The last dish was ready.
Kazuya wiped down the counter and looked up at the dining hall.
The place was already nearly full. Besides Salter, Jalter, Altria Alter, Altria, Mordred, Ozymandias, Enkidu, Gilgamesh, and Musashi, other Servants had arrived not long after.
Karna and Arjuna shared the same table, sitting in an uncomfortable silence that didn't need words to be noticed. Had they spent a long time in the Simulation Room fighting again? Scáthach was calmly chatting with Medusa and Medea seated nearby, while Skadi observed with her usual composure. Kulkulkan and Quetzalcóatl were laughing together, animated, as if caught in an endless conversation. Nero Claudius was gesticulating excessively to Ishtar and Ereshkigal, as if every comment deserved a theatrical performance. BB, of course, was there with her mischievous grin, clearly plotting some mischief even before the meal began.
The Knights of the Round Table occupied an entire table. Lancelot, in his Berserker form, remained silent. Gawain maintained impeccable posture, Tristan absentmindedly strummed an imaginary melody, and the others exchanged occasional remarks among themselves. Merlin seemed to be scheming as usual, with that sly smile that fooled no one, but she quickly paled when she caught the suspicious gazes of her King, as both Artorias eyed her warily.
Semiramis observed everything in silence, ignoring Mordred's insults, while Nobunaga laughed loudly at something Musashi said.
Morgan sat watching in his direction like a possessive wife.
Kazuya sighed softly. There were so many people. Far too many.
And as if the dining hall weren't crowded enough, the door opened again. Mashu entered first, with her usual warm demeanor, followed by Da Vinci-chan, who seemed to be enjoying herself just by being there, and Nikola Tesla, who looked serious, as if ready to start a debate at any moment.
He adjusted the tray in his hands and stepped out of the kitchen. The dining hall's chatter quieted for a few seconds, just long enough for dozens of eyes to turn toward him.
"Finally!" Nero Claudius exclaimed, standing up theatrically. "My Praetor has at last worked his magic in the kitchen!"
"Tch…" Ishtar huffed, crossing her arms. "If he belongs to anyone, it's definitely not you."
"Hah? Care to repeat that, second-rate goddess?" Nero raised her chin, puffing out her chest as if about to start an opera right there.
Quetzalcóatl laughed loudly, slamming the table as if in a tavern. "Come on, come on! First we eat, then we fight, ¡sí?"
Meanwhile, BB nudged Mashu with her elbow, a mischievous grin on her face. "So, number-one kouhai, aren't you going to grab his hand and say, 'Senpai, sit next to me'?"
"B-BB-san!" Mashu nearly choked with embarrassment, her face turning as red as a ripe fruit.
At the Knights' table, Tristan sighed, as always. "The music of the banquet begins… and it already sounds like a tone of rivalry. How tragic."
"You complain about everything, Tristan," Gawain said firmly, though with a slight smile. "We should be grateful for the food."
"Food made by his hands, no less," Bedivere added with his usual serenity.
Scáthach, seated with impeccable posture, raised her voice in a neutral tone. "Behave yourselves, or I'll punish half this room."
Nobunaga laughed so loudly it echoed off the walls. "Kuku! That I'd love to see!"
Kazuya sighed, placing the first tray at the center of the main table. "If you start fighting before I finish serving, there'll be no dessert."
That was enough to freeze Nero in place and make Ishtar swallow hard.
Then the door opened once more. A faint scent of sake filled the air before the figure even appeared. Shuten Dōji entered slowly, her steps light, her gaze languid, and her smile provocative.
"Ara, anata…" she called, dragging out her voice as she walked toward him. "You've got my portion ready, haven't you?"
A chorus of female glares fell on Kazuya in an instant. All his wives, each with a different level of veiled jealousy, reacted to the oni's call.
"Tch, that oni again…" Ereshkigal muttered, looking away, though her cheeks flushed.
Gilgamesh, however, seemed unperturbed, resting her chin on her hand. "Hmph, I see no issue. But if anyone dares to steal what's mine, they won't leave here unscathed."
Shuten Dōji just chuckled softly, ignoring the jabs, and approached Kazuya as if no one else existed.
Nikola Tesla commented, "Drama is inevitable when so many women share the same… focal point. It's statistically predictable."
"Scientific or not, this place feels more like a romantic comedy stage than a dining hall," Da Vinci remarked, laughing loudly.
Kazuya placed another tray on the table, and that's when Nero, impatient, grabbed a plate. "Finally! My art deserves to be nourished!"
Ishtar immediately yanked the plate from her hand. "That's mine."
"What?! Insolence!"
The two nearly lunged across the table, but Quetzalcóatl was already laughing and serving herself without ceremony.
"Share, hermanitas. The food's too good to waste fighting."
Meanwhile, Mashu subtly pulled a chair closer. "S-Senpai… if you want, you can sit here…"
BB winked at her, amused. "Look at that, you're learning fast."
Medusa, quiet until then, sighed. "You all make too much noise…"
Medea raised an eyebrow. "To think I have to share a meal with this group."
"Hmph, complain less, eat more," Nobunaga retorted, already eating as if at a war banquet.
Merlin chuckled lightly. "Ah, but it's fun to watch such chaos. It's been a while since I've seen this up close."
Scáthach served herself calmly and commented, without changing her tone. "You're all too busy fighting for the Master's attention. In the end, he's my disciple too."
"Hah?" Ishtar and Nero said in unison.
Gilgamesh let out a low, almost imperceptible laugh. "Disciple or not, the fact is he's already mine. The rest are scraps."
Silence fell for half a second before several voices overlapped in protest.
"What do you mean 'yours'?!" Ereshkigal shouted.
"Hoh? Don't be arrogant," Semiramis retorted. "If he belongs to anyone, it's me."
"Ridiculous!" Ishtar slammed the table.
"He's made it clear who he belongs to!"
"Sweet delusion," BB laughed.
The entire dining hall turned into a cacophony.
Karna, watching the chaos, merely sighed.
Arjuna crossed his arms. "A pointless spectacle."
"But at least they're happy," Tristan commented, melancholic, while strumming invisibly.
Kazuya, for his part, placed the final tray on the table, took a deep breath, and raised his voice. "If you keep arguing, I'll eat everything myself, and there'll be nothing left for you."
Silence. A heavy but brief silence.
Within seconds, all the plates began to be served in a suspiciously quiet manner, as if nothing had happened.
"Heh," Nobunaga bit into a piece of meat and pointed at Kazuya. "That threat was worthy of a general."
Mashu smiled shyly. "Senpai… everyone just wants to be close to you."
Kazuya scratched the back of his neck, exasperated. "And I just want you all to eat in peace."
Shuten Dōji leaned closer, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Don't worry, anata. I always eat well when it's you serving."
A flush crept up the faces of several women around. Nero nearly flung her plate into the air. Ishtar raised her glass as if it were a challenge. Gilgamesh merely closed her eyes, smirking faintly.
BB, seizing the moment, nudged Ereshkigal. "Hey, are you going to let her take all his space, or are you going to do something?"
Ereshkigal huffed. "Not… yet."
Medusa, finally, spoke softly. "I know I shouldn't interfere, but…" She cast a subtle glance at Kazuya. "He probably just wants everyone to eat."
"Exactly," Kazuya said, sighing and adjusting a tray of vegetables. "If you fight, no one eats. Period."
Meanwhile, Shuten took a piece of meat from Kazuya's plate and bit into it with satisfaction. "Hmm… as delicious as I imagined. Anata, you always get it right."
"Don't be so brazen," Nero muttered, crossing her arms, though her face betrayed jealousy.
"Look who's talking…" Tamamo no Mae shot a glance at the Roman Empress. She had just sat down, unfortunately far from her husband.
"What did you say, you vixen?" Nero was visibly offended.
The two, as usual, didn't get along.
Gilgamesh merely rolled her eyes. "This is tedious…"
Ishtar rolled her eyes too but grabbed her plate, hiding her blush. "He's mine… but if everyone wants to eat, fine."
As the chatter continued, BB began to tease, "I wonder what Lancelot Berserker thinks of all this? Bet he's enjoying it deep down."
Lancelot, silent as ever, merely raised his fork and ate, ignoring the provocation, while Gawain cast an amused glance at Tristan, who sighed melancholically about the "tragedy" of the banquet.
Kazuya just smiled…
No matter how many times they had dined together in recent days, it always felt nostalgic to him.
The sound of cutlery finally dominated the dining hall. For a few minutes, the chaos of teasing and jealousy seemed to dissolve into chewing, stifled laughter, and side conversations.
Karna, seated in silence, ate almost meditatively. Enkidu, beside him, watched with that serene smile that seemed to carry centuries of untold stories.
"You always eat too slowly, Karna," Enkidu commented lightly. "Even Bedivere's already halfway through his plate."
Bedivere tilted his head slightly, polite as always. "The flavor deserves to be savored slowly, actually. Though I admit I may have been a bit too quick…"
Tristan sighed, resting his hand on his face while picking at some vegetables. "Ah… the banquet is bountiful, but my soul still finds melancholic notes in this setting."
"Could you, for once, eat without composing elegies?" Gawain teased, with a half-smile that tried to lighten the mood.
Lancelot, oblivious to it all, just chewed intensely, eyes fixed on his plate, ignoring the banter.
Ozymandias leaned back in his chair as if on a throne, biting into a piece of meat with a satisfied air. "Hmph! Nothing like a banquet worthy of my presence. I'll admit, master of the kitchen, you've surpassed even some of my old servants in Egypt."
Tesla, on the other side, adjusted his glasses. "An observation: this dinner, in terms of organization and preparation, exceeds what would be considered acceptable even for kings. It's not just a matter of taste but of meticulous execution."
Ozymandias shot him a disdainful look. "You call the cold words of science what I call divine art."
Tesla raised an eyebrow but chose to keep eating.
On the women's side, conversations wove together like threads in a tapestry.
Scáthach, impeccable as always, tasted the meat calmly. "Good seasoning. Balanced. He's learned well."
Skadi, beside her, gave a faint but genuine smile. "I agree. He's improved since his first attempts… though he still needs to not overwork himself so much."
Mashu listened quietly but couldn't resist murmuring, "Senpai tries so hard for all of us…"
BB, of course, nudged her with her elbow. "Fufufu, and you seize every chance to blush, kouhai. So innocent."
Mashu nearly dropped her fork. "B-BB-san!"
Ishtar and Ereshkigal, as usual, were already trading barbs between bites.
"You're eating too much, sister," Ishtar accused, pointing her fork.
"Me?!" Ereshkigal nearly choked. "Look at your plate before you say that!"
Altria Lancer and her Alter version were nearby but in stark contrast.
The former maintained her noble posture, eating slowly. "The meal is worthy… I recommend you don't argue during it."
The Alter, on the other hand, was devouring her plate like a warrior on campaign. "Hah! Who has time to argue when the food's this good?!"
"I agree, Oyaji!" Mordred chimed in.
Saber Alter merely huffed, resting her fork with sharp elegance. "You all talk too much."
On the other side, Jeanne smiled gently, making sure Asia ate slowly. "Take your time, okay? There's plenty more."
Asia, shy, nodded. "Thank you, Jeanne…"
Jalter, eating with more gusto, looked at the scene and grumbled, "You spoil her too much, Jeanne. She'll get clingy like that."
"And you fight with her too much," Jeanne retorted, smiling unfazed.
Valerie, meanwhile, seemed distracted, her eyes always seeking Edmond Dantès, who ate silently, apart from everyone. Each time he raised his fork, her heart seemed to race.
Medb, ever bold, rested her chin on her hand. "Hah, at least she knows what she wants. Unlike you all, hiding your jealousy of the Master."
Morgan, from the other side, shot her a cold, possessive glare. "And you talk too much."
Quetzalcóatl laughed loudly, piling more food onto her plate. "¡Excelente! Nothing like a banquet full of passion and strong voices, ¡sí!"
Kulkulkan, smiling, tried to rein her in. "You'll end up scaring the quieter ones."
Medusa, truly quiet, barely touched her food, though her plate was full. "You're all too loud…"
Medea raised an eyebrow, sipping her wine. "To think a simple dinner could feel like a chaotic court meeting."
Semiramis, elegant as always, limited herself to observing but couldn't resist a comment. "Deep down, you're all trying to get his attention. How pathetic."
Merlin, who had been merely smiling, rested her chin on her hand. "Oh, but it's entertaining to watch."
Gilgamesh, indifferent, replied without opening her eyes. "Childish amusement. But I'll admit… this chaos has a certain charm."
Oda Nobunaga was already laughing with Musashi, who was recounting some travel anecdote.
"Kuku! So you really drank so much you forgot the city's name?" Nobunaga laughed, nearly knocking over her glass.
"Not my fault! That sake was too strong," Musashi justified, laughing along.
Between bites, Kazuya finally managed to sit down. Mashu discreetly adjusted a chair so he'd sit beside her, and Shuten was already leaning dangerously close, offering him sake with a languid smile.
"No need, Shuten…" he sighed, accepting just a sip.
"Anata… always so shy," she murmured, chuckling.
Valerie, unable to hold back, turned to Edmond. "Do you… like banquets like this?"
He raised his eyes, calm, his voice low as always. "No. But I tolerate them when they're noisy from happiness, not pain."
She blushed deeply, clutching her plate as if it were a shield.
In the corner, Karna lifted his eyes for the first time. "Even in the noise, there's peace when everyone's satisfied."
Gawain nodded firmly. "I agree. It's a privilege… one we must preserve."
Tristan sighed but gave a faint smile. "Even I can't deny… this melody is harmonious."
Ozymandias raised his glass. "Then let us celebrate! It's not every day you see so many figures gathered in a banquet."
Quetzalcóatl slammed the table, laughing. "¡Eso! Let's celebrate!"
Even Bedivere raised his glass, discreet but sincere.
Kazuya scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed by so many eyes on him again.
The dinner then followed its usual course: as they ate, they talked about trivial matters, but more significant topics arose as well. For instance, Merlin mentioned Le Fay, who had become her disciple and missed the Master. This sparked some comments from the Knights of the Round Table, especially since there was a Pendragon with the same name as their King, which felt almost blasphemous to some, particularly given the young one's weakness. Kazuya, however, responded naturally that she could see him whenever she wished.
After their defeat at Chaldea's hands about a month ago, both had joined his organization as spies. Arthur joined Vali's team in Grigori, while Le Fay, originally meant to act as a spy in the human magical organization, ended up becoming Merlin's disciple.
He also commented on the demons' movements in the underworld, to the jealousy of his Servants.
Another topic was what they would do next.
After discussing all this, the dinner ended, and everyone went off to do their own things.
Except for Kazuya, who had some "duties" as the husband of many wives to fulfill…
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