114 Chaldea and the Doujinshi
The kitchen in Eriri's house was an open-style one—spacious, convenient, with a good view.
As long as you didn't cook greasy dishes too often, it was an ideal kitchen setup.
Both the inner and outer sides had counters; just by turning around you could work on the other side. Facing the dining room was the vegetable-washing counter, with a sterilizer below it where plates and bowls were stored. On the inner side with the range hood, there was an oven and a microwave.
Shirou nodded in satisfaction, took off his school uniform jacket, hung it on a nearby rack, rolled up his sleeves, and got ready to cook.
He glanced behind him—while Eriri was still upstairs, he projected kitchen-tool versions of Kanshou and Bakuya. His hands turned into afterimages as he instantly minced the pork into filling.
With his Mystic Eyes observing, he sliced along the fibers of the beef, cutting it into fine granules without damaging its flavor, and mixed it together with the minced pork in a bowl.
The instant he heard the sound of the girl's footsteps coming down the stairs, Shirou put away the twin blades, added sesame oil and seasonings, mixed everything together, and began marinating it.
Next, the boy peeled and washed various ingredients, then placed them on the cutting board. With flashing knife skills, he minced the garlic. Wetting the knife slightly, he held down an onion with his left hand and cut several strokes in alternating directions; instantly, the onion scattered into neat cube-shaped dice. Before the irritating gas could spread, he placed them in a bowl for later use.
He peeled the tomatoes, swiftly cut them into small dice with a sharp blade, avoiding juice loss from pressing.
The blonde girl sat at the dining table, swinging her legs as she watched the boy's busy back in the kitchen. Her pen began sketching the lines of an anime character cooking. Somehow, it felt like the joy of going on a picnic.
Thanks to Shirou's precise movements, the preparation time was cut down by more than half.
He melted a block of butter in a non-stick pan, added garlic and onion, stir-fried the meat filling until fragrant, then poured in the tomatoes to simmer into sauce.
When the water boiled, Shirou took out a pack of pasta, opened it, and asked the girl: "Eriri, how much do you want? Is one plate enough?" "The same portion as yours is fine," Eriri replied absentmindedly while sketching. "Got it." Shirou grabbed two handfuls of pasta, set them upright in the pot, spread them along the boiling edge, and sprinkled in plenty of salt.
He scooped out the cooked pasta, drained it, plated it, and drizzled olive oil—perfect for low-heat cooking. The heat of the noodles released a refreshing aroma; they were springy and chewy.
He ladled in a scoop of pasta water into the non-stick pan; the starch-rich water boiled instantly, thickening the sauce. He poured it over the pasta, sprinkled pepper, and the simple dish was done.
The combination of garlic and onion aroma, sweet tomatoes, chewy pasta, and savory meat rose in an appetizing fragrance as Shirou brought the dish to the table.
Eriri was no longer watching him—she was furiously sketching on her drawing paper, erasing extra lines, inking, and coloring. At that moment, she had a completely different air, as if she had transformed into another person, utterly absorbed in drawing. Curious, Shirou went behind her to observe.
Eriri was already at the final stage. The character on her page looked lifelike, but Shirou frowned in puzzlement. "Why did you stare at me for half an hour and end up drawing a girl?"
The hair color had been changed to silver-white.
A plain shirt had turned into a deep red apron like a pleated skirt. His uniform pants had become an ultra-short skirt that almost revealed underwear…
"Hmph! You just don't get it. According to the law of 'everything can be moe,' genderbending and 'moefication' are basic principles for an artist. No—it's justice. It's professional ethics!" Eriri declared confidently as she drew the last stroke, put away her colored pencils, and justified herself.
With the drawing complete, it seemed as if the character was about to leap out of the page—a beautiful girl chef with long, snow-white hair tied in a braid, exuding refined charm. Strangely enough, her expression and aura matched Shirou's unexpectedly well.
"How's that? Super similar, right? And super cute too!" Eriri said proudly. Her sapphire-blue eyes sparkled like jewels. While drawing, inspiration had struck her, as if blessed by the goddess of art.
The image of this girl appeared vividly in her mind, as if whispering, "If Shirou were a girl, she'd look like this." Riding this flash of inspiration, Eriri had completed the high-quality work in one go.
"...Well, at least I've learned that you have real talent for capturing someone's essence," Shirou admitted reluctantly. He couldn't deny that the drawing did look somewhat like him.
"Hmph, Shirou! Now you see my greatness, right? Repent for what you said before. If you want, I can still give you this drawing, signed and all."
"No need," Shirou refused with a smile. "Hmph! You'll regret it!" Eriri pouted and ignored him.
She looked at the silver-haired girl in her drawing and muttered, "Looking at her now… she actually resembles a grown-up Chloe. Though the aura is different. No—maybe Chloe really is like Shirou's sister. But Shirou's little sister should be Komachi… so why does this feel so strange?" "Don't mix reality with games. Wash your hands, it's time to eat," Shirou quipped, though in a sense, Illya and Chloe were his sisters.
Could it be… this girl really is a genius? Shirou thought. As a creator, her instincts might have unknowingly sensed the truth.
After washing her hands, Eriri came running back, already starving. She twirled her fork, took a big bite of the fragrant pasta, and smiled blissfully: "So delicious!"
She ate mouthful after mouthful, until she choked, clutching her chest. "The pasta's al dente. Eat slower," Shirou said, pouring her a glass of juice and handing it over.
Eriri gulped it down, coughed a few times, and finally caught her breath. "Haa… thanks." "Pffft, hahaha," Shirou suddenly laughed at her. "?!" Eriri looked puzzled.
Shirou took out his phone and held it up like a mirror to her face. At her nose tip was a dab of red sauce, making her look like a little kitten.
Shirou laughed as he wiped her face with a napkin, thinking, Even if she's a genius, Eriri is still Eriri. She hasn't changed all these years.
"I can wipe it myself… hahaha," Eriri blushed and then laughed as well.
Moments like this felt just like years ago—when the boy helped her, and she accepted his help. Back then it had been so pure, and gradually, friendship was built.
In this shared laughter, the misunderstandings and walls built over the years seemed to melt away.
After dinner, they washed the dishes and set them on the rack to dry.
Eriri then brought Shirou back to her room.
.
.
.
Inside, Eriri hugged her knees on her swivel chair. Her slender figure looked even smaller. Her long golden hair and blue eyes were beautiful, and not even black-framed glasses could hide
their brilliance. Dressed in a loose green gym uniform, only her white, delicate feet peeked out at the edge of the chair.
For once, the petite girl wore a serious expression. "Shirou, I really do love games. Not just games—anime, light novels, everything that brings me joy and emotion. Whether I get recognized or not, I want to be part of it. I want to draw the characters I love, make a living with my art, prove my worth through drawing, and get better and better until my works can move others."
"Mm, I think it's great that you've found your goal," Shirou said, surprised that the once willful girl had given such serious thought to her passion and dreams.
But of course—without real effort, she couldn't possibly draw so well. As a fellow hard worker, Shirou recognized her determination. "In that case, you'll have to protect this world you love." His resolve grew stronger.
"Yeah. Thank you. I'm actually really afraid of being denied, so I act like a spoiled rich girl outside. That's why I work even harder to prove myself! Like how Utaha wants to write stories for Fate's Heroic Spirits, I want to design characters for FGO and draw card art."
"I believe you can do it," Shirou said with a light chuckle. "Right?! I'm already pretty well-known in the industry!" Eriri stood excitedly, delighted by his recognition. "I'll get stronger and stronger! One day, I'll create a classic character remembered by tens of millions—hundreds of millions—of people!" she exclaimed, waving her arms passionately.
At that moment, her hand knocked against the bookshelf on her desk, and a black A4-sized book fell down.
On the cover were two girls—one blonde, one silver-haired—half-dressed, sprawled on a motorcycle. …This appearance! This outfit! Why did it look so familiar…?
Cold sweat broke out on Shirou's face as he asked, "This is…?" Eriri glanced at him curiously and explained, "What? That's just a yuri FGO doujinshi I drew. Give it back." "Confiscated!" Shirou snatched it away at once. "Eh? Wait, that's the only copy I kept as a memento! The rest all sold out!" Eriri protested. "You already sold a lot…?" Shirou groaned, clutching his face in despair, stuffing the book into his bag, and storming out.
"Eh? Shirou! Come back! I'll trade you with another book!" Eriri shouted. Even if he was desperate, snatching her doujinshi was too much. "No deal! Bye!" Shirou left quickly, exiting Eriri's house.
Eriri sat tearfully in a daze, staring in the direction he had gone. "We were just talking so nicely… why did it end up like this?"
Meanwhile, Shirou felt like his head was about to explode.
Eriri… of all the people to draw… she had to draw them. If those two really manifest in this world…
"Shirou, I look forward to our reunion," said the blonde girl with a cool smile. "Shirou, just you wait!" shouted the silver-haired girl, glaring like she'd made a curse.
He should have realized earlier. He should have warned Da Vinci and the others.
This world—this Chiba—didn't just produce siscons, it also produced hentai! And talented ones at that!
If those two, in their Alter forms, saw this doujinshi, they'd absolutely kill the artist…
Could this lead to someone's death? No—this was already a crisis where Chiba itself might be reduced to ashes by magic cannons and flames.
With the Holy Grail supplying her mana, Artoria was basically a walking artillery battery—the strongest beam cannon among the Saber class.
And Jeanne, with her overwhelming defense and devastating magical flames…
As allies, you might not notice it. But as enemies, they were nothing short of monsters.
After Shirou returned home, he went straight into his room.
As if it was fate, Shirou opened FGO, exchanged the fragments he had saved up for Saint Quartz, exactly thirty of them, and did a ten-pull.
Ever since Mash had accepted this account, he had done several ten-pulls. He had gotten five or six gold cards, almost all of them people he had once crossed paths with.
The very first single-pull had given him Merlin.
During the first few events, he remembered pulling Illya.
But perhaps because Altria didn't exist in Chaldea, she still hadn't been summoned.
Only now, at this moment, with that bone-chilling cold spreading through his body, the boy had a premonition.
Shirou tapped the button. On the summoning circle that looked like a massive transparent shield, white light spun.
In the end, a golden Saber-class card appeared.
A female knight in black armor, wearing a black mask, spoke in a cold and dignified voice: "Answering thy summons, I have come forth. Art thou my Master?"
"She really appeared!" Shirou shouted in shock.
Looking at the sight before him—enticing, yet dangerous like Pandora's box—Shirou thought to himself that he had to destroy the evidence. Burning it wouldn't be enough. He would also
need to contact Da Vinci to take the necessary measures to completely block all traces of this online.
At that moment, a three-dimensional projection appeared.
"Yaa, Shirou, you've got quite the unique childhood friend," Da Vinci said with a smile.
"Shirou-Senpai! Please, you absolutely must introduce me to those two amazing women! The Fate company needs talents like them!" Mash's eyes sparkled as she threw herself excitedly toward the screen.
"…Have you all been eavesdropping the whole time?" Shirou frowned.
"Sorry, Shirou, it was just so interesting I accidentally let it slip," little Da Vinci said, putting her hands together cutely in apology.
"Even if you've gotten smaller and cuter, you're still Da Vinci. Whatever… since you already know, that makes things easier. Da Vinci, before Altria comes into this world, you'd better come up with a solution for me!" Shirou said.
But Da Vinci, resting her chin on her hand, muttered in thought: "Wait a moment! Doujinshi… this might actually work. After all, the more deeply the image of a Heroic Spirit—good or evil—imprints itself in people's hearts, the stronger the Servant can manifest.
FGO has already gone global. The English version sold massively, and Burmese, Spanish, and Arabic releases have already started. French and German editions are also in production. I think we've just about reached the limit—we need new ways to promote Heroic Spirits," Da Vinci said, still pondering.
"Television, movies and such could work for a time, but they can't compare to a mobile game that stays with people twenty-four hours a day.
But doujinshi, in its own way, also leaves a lasting impression. Perhaps I should draw some myself," Da Vinci mused.
"Hey, you're supposed to be a universal genius, don't do that kind of thing," Shirou retorted.
"No, no, that too is a form of art. As for nude studies, back in the 15th and 16th centuries, I painted quite a few, and some like Leda and the Swan are still around," Da Vinci said with a shrug.
"Ah… I completely forgot. You really are one of the last great masters of the Renaissance," Shirou said.
"That's right. Alongside her, there's Michelangelo, who sculpted the famous David, and Raphael, whose Three Graces are also nude figures. In a way, they were teachers of five hundred years ago—the predecessors of today's adult artists," Mash said, blushing furiously.
"Yeah, it's pointless to talk about shamelessness to artists and writers," Shirou muttered.
"By the way, Da Vinci, what about that Helena body pillow I asked you to make?" Gudako raised her hand.
"Sorry, that'll have to wait until next time. For now, let's get back to talking about doujinshi," Da Vinci said.
"Eh? Da Vinci's going to make doujinshi?!" Gudako exclaimed, her nose practically steaming in excitement.
"Senpai, that's way too much…" Mash said, covering her flushed face.
"Not just doujinshi. Even VR bishoujo content could be made," Da Vinci added with a laugh.
"Really? If it sells well, I'd even be fine with a Gudako VR. Then I'll play as Mash, and with the greatest love, I'll shower her with affection!" Gudako cried, waving her arms like tentacles in excitement.
"Ahh, Senpai, stop it…" Mash hid her face in embarrassment.
"Hey! You people, cut it out already! Da Vinci, this is about the safety of my world we're talking about!" Shirou said angrily.
"Alright, alright, I was just joking. Forget the doujinshi. But developing different types of games—that might actually be worth trying," Da Vinci said, chin still in hand.
"Eh? Da Vinci-chan, you're really going to make games? Gudako VR?! And later maybe even Da Vinci VR? Like a game where you unlock Astolfo or d'Eon after finishing?" Gudako asked, eyes sparkling.
"No, I'm far too busy for that. Since the company in Shirou's world already has some scale, I'll leave it all to professionals—pour in massive funding, recruit the very best in the gaming industry, and let them handle it. Think of it as an experiment," Da Vinci said with a smile.
"Eh? But I'm not the main character?" Gudako asked wide-eyed.
Da Vinci shook her hand, laughing. "No. Think about it. For immersion, the protagonist should be more of an ordinary type. Players should be able to choose their genders and romance any character freely. That would win more hearts."
"…I see," Gudako said, nodding. Then she turned and ran toward the Servant dorms, shouting: "Hey! Attila-chan, King~! Where are you?"
"Wait for me, Gudako-senpai!" Mash called, hurrying after her.
"…Sigh…" Shirou rubbed his brow. How had he ended up with teammates like this?
"Don't sigh. Relax. When Servants arrive in your world, they'll also gain the corresponding knowledge. They'll understand these things," Da Vinci reassured him.
"And if they don't?" Shirou asked.
"Ahaha, Shirou, think about it! Even with a Holy Grail, it takes multiple steps to cross between worlds. Only a handful of Heroic Spirits can go to your world. So do your best and cover it up as much as you can," Da Vinci said with a laugh.
"…That's all I can do," Shirou nodded helplessly.
"Well then, let's talk business. You've already received your overseas assignment today, haven't you?" Da Vinci asked.
"Yeah. Three countries," Shirou nodded.
"As the Eastern proverb goes, 'money makes the devil turn millstones.' Those three countries—through some methods—I arranged for schools there to extend you invitations," Da Vinci explained.
"I see. So having a big company in this world really is necessary," Shirou said thoughtfully.
"We've detected three locations. For a short time, massive magical energy surges appeared—likely black mud Servants. Very troublesome," Da Vinci said.
"Three of them, huh? That means two still haven't appeared. I really wish I could drive them all out of this world at once," Shirou said, punching his palm.
Just the thought of those twisted beings filled him with anger.
"Don't underestimate them. We still don't know why they're targeting you, but the two who have appeared so far were extremely powerful.
The first, the black mud Servant Perseus, was a demigod—the grandfather of Heracles. Known for his wisdom, but consumed by rage. You only beat him because you pushed yourself until your Saint Graph was damaged.
The second, the black mud Servant, was another side of Arjuna, one of the greatest heroes of the Indian epics. If not for Avalon, the outcome might have been very different."
"So don't rush. Chaldea will fully support you. You don't want your family to grieve for you, do you?" Da Vinci advised.
"…I know," Shirou admitted, calming himself. Da Vinci was right.
"Good. Then rest well today. When the boat reaches the bridge, it will cross—there'll be a way forward. Good night," Da Vinci said, ending the transmission.
Silence filled the room. The boy lay down on his bed, staring at the pitch-black ceiling, thinking to himself:
'No matter what, I have to protect this world.'
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