Chapter 63. The Great Feud Begins, the Monster of [Gluttony]!
Twilight in Orario; the setting sun was as red as blood. For some reason, today's sunset glow was piercingly bright, as if it were a premonition of the long night to come.
"The air today... is very murky."
Shirou Emiya carried bulging shopping bags (filled with high-calorie ingredients stockpiled in preparation for war) as he walked through the streets of the North District. Although the Guild had issued several "Evacuation Warnings," many merchants were still insisting on staying open for the sake of survival.
"I need to get back quickly. If I miss dinner time, Alise will probably tear the kitchen apart," Shirou quickened his pace.
Just as he passed an open-air snack stall, an abnormal, hair-raising sound of chewing made him stop in his tracks.
Crunch... Gulp... Crunch...
That was not the sound of a human eating. It sounded more like a large beast crushing bone.
Shirou turned his head. Sitting in front of a stall that originally sold "Roasted Whole Pig" was a "mountain." Yes, a mountain. A giant of a man, over two meters tall with muscles bulging like granite, sat there. He wore a tattered gray trench coat, his hair was a mess, and his eyes were cloudy and hollow.
In front of him were the skeletal remains of over a dozen whole pigs. Moreover, he wasn't "deboning the meat to eat"; he was... stuffing the meat, the bones, and even the garnishes on the edge of the plates into his mouth together, crushing them and swallowing.
The stall owner was already hiding under the table, trembling in terror.
"Hey, boss." The giant let out a voice as deep as thunder. "Is there more? This little bit... isn't even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth."
"N-No more! Truly, there's no more! Lord, please spare my life!" the owner wailed.
"Tch, useless waste." The giant grabbed a bucket of raw water nearby and tilted his head back to chug it down.
[Gluttony (Zard)]—Zard. The last survivor of the Zeus Familia, a peak Lv. 7 combatant.
Shirou's [Mind's Eye (True)] was screaming in alarm. This aura... was even more violent and chaotic than Alfia's. If Alfia was a silent abyss, then this man was an erupting volcano.
Is this... that 'Gluttony'?
Shirou gripped his bags. Reason told him he should turn around and run immediately, or activate [Presence Concealment] to slip away. But looking at the "emptiness" in that man's
eyes—a void that could not be filled even when his stomach was gorged—Shirou's professional habit as a chef (his OCD) flared up again.
"..."
Shirou walked over and placed his bags on the table.
"If you don't mind, would you like to try this?"
Zard stopped chewing. He slowly turned his head, his murky eyes locking onto Shirou. In that instant, Shirou felt as if he were being stared down by a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
"Kid..." Zard sniffed the air. "You have the scent of that woman (Alfia) on you. And... a very nice smell of 'iron'."
"You know her?"
"Ah, a... twisted fate, I suppose." Zard grinned, revealing a row of forest-white teeth. "Since you're an acquaintance of that woman, I'll give you a chance." He pointed to the bags Shirou brought.
"If I'm not satisfied... I'll eat you along with those bags."
"The requirements are quite high, aren't they?" Shirou sighed, but he didn't back down. He pulled a massive piece of meat from his bag—originally intended to be the main course for dinner—[Wyvern Sirloin].
"Boss, let me borrow your grill," Shirou said to the owner under the table.
"P-Please, help yourself! Just don't kill me!"
The cooking began. Facing a "devourer" of Zard's level, ordinary cuisine would not satisfy him. What he needed was not refinement, but—volume and impact.
"Trace—On."
Shirou projected a massive kitchen knife. When dealing with magic beast meat like this, ordinary knives couldn't even make a cut.
"Dismantle, remove sinew, marinate." Shirou's movements were as fast as lightning. He rubbed a large amount of spices (including the remainder of the bag of ghost peppers) into the meat, then used magical fire for intense searing.
"Firepower... at maximum!"
Boom! Flames soared into the sky. This wasn't ordinary grilling; this was "Alchemy Cooking" that used [Reinforcement Magic] to lock in the juices and [Burst Flame] to ripen the meat instantly.
Five minutes later, a piece of [Ultra Overlord Roast Meat], half a man's height and radiating a suffocatingly rich aroma (and pungency), was placed before Zard.
"Please, enjoy." Shirou wiped his sweat. "This is a special 'Manchu-Han Imperial Feast (Single Dish Edition)'."
Zard looked at the meat before him. The surface was golden and crispy, still sizzling with oil. The moment it was sliced, the steam that burst out was like a mushroom cloud.
"Hmph." He didn't use utensils; he simply reached out with his large hand, grabbed the scalding meat, and took a bite.
Crunch!
The skin was crispy, and the inside was tender and succulent. The rich juices mixed with the stimulus of the ghost peppers, exploding in his mouth instantly.
"Mmph...!" Zard's pupils shrank violently. It was hot. It was spicy. But...
"DELIGHTFUL!"
He let out a roar and began to wolf it down frantically. That taste seemed to ignite the fire of life that had been dormant in his body for so long. It was no longer just eating for survival; he was enjoying the feeling of being "alive."
"Is it... good?" Shirou asked tentatively.
"Obviously." Zard finished the meat in a few bites, even crushing the bones. He licked his fingers, still wanting more. "Kid, what's your name?"
"Shirou Emiya."
"Emiya... huh?" Zard stood up, his massive shadow looming over Shirou.
"Your food is much better than those imperial chefs of the Hera Familia. If I had met you sooner... maybe I wouldn't have turned into a monster that only knows how to eat."
He pulled a worn gold coin from his robe and flicked it to Shirou.
"The meal fee."
Shirou caught the coin. It was an ancient gold coin stamped with the head of Zeus—an antique that was priceless in this era.
"And..." Zard turned around, looking toward the distant Babel. His gaze gradually turned cold, and the killing intent radiating from him began to warp the surrounding air.
"Go back quickly, kid. The 'Last Supper' is over."
"Eh?" Shirou blinked.
"Can't you hear it?" Zard pointed to the sky. "The death knell... has already sounded."
The words had just left his mouth when—
"BOOM——!!!"
A world-shaking explosion erupted from the four corners of Orario simultaneously. That was... the sound of the city walls being blown apart.
Immediately following, countless black pillars of smoke soared into the sky. Alarms, screams, and the roars of monsters drowned out the entire city in an instant.
[The Great Feud]—Opening.
"It has begun." Zard drew the massive, door-sized meat-cleaver from his back—the [Ogre Killer].
"Go, Shirou Emiya." He didn't look back, only waved a hand.
"Go protect what you want to protect. As for me... I'm going to finish my 'Final Performance'."
With that, the monster named "Gluttony" walked with heavy steps toward the battlefield where Ottar (Freya Familia) was located. Every step left a deep footprint on the ground. It was the back of a hero of the old era walking toward his destruction.
"Damn it!" Shirou gripped the gold coin; he had no time to sentimentalize. He turned and sprinted toward the Astraea Familia headquarters.
"I have to make it in time!"
By this time, Orario had turned into a hellscape. Members of the Dark Faction poured out from sewers, dark alleys, and disguised shops. They released pre-prepared monsters, ignited explosives, and killed anyone they saw.
"Help!" "Guards! Where are the guards?!"
The streets were filled with fleeing civilians. Shirou sprinted across the rooftops, [Mind's Eye] fully active, searching for familiar signatures.
"There!"
At a crossroads ahead, a group of black-cloaked thugs was surrounding several civilians.
"Trace—On!" Shirou projected a longbow in mid-air. "[Scatter Shot]!"
Swish-swish-swish! Three arrows fired simultaneously, accurately piercing the thugs' thighs.
"Go to the shelters, quickly!" Shirou landed, guided the civilians to escape, and then continued toward the "Stardust Garden."
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Astraea Familia Residence.
This place had also come under attack. The main gate had been blown away, and several monster corpses lay in the courtyard.
"Hah!" Alise's longsword ignited with the flames of the Red Lotus, bisecting an ogre in one strike. "Everyone! Hold this position! We absolutely cannot let them break into the inner courtyard! There are children taking refuge there!"
"Understood!" Kaguya's katana was like silver flowing water, darting through the enemy crowd and harvesting lives. Lyra held her large shield, firmly resisting the charge of an orc. Ryuu stood on the roof; though her wooden sword (repaired by Shirou) had no edge, every swing accurately knocked an enemy unconscious.
"There are too many of them..." Ryuu panted, looking at the endless stream of black-robed men. "This is a full-scale assault!"
"Hold on!" Alise shouted. "Reinforcements from the Ganesha Familia will be here soon!"
Just then—
BOOM!
A section of the wall collapsed. Through the dust, a man in heavy black armor wielding a giant axe walked in. His aura... was Lv. 5. An executive of the Dark Faction—Valetta's deputy.
"Hahahaha! Brats of the Goddess of Justice!" the man sneered. "Today is the day you die! For our 'Great Cause,' please go ahead and die!"
He raised his giant axe and swung it down fiercely at Lyra, who was at the front. This strike carried immense power; with Lyra's Lv. 3 strength, she couldn't possibly block it.
"Lyra!" Alise tried to rescue her, but she was entangled by other enemies.
"It's over..." Lyra closed her eyes in despair.
"CLANG——!!!"
A crisp sound of metal clashing rang out. The expected pain did not arrive.
Lyra opened her eyes. Standing before her was a back that wasn't particularly broad, yet was exceptionally reliable. Red hair, a black tactical suit, and... the pair of black and white twin blades in his hands.
"Sorry, I'm late." Shirou Emiya turned his head and revealed a reassuring smile.
"Emiya-kun?!" Lyra cried out in surprise and joy.
"Yo, looks like it's quite lively over here." Shirou turned back, looking at the Lv. 5 giant, his gaze turning cold. "Bullying girls... it looks like you won't be needing that axe anymore."
"Ha? Where did this kid come from?" The giant looked at Shirou with disdain (Shirou was hiding his aura, appearing as a Lv. 2). "Trying to play the hero? Know your place!"
"Know my place?" The corner of Shirou's mouth curled up. He released one hand and snapped his fingers.
"Trace—Overload."
The Kanshou and Bakuya in his hands expanded instantly, turning into the massive feathered wing forms. His aura surged, climbing from Lv. 2 to... a level sufficient to threaten a Lv. 5 (though only temporarily).
"Let's give it a try." Shirou took his stance. "Let me show you... the anger of a 'Justice Chef'!"
Boom! The two collided.
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Meanwhile, on the other end of the battlefield, atop the tower of the abandoned church.
Alfia stood quietly watching the burning city below. At her feet lay the corpses of countless adventurers who had tried to attack her.
"It has begun," she whispered.
"Zard went toward Ottar. Well then... I should get moving as well."
She turned and looked in the direction of the Astraea Familia. A trace of complex emotion flashed through those heterochromatic eyes.
"Shirou Emiya. Let me see.
On this stage called 'Despair'...
Just what kind of brilliance can you, a 'faker' burst forth with?"
She raised her hand. The radiance of [Gospel] condensed at her fingertips.
"The trial... has begun."