Shirou tried to play dumb and bluff his way out of the situation—but of course, he failed. The conversation naturally veered toward the very direction he didn't want: everyone started chatting and joking about him.
"Geez, where the hell did you get all that insane power!? It's downright monstrous!"
Charlotte's tone left Shirou genuinely confused—was she complimenting him or insulting him?
"If I had your kind of power, I'd tie my grandpa up and beat the crap out of him!"
Ah, now this was familiar. That tone? That logic? Perfectly matched her usual attitude.
Shirou could tell that at least Charlotte hadn't changed—still the ultimate filial rebel with a grudge against her tiger-parent granddad.
"Forget god-slaying powers—even if I had just thirty percent of what you've got, I'd beat that playboy father of mine to a pulp."
The Gallian Governor threw out a cheeky little bean-face emoji, and Charlotte followed suit immediately. Shirou couldn't help but feel that there was a pattern here—like these two had become strong through familial rage.
Shirou sighed in his heart. "Seriously, don't any of you come from a normal family? I'm not even asking for happy and loving—just normal would be enough. Why is everyone all about 'kind father, devoted child' through fists!?"
His fingers hovered over the keyboard, ready to type out a snarky comment—then paused.
Come to think of it… barely anyone in his social circle had a normal home life.
Nono? The entire Chen family is gone. Total orphan.
Melusine? Not even human—skip.
Old Tang? Orphan from Brooklyn.
Xia Mi? Technically has both parents… but with a mentally ill brother and having to work full-time to support her family at her age? Also pretty weird.
Erii? Comes from a "normal" super-noble house, but her personal treatment has been anything but normal.
The Sun Hee trio? No clue about their families… and Shirou himself is an orphan.
"Huh. Guess none of us had a normal family. In that case, no big deal."
The group tactfully shifted away from the emotionally risky topic of family, moving on to the current hot topic dominating the charts: the Holy Grail War.
Shirou quickly typed: "You're all participating?"
"Of course! We have to!" Charlotte's tone was barely able to contain her excitement. She was like a kid about to jump into a mecha suit or transform into a Kamen Rider to save the world—no tension, just pure joy bubbling over.
"To seize the Grail, claim victory, and have my name known across the land!"
Charlotte didn't seem particularly interested in the Grail's wish-granting abilities. She didn't need divine intervention to beat her grandfather—she just wanted the title of winner. That alone, she thought, might finally let her surpass Shirou, her long-time rival.
The Gallian Governor seemed equally indifferent. He wasn't even planning to attend. With everything in life already handed to him—luxury, comfort, zero worries—it made sense that the Holy Grail held little appeal.
"I don't really care about the Grail. I don't think I have any wishes worth using it for… Oh, but tell me—could it bring the dead back to life? Even someone who's been gone a long time?"
"That's not possible, right? If it could actually do that, it'd be real magic!" Charlotte, an actual alchemist, even used the term "magic" to describe it—because reviving a long-dead person would be that unreal.
She added, "Unless we're talking about time reversal."
After all, the Seven Alchemy Kingdoms did have something like "time reversal," but it was one of the most enigmatic and mysterious abilities in the entire system. She even doubted that any dragonkind had truly mastered it.
Take the Black King, for example—if he could really do it, why hadn't he changed his own death?
"And even if you manage to reverse time, that's only similar to resurrection—not actual resurrection. The Grail can't perform that kind of magic," Shirou chimed in.
He was well aware of the legendary Fifth Magic—known as "Return by River of Time." In Mahōtsukai no Yoru, Aoko Aozaki used it to revive Shizuki Sōjurō, essentially throwing the fact of his death into a distant future and manipulating time itself to fake a resurrection.
As for the Grail, it's associated with the Third Magic—but that only re-inserts a soul into a body for an incomplete form of resurrection. If the body's long gone, even the Third Magic is useless.
"I see… well, forget it then. I'm logging off." The Gallian Governor didn't take the news well and made a swift exit.
"So?" Charlotte said, cocking her head. "Why's our god-slaying hero so interested in something like that?"
Shirou shrugged. "Just asking. I live nearby."
"W-What, you trying to meet up with me in real life!?" Charlotte suddenly got flustered. Her confidence from mocking him online seemed to drain all at once, revealing a surprisingly timid core—as if terrified he'd show up and smack her around.
But she quickly rebounded, puffing herself up again. "H-Hey! Just wait until I get my Holy Relic and summon my super-powerful Servant! You'll see then—the cost of always underestimating me will be immeasurable!"
Shirou frowned. He'd always tried to be polite and respectful—what on earth had she been imagining?
"My attitude's fine, isn't it? When have I ever looked down on you? I mean, sure, you do seem pretty young…"
Oops. That one hit a nerve.
"AAAAHHHHHHHHHH—!!"
Charlotte's instant mental breakdown didn't even give her time to mount a full-on rage attack. Shirou immediately clicked his mouse and force-quit the chat window, logging off at light speed. Honestly, even if Charlotte did show up in real life, he wasn't worried—he'd be the one doing the smacking.
After logging off, Shirou habitually checked his phone. The first message caught his eye:
"Genji Asuka wants to become a Master?"
—
Although the new Genji Heavy Industries HQ building wasn't finished yet, the currently active old building still stood tall and imposing—distinct even among the calm, grey skyline.
The one who came out to greet him was a familiar face: Sakurai Nanami, dressed smartly in a black suit.
"I thought I'd see something like that sword museum thing again—a whole hallway of black-suited bodyguards or something," Shirou remarked, giving the towering skyscraper one last glance.
"Apologies. The family cleared the place out last time. But the current HQ is in a busy Tokyo district with lots of nearby residents," Nanami explained, leading him through the lobby.
"The new HQ is still under construction by Maruyama Construction, but with the extra manpower lately, it should be ready for preliminary use within two months."
"Once it's done, all operations will move to the new building. This old one will be handed over to the Kanto branch. But if you ever want that 'mafia-style' reception again, we can arrange it in the new place."
"…No need. I was just asking."
As they walked through the building, the sounds of hurried footsteps filled the air. Employees carrying files came and went, elevator chimes rang, and a faint perfume lingered—just like any regular corporate office.
Nanami added a note of context. "These staff members are vital for running the family's businesses. But their authority is very limited—they're nowhere near the level of the family heads and know nothing of the real secrets. I hope you understand."
"No problem. And I take it this isn't our final destination? I'm meeting Asuka upstairs?"
"Yes. The young master and the other family heads are waiting to welcome you."
The elevator rose to the top floor. When Shirou stepped out, Genji Asuka was already there to greet him—with a whole group of others standing behind him, probably the various branch family heads.
Nanami bowed and stepped back. Asuka picked up the lead.
"Shirou, come sit with me. I don't think I've formally introduced the family structure yet. Technically, today's meeting was supposed to include the Eight Head Families."
"The outer five are Inuyama, Fūma, Miyamoto, Ryōma, and the Sakurai family you've already met. Miyamoto's head got tied up with business and couldn't make it."
"Fūma?" Shirou looked at the elderly man in a black kimono seated at the round stone table. His white hair and sharp eyes spoke volumes. "Any relation to Fūma Kotarō from a few centuries ago?"
"Exactly. He's a direct descendant of the legendary 'King of Ninjas.' Every Fūma head has taken on the name Fūma Kotarō," Asuka explained as he led Shirou to a seat on the opposite side.
"I see. So your 'core families' aren't just the Genji, then? There are three?"
"Correct. The inner trio is my Genji family, my sister Erii's Uesugi family, and my foster father's Tachibana family—Tachibana Masamune. These three have been in alliance and bound by marriage ties since ancient times. While all eight heads are connected, only the inner three have the noble lineage to lead…"
"But Masamune-san couldn't make it today, so I'm chairing the meeting."
Asuka knocked on the nearby sliding door. "I went to fetch Erii earlier. She should be changing—"
Wham!
The door flew open with a sharp clatter. "Erii," dressed in a red-and-white shrine maiden outfit and wooden sandals, strode rapidly into the room.
Her delicate, expressionless face swept the room with her gaze—then, without a word from Asuka, she walked over and sat herself directly next to Shirou.
Asuka: ?
(End of Chapter)
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