moonlight with artificial glow.
Here, it was much better.
During the last Holy Grail War, due to certain circumstances, Arcueid didn't meet Naoki. Now, finally free from other distractions, she was eager to see him again.
Based on some knowledge she had, it seemed that a man and woman meeting under the moonlight was ideal. And wasn't there something about saying the moon was beautiful?
Arcueid didn't fully understand these strange human customs, but she felt Naoki would probably like it.
What made her slightly dissatisfied, though, was that Naoki still hadn't shown up. Based on their faint connection, he should've been able to find her quickly. Yet, she had waited an hour, and not only had he not come, but there wasn't even a trace of him.
"Seriously, where did he go? Stupid Naoki, is there something more important than meeting me? Don't tell me he's busy with those two women?"
Arcueid knew Naoki had come with Touko and Ciel. After thinking it over, the only reason he hadn't come to find her was that he was tied up with those two.
Naoki was the type who easily attracted women. Arcueid had experienced this herself. Around him, there was hardly a moment without women.
"Come to think of it, if that's the case, it's understandable that he's busy and doesn't have time. After all, we're staying in the same apartment. I can meet him later. Watching the moon from the bedroom window seems nice too."
"Well then… for now…"
Turning at a 45-degree angle to look behind her, Arcueid sighed with slight impatience at the sight of bloodied corpses that had appeared out of nowhere on the steel framework.
"So tactless. I really liked this spot."
"My insignificant, sudden livestock-like underlings—do you even know how to pay the price for annoying me?"