Chapter 67. The Eve of Awakening for the One Named "Braver"!
Orario, North District Ruins.
With the departure of the witch named "Silence," the mountain pressing down on everyone's hearts finally vanished. However, the smell of char and blood still lingered in the air like the lingering notes of a hellish landscape, reminding everyone that what had just occurred was no holographic illusion.
Gulp, gulp...
Shirou Emiya sat slumped unceremoniously on a pile of rubble, tilting his head back to finish the bottle of [Elixir] he had "tricked" out of Alfia. The golden liquid slid down his throat; it didn't taste like medicine as he expected, but rather felt like a warm current instantly surging through his limbs. Broken bones let out crisp popping sounds, and torn muscle fibers reconfigured as quickly as a knitting machine. Even his magic circuits, which were "glitching" due to mana overdraw, lit up with a green light as if they had been flooded with lubricant.
"Phew... back from the dead." Shirou wiped his mouth, looking at the empty crystal bottle and couldn't help but sigh. "This effect is too ridiculous. It's basically a 'Mega Health Potion' from a game—the kind that restores both HP and MP to full. Does that scary auntie carry this around just to turn herself into a tank? She's clearly a Mage..."
"Emiya!" Ryuu Lion walked over limping. Her green cloak was in tatters, revealing skin wrapped in bandages beneath. Her face bore unwashed bloodstains and dust. "Are you alright? That medicine... that mana fluctuation, was it a rare drop?"
"I'm fine. I feel good enough to kill a Minotaur with my bare hands right now." Shirou stood up and rolled his shoulders, his joints cracking. "More importantly, how are your injuries?"
"We're fine." Alise leaned on her [Guren no Ken] (the edge was chipped, its durability worrying). Although her face was covered in soot, her eyes remained frighteningly bright. "Thanks to your 'Infinity,' we only sustained superficial wounds. However..."
She looked at the wreckage around them, then toward the western gate where flames still soared into the sky.
"The real trouble... is still over there."
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Orario, West Gate.
If the battle in the North District was a visual feast of "Magic Bombardment," the battle at the West Gate was a pure, primitive, and nauseating "feeding ground."
Crunch... Munch munch...
The massive sound of chewing drowned out the clamor of the battlefield. [Gluttony]—Zard. The last survivor of the Zeus Familia stood at a breach in the city wall, holding a giant Ogre summoned by the Dark Faction that he had just crushed with one hand. He opened his mouth and bit off the Ogre's tough head as if it were a cracker.
"Disgusting." Zard swallowed the food, a look of loathing on his face. "The meat is too tough, the mana is too low, and it tastes like the sewer. This stuff... is just junk food. It doesn't even qualify as a snack."
But he kept eating. Because he had to. His body was a massive furnace, burning through his life force every second. If he didn't eat, his own power would backfire and "digest" him from the inside. This was the price of power—the curse named "Gluttony."
Opposite him, a Boaz warrior covered in blood struggled to climb out of the ruins. At this time, Ottar had not yet obtained the title of [Braver]. He was merely the Captain of the Freya Familia and a candidate for the strongest in Orario. But before Zard, he was like a child who had just learned to hold a sword, being ruthlessly lectured by an adult.
"What's wrong, Ottar?" Zard casually tossed aside the remains—an act of mercy for the weak and a provocation for the strong. "Is this the 'Ace' Freya is so proud of? Too brittle. I haven't even tried yet and you've fallen. Do you really call yourself a man who wants to protect his Goddess?"
"..." Ottar said nothing. He leaned on his greatsword, which was broken in half, panting heavily. Four of his ribs were broken, his left arm was fractured, and his internal organs were severely damaged. With every breath, his lungs felt like they were on fire. This was an absolute gap in strength. The Lv. 7 Zard, even suffering from a terminal illness and past his prime, was still a monster capable of crushing the Lv. 6 Ottar (at the time).
"If this is all you have..." Zard raised his cleaver, [Ogre Killer]. The blade was shrouded in a gray miasma—his unique skill, [Ambrosia]. It allowed him to concentrate the toxins and curses of the monsters he ate into his attacks. He was essentially a bio-weapon with built-in enchantments.
"Then become my 'appetizer'."
Boom! The cleaver fell. Simple, crude, without any flair. But it was this pure power that sealed off all of Ottar's retreats. The air was compressed into a solid state, pressing down like a wall.
"I can't block this." Ottar's instincts screamed. But he couldn't retreat. Behind him was the main road to Babel. If he let this monster through, his Goddess... Lady Freya was right there.
"UOOOOOH!!"
Ottar let out a beast-like roar. He didn't defend. Instead, in that split second, he made a suicidal decision.
He threw away his broken sword. Clenching his fists, he charged toward the cleaver that was capable of splitting a city gate.
"Trading wounds? Foolish." Zard sneered.
Splat! The cleaver hacked mercilessly into Ottar's shoulder, embedding itself deep into his collarbone, nearly splitting him diagonally in two. Blood sprayed out, staining Zard's face.
But Ottar did not fall. He used his muscles to clamp down on the blade, even as his bones groaned and his vision blurred. Then... his blood-stained right fist, carrying all his life force, willpower, and his hunger to "become stronger," slammed violently into Zard's abdomen.
"MOVE... FOR ME!!!"
BANG!!!
A heavy, dull sound rang out. Zard's mountain-like body shook for the first time. He took half a step back. A trace of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.
"Oh?" Zard looked down at the fist print on his stomach, then at the man before him who was staring him down even as he lost consciousness. In that gaze, there was no fear—only endless battle intent.
"Not bad." A flash of admiration crossed Zard's eyes. "That scent... is a bit like that 'Weakling' (the Zeus Familia Captain). Though you're still green, your bones are tough enough."
Zard pulled out his blade and kicked Ottar away. He didn't deliver a finishing blow. He felt it... a sign of "evolution."
"Get stronger, Ottar." Zard turned and continued walking into the city, grabbing building debris and stuffing it into his mouth as he went. "Don't die before the final battle. I want to taste... the flavor of you once you've fully matured."
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Astraea Familia Residence.
By the time Shirou Emiya and his group returned, dawn was nearly breaking. Although Alfia had been repelled, the crisis was not over. The main force of the Dark Faction was still rampaging in the city, Zard was still feeding, and the Guild's defensive line was on the verge of collapse.
"We have to do something," Alise said, looking at the map with knitted brows. "If Zard and Alfia join forces and attack Babel... Orario is truly finished. But our current combat power..." Kaguya looked at the room full of injured members. "Forget fighting Zard, even meeting a normal Lv. 4 executive would be a struggle. Our equipment is mostly trashed."
The atmosphere was heavy. Despair was spreading. It was like reaching the middle of a dungeon only to find supplies exhausted and the Boss still had a second form.
"It's not over yet."
A voice broke the silence. Shirou Emiya stood at the kitchen door wearing an apron (no one knew when he changed) and holding a kitchen knife. His gaze was firm, as if he wasn't the one who had almost been killed moments ago.
"Hungry?" Shirou pointed to the kitchen behind him. "Then let's eat first."
"Huh? Eating at a time like this?" Lyra jumped up with a "have you lost your mind" expression. "We're all going to die! There are monsters everywhere outside! Shouldn't we be writing our wills?!"
"It's precisely because it's a time like this that we must eat." Shirou walked into the kitchen, his voice drifting out with a magic that brooked no argument. "Only when you're full do you have the strength to create miracles. A person is made of what they eat; how can you fight monsters on an empty stomach?"
"And..." Clattering sounds of pots and pans came from the kitchen, along with a reassuring, homely aroma of cooking. "This meal... isn't just about filling your bellies."
An hour later, a massive table was set in the courtyard (the roof was gone, so the open air was cooler, and they could see the stars). The table was laden with various dishes: roast meat, stews, and even sashimi.
But the most eye-catching thing was the massive pot in the center. Inside, a golden broth bubbled, emitting a mana aroma so thick it was almost tangible.
"This is..." Ryuu looked at the soup, feeling her magic circuits cheering.
"[Emiya Special: Hero's Feast]," Shirou introduced as he lifted the lid.
"I used all my stock materials, the residue of that Elixir Alfia gave me (the tiny bit left after washing the bottle), and... a certain 'Divine Protection' (water soaked in Artemis's fragment—though it sounds a lot like holy water)."
"The effects are simple." Shirou held up three fingers.
All members' HP/MP are instantly restored. All debuffs are cleared (including curses and psychological trauma). And most importantly..."
He paused, a sharp glint in his eyes.
"It grants everyone the status of [Pseudo Rank Up]. Duration: 3 hours."
"A-All-member Level Up?!" Alise was so shocked she bit through her spoon. "Wh-What kind of forbidden magic is this?! Did you sell your soul to a demon?! This is definitely a violation of the rules!"
"It's just cooking," Shirou shrugged, looking innocent. "I just extracted the 'concepts' from the ingredients and stuffed them into your stomachs. It's not as good as Haruhime's [Uchide no Kozuchi], but it has the advantage of being filling. This is the peak of 'dietary therapy'."
This was the [Reality Marble: Unlimited Kitchen Works] that Shirou Emiya realized during the Dark Age. What's wrong with saving the world by cooking? In a Fate setting, the chef is the strongest!
"Alright, enough talk." Shirou served everyone a bowl of soup. "Eat up. Once we're finished, we're going to take down that 'Gluttony'."
"...Truly an outrageous man." Kaguya looked at the golden soup in her bowl, a smile curling her lips. She drained it in one go. "But... I like it. This crazy method suits my taste."
"I want some too! I want to get stronger!" "Give me a bowl as well! I want two extra servings of rice!"
The once deathly-still Familia was revitalized in an instant. This was not the Last Supper. This was the bugle for a counterattack.
After breakfast, everyone's status was at its peak—even stronger than before. Alise's [Guren no Ken] burned with an unprecedented fire, seemingly capable of igniting the air. Kaguya's [Gokou] was sharp enough to slice the wind. Ryuu's [Alvitr] radiated an aura of guaranteed hits.
"Emiya." Before leaving, Ryuu found Shirou while he was organizing his gear.
"This." She handed Shirou a... dagger. It wasn't an ordinary blade. It was fashioned from her previously broken wooden sword, combined with fragments of [Spirit Wood]. Though simple, it contained all her feelings.
"It can't compare to your projections..." Ryuu turned her face away, her ears flushed red, her voice as small as a mosquito. "But it's... a charm. You must... come back alive. If you don't, I'll smash all your pots."
Shirou took the dagger. It was light and warm. Carved on it was a small name—Ryuu.
"Yeah, I will." Shirou tucked the dagger into his shirt, close to his heart. "This is... the best equipment. More precious than any Divine Artifact."
He turned and looked at the girls, who were ready to go.
"Target: West Gate Ruins."
"Mission: Subdue [Gluttony] Zard."
"Operation Code: [Flip the Table if You're Not Full]!"
"MOVE OUT!!"
Under the morning light, the Astraea Familia—the only "Light of Justice" in this era of despair—charged toward the invincible monster.
At the top of Babel, Freya watched the crystal ball, a playful smile on her lips.
"That idiot Ottar actually awakened. But... that red-haired boy is even more interesting. He turned cooking into a Noble Phantasm? I really want to... taste him."
The stage for the final battle was set. The finale of the Great Feud was about to reach its climax in a symphony of blood and... gourmet food?
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