"What?!"
Hearing this, Matou Sakura and Emiya Shirou instantly couldn't sit still anymore.
"That meteorite today was Miss Firefly???" Emiya Shirou asked in disbelief.
I knew about the existence of Magi, and figured there were definitely experts stronger than a half-baked amateur like me, but this is a completely different world in terms of combat power, right?
My Magecraft can't even reinforce a piece of paper for very long, and over there they're dropping Nuclear Bombs. Is the gap between people really this massive?
Matou Sakura, on the other hand, felt entirely unwell.
If nothing unexpected happened, she would be the one representing the Matou Family in this war. Mainly because Shinji Matou was truly too useless to be relied upon.
But... am I supposed to fight a monster like that?
No, no matter how I think about it, that's impossible!
She just clashed head-on with an unknown opponent this afternoon, and looking at her happy expression, she clearly won a landslide victory. To be able to dish out an attack of that caliber, and not even have a single scratch on her...
Is this a Heroic Spirit?
Matou Sakura was deeply shaken.
Previously, she didn't quite believe the other party's claim of being a Heroic Spirit, but looking at it now... she had no choice but to believe it.
"Why must you fight?" Emiya Shirou clenched his fists tightly. "Miss Firefly, the entire Fuyuki City is now panicking because of that battle. I don't want to accuse you, it's just... I really don't understand."
"Because it's unavoidable," Xia Yu shrugged. "As long as we're still in this city, we'll have to fight sooner or later. If we don't take the opportunity to keep the battlefield outside the city, are we supposed to wait and start a war inside the city later?"
"But causing such a huge commotion in broad daylight, aren't you worried about interference from the local Manager of the Spiritual Land and the Holy Church?" Matou Sakura asked.
"It's not like we're the ones cleaning up the mess anyway," Xia Yu looked at her and said with a beaming smile. "As the Manager of the Spiritual Land here, she'll definitely have to take responsibility. Besides, what's wrong with causing a little trouble for our competitors?"
"...The local families might indeed be powerless to restrain you, but what about the Mages' Association?" Matou Sakura spoke up again. "Is Einzbern really not afraid of being sanctioned?"
This was also why the previous Holy Grail Wars hadn't caused any massive disasters (with the exception of Kiritsugu's run). All the participants were relatively rule-abiding.
Because the Mages' Association could genuinely strike hard.
For the massive and powerful Clock Tower, suppressing a few Heroic Spirits was still doable.
What? You're asking about the Wandering Sea and Atlas Academy?
Those guys had long been so engrossed in their research that they were oblivious to the outside world. Expecting them to come out and work?
Forget about it.
Only the Clock Tower still seemed to manage things, maintaining the huge mess that was the Mages' Association.
But for Xia Yu, if they wanted to strike hard against Einzbern?
Then go right ahead.
"Are you saying that if I cause an even bigger scene, the Mages' Association will take action against the main Einzbern family?" Xia Yu was highly excited.
"Cough, cough, Lady Firefly, it won't come to that, it won't come to that..." Sella, who was beside them, repeatedly tried to dissuade her. "The family... still has quite a few good people. It really won't come to that. Jubstacheit von Einzbern is already beyond repair, I guarantee it!"
Even if he could be repaired, we wouldn't repair him!
"Does Einzbern not have control over their Servant?" Hearing this, Matou Sakura's eyes lit up as she immediately asked.
In reality, she was using this opportunity to pry for more intelligence.
Originally, Matou Sakura wasn't such an proactive person. She had more of a submissive, ostrich-like mentality. At any other time, she wouldn't have initiated such questions.
But she had been provoked by Xia Yu's words from yesterday: 'If it were someone with lower moral standards, they would've already come up with at least eighteen ways to torture you star-crossed lovers.'
For the sake of her beloved Senpai, Matou Sakura could only force herself to stand strong and shield him from the wind and rain. After all, in this room right now, Senpai was the only one completely out of the loop.
I have to step up and take charge!
"Don't make it sound so unpleasant." Hearing this, Xia Yu chuckled and reached out to hug Illya. "Even though right after being summoned I demolished the Einzbern family's castle, killed her grandfather, and destroyed the entire Magecraft Workshop, my cooperation with Einzbern has actually been quite pleasant."
"...That doesn't sound like a good thing at all." The way Emiya Shirou looked at the group from Einzbern across from him changed instantly. "Are Magi all such terrifying creatures?"
"They sure are," Xia Yu nodded at him. "That's just how Magi are. So, Emiya, you need to keep a close eye on your little girlfriend. Otherwise, she might just turn into a heartless monster like that one day."
"No, you misunderstand." Emiya Shirou's face instantly flushed red at those words. "Sakura and I... aren't in that kind of relationship..."
"It's only a matter of time." Xia Yu smiled. In truth, among the three routes of the Fifth Holy Grail War, her favorite was Sakura's route.
The heroines of the other routes wouldn't be left with absolutely nothing if they lost Emiya Shirou, but Sakura... truly only had him.
"Mhm, your cooking skills are really good, as expected of the Chef I had my eye on," Xia Yu gave them a thumbs up while she ate. "To tell you the truth, I still have a chef position open here. Emiya, do you want to consider..."
"No!" Before Emiya Shirou could even open his mouth, Matou Sakura couldn't hold back. "Senpai's schoolwork is heavy; he doesn't have time to work part-time as a chef!"
"And you still say you aren't a couple," Xia Yu chuckled. "You're already deciding his future for him."
"That... that was just a suggestion, Senpai." Matou Sakura silently lowered her head.
Miss Matou Sakura, who had just resolved to step up and take charge, was beaten back to her original form by Xia Yu's single strike using their romantic relationship before even a few minutes had passed.
"Miss Firefly," Emiya Shirou took a deep breath. "I still don't understand why everyone is doing this. Is it absolutely necessary to wager your lives in a death match?"
"Do you think you can escape it, Emiya Shirou?" Xia Yu retorted. "If you ask me, I'll only answer: yes, and there is no other reason!"
"What do you mean by that?" Matou Sakura's head snapped up, her gaze burning. "Senpai isn't someone from this world at all..."
"Don't be too naive, Sakura," Xia Yu shook her head. "What he inherited from Emiya Kiritsugu destined him to be dragged into this whirlpool."
"Kiritsugu? You know Kiritsugu? Right?" Hearing this, Emiya Shirou looked over, and Illya, who was in Xia Yu's arms, also perked up her ears.
"So he really didn't tell you anything, huh." Xia Yu sighed. "Sometimes I really don't get it. If he didn't want you to get dragged into this war, then why keep you in Fuyuki City?"
"If he had expectations for you, then why did he only teach you such superficial Magecraft? Anyone in this room could easily beat you down."
"If... he settled down here to wait for someone's arrival, then why didn't he cherish his own body properly? He couldn't even survive for ten years."
"Emiya Kiritsugu truly is a baffling man."
Kotomine Kirei would surely resonate deeply with that sentiment.
"Kiritsugu stayed in Fuyuki to wait for someone?" Emiya Shirou froze in place upon hearing this.
"Don't just stand there staring blankly, I'm not going to tell you." Xia Yu shook her head. "Although you are destined to be drawn into this war, I won't tell you anything before you truly step foot into it."
"Rather than asking me, why don't you ask Sakura? She knows a lot of things too."
"...I'm sorry, Senpai," Matou Sakura lowered her head. She didn't dare speak.
Once she revealed everything, Senpai would know that she only approached him because of her grandfather's orders... She was terrified of Senpai learning all of this.
"It's okay, Sakura," Emiya Shirou shook his head. "I believe you."
The banquet couldn't be considered pleasant, at least not for the others.
But for Xia Yu, she had thoroughly enjoyed the meal.
Regardless of what choice Emiya Shirou made, it didn't matter. Her main concern was that if Emiya Shirou didn't become a Master... then things would become a huge problem.
Under these circumstances, they might even bump into the Chaldea duo.
"What did you mean by what you just said?" Right after the two left, Illya turned around on Xia Yu's lap, looking up seriously into Xia Yu's eyes. "Emiya Shirou, why will he definitely get dragged into this war?"
"Because I sensed Avalon inside his body," Xia Yu gently patted her head and said. "It feels like fate won't let him go."
"You're not telling the truth, Berserker," Illya leaned in closer.
Looking at that little face so close at hand, Xia Yu couldn't take it anymore. This child was simply too cute when she got serious. Xia Yu couldn't help but reach out and squish her cheeks.
"Shtop ith, Berserker! Don't be sho argho..." Illya's cheeks quickly surrendered.
"If you really want to know, it's quite simple," Xia Yu smiled and said. "You see, I have many friends. And as it happens, one of them personally experienced this Holy Grail War. He's the one who told me everything."
"Are Heroic Spirits all this unreasonable?" Illya, unable to escape Xia Yu's demonic clutches no matter how hard she tried, could only sulk.
"Heroic Spirits are just that unreasonable. Well, it's also possible that it's just me being unreasonable." Xia Yu chuckled. "Alright, anything else you want to ask?"
"...No," Illya lowered her head and replied in a muffled voice.
"Actually, there is, right?"
"No there isn't!"
"There definitely is, right?"
"Shuddup Berserker, when I say no, I mean no!!!"
"And just how strong are you, exactly?" Illya, going crazy, started to change the subject. "Why don't you need me to provide even a little bit of Magical Energy? And you can still create such a huge spectacle!"
"Want to know how strong I am?" Xia Yu smiled. "It's very simple. Go wash up and sleep now."
"You can have anything in your dreams."
...
"Sakura," at the Emiya Residence, Emiya Shirou looked at Matou Sakura with concern. "Do you really have to go?"
"It's not necessarily going to be me." Hearing this, Matou Sakura forced a smile onto her face. "There's still my brother, isn't there? He's the true heir to the Matou Family."
"Shinji..." Emiya Shirou also lowered his head. At this point in time, his relationship with Shinji Matou was still quite good.
"Senpai, this is our destiny." Matou Sakura turned her face away and said, "There is no escaping it."
"You don't need to worry about me. Perhaps I'm actually not that weak after all."
"But that spectacle this afternoon..." Emiya Shirou looked at her, hesitating to speak.
That huge spectacle doesn't look like something you could pull off.
"Senpai, you don't have to say anymore," Matou Sakura shook her head. "The Matou Family cannot escape this whirlpool."
"Even if I take you and leave this city tonight?" Emiya Shirou suddenly asked. "Can't we just fly far away?"
"Even if you did that, Senpai, you would definitely come back after leaving." Matou Sakura smiled. "My brother... you've always had a good relationship with him, haven't you?"
"..." Emiya Shirou fell silent.
"Rest assured, Senpai. Nothing will happen." She said, "The ones fighting to the death will only be the Familiars, not the Magi themselves. Miss Firefly also seems quite easy to talk to. Worst comes to worst... I'll just beg her to spare my brother's life when the time comes."
While they were entangled in their emotions, on the other side.
"Kirei," Tohsaka Rin looked weakly at her guardian in front of her. "What should I do?"
"Communicate with the city government and explain that it was a falling meteorite," Kotomine Kirei said with a straight face.
"And then? Will that be enough?" Hearing this, Tohsaka Rin quickly lifted her head, looking at him with a face full of anticipation.
"At least suppress the impact to a minimum first. We need a plausible excuse." Kotomine Kirei was also feeling helpless. Something like this... could not be swept under the rug with a gas leak excuse.
"But where are we going to find a meteorite to forge the evidence?" Tohsaka Rin quickly furrowed her brows.
"Have the government lock down that area," Kotomine Kirei said without hesitation. "Say that the meteorite fragments are extremely precious, that an unexplained implosion occurred during their descent, and that they possess massive scientific research value. Therefore, the government has excavated everything for research."
"And then we don't have to worry about it anymore?" Tohsaka Rin looked at him expectantly.
"No," Kotomine Kirei shook his head. "Write a report to the Mages' Association, Rin. That is mandatory."
"You might as well kill me..." Hearing this, Tohsaka Rin's face instantly dropped. "What can I even write? I clearly know absolutely nothing!"
"Even now, I'm still completely clueless as to who caused all of this!"
"Kirei, do you know of any clues?"
Of course he knew, but Kotomine Kirei wasn't going to tell her.
Therefore, he simply shook his head.
"Then how am I supposed to write this report?!" Tohsaka Rin grabbed her twin-tails and let out a wail. "If I write something vague and unclear, the Association definitely won't let it slide!"
Actually, it would be fine. As long as they covered up the incident, the Mages' Association would, at most, issue a mild reprimand. It was nowhere near as serious as she imagined.
The Association was busy; how could they have time to care about trivial matters in Fuyuki?
But she was still too young. Coupled with Kotomine Kirei deliberately not correcting her thoughts, it was only natural that Tohsaka Rin would panic so much.