Chapter 49: The Man Who Challenges a God
Shirou and the God of Wine, Soma, arrived at the Hostess of Fertility tavern nearly at the same time.
Even though everyone had already heard of the impending showdown, seeing a mortal actually challenge a god shocked the onlookers. It was hard to imagine someone foolish enough to truly defy a divine being.
In most people's eyes, this act wasn't just like a mantis trying to stop a chariot — it was more akin to an ant trying to stop a meteor. So ludicrous it became laughable.
Yet because this duel promised the rare opportunity to taste divine wine, the crowd found themselves more grateful than mocking toward the foolish Shirou.
"Kid, you owe me a favor this time."
Mia greeted Shirou with a complicated expression.
"Of course. I'll help cook for the tavern more often in the future."
"You said it!" Mia's eyes lit up at his words, but her expression quickly turned grim. "I heard you're planning to use food to challenge Soma's divine wine? Are you serious?"
"Absolutely."
"Honestly, I think you've lost your mind." Mia sighed helplessly. "Even if your cooking is top-tier, you're going up against a god. The gap between humans and gods isn't something that can be bridged by talent — it's a chasm between dimensions."
"I know. But to destroy the divine wine, I have to do this."
Shirou's resolve remained completely unshaken by Mia's doubts.
Seeing his determined face, Mia knew there was no convincing him otherwise. She simply patted his shoulder silently and returned to organizing the venue for the upcoming duel.
"Yo, everyone's already here?"
Soon after, Loki and the Sword Princess, Ais, also arrived.
Loki maintained her usual carefree demeanor, smiling as she looked between Shirou and Soma.
"Things are getting lively. I was thinking of inviting Freya too, but that woman flat-out refused to see me. No sense of fun at all!"
"Let's just get this over with," Soma said, clearly impatient. "The sooner this farce ends, the sooner I can get back to brewing."
"Oh? So you think your victory is already assured?"
Loki's smile faltered briefly. She stared silently at Soma, as if scrutinizing him.
"Do I even need to say it? This is a meaningless competition. How could my divine wine possibly lose?"
"Hmm... I don't quite agree," Loki replied, her words shocking everyone present.
After all, among the assembled crowd, not one person — aside from Shirou — believed he had any chance of winning.
No one thought a mortal's cooking could surpass a god's divine wine.
Yet Loki smiled and said,
"I may not understand divine wine, or cooking, but I do understand people. Sometimes, you can see just how strong someone's resolve is just by looking at them."
"Resolve doesn't change anything," Soma replied indifferently.
"True, some people are all bark and no bite," Loki shrugged, clearly not wanting to argue further.
Meanwhile, Mia had finished clearing out a large space in the tavern for the duel.
"How are you two planning to compete?" Loki, acting as judge, asked. "Are you making the dish and the wine on the spot?"
"The wine is already prepared."
Without hesitation, Soma placed a wine flask on the table. Just that simple act was enough to overwhelm the crowd — the scent alone arrested everyone's attention.
If it hadn't been for the authority of Hostess of Fertility and Loki's presence, the crowd might have stampeded for a sip of the divine brew.
"Not bad at all," Loki commented seriously.
Ais had expected her to be uncontrollably drawn to the wine, but was surprised by her restraint.
"And you, Emiya? Have you prepared your dish already?"
"Cooking shouldn't be done in advance. If it's not freshly made, it's meaningless."
"Fair enough," Loki nodded. "Then go ahead and cook. We'll wait."
"No need. You can start without me."
Shirou calmly gave everyone permission to begin sampling the wine and headed into the kitchen.
Soma seemed unwilling to take advantage of this and wanted to wait for Shirou's food. But Mia, as the tavern manager, didn't want to delay things and potentially disrupt business. So at her insistence, the divine wine was served.
Of course, there wasn't enough wine for everyone. Loki, as judge, fairly selected five people to sample both the wine and Shirou's food.
Soma had no objections — he was confident that no matter who tasted the divine wine, they would fall under its spell.
"Is choosing Lili really okay?"
Surprisingly, one of the five chosen was Lili, who stood with Hestia and Bell.
As a former member of Soma's Familia, she was clearly still uneasy around the divine wine.
"Don't worry," Loki reassured her. "I already bought antidotes. That damn Armid charged me a fortune — no customer loyalty — but her medicine is flawless."
Reluctantly, Lili nodded in agreement.
The other four tasters were ordinary patrons, overjoyed by their luck. They stared eagerly at the wine, unaware of the danger.
"Are you ready?" Soma remained cold and aloof. He didn't even pour the wine himself.
That task fell to the tavern waitress, Syr, who was visibly nervous.
"Hurry up! I've been waiting forever!" "Come on, don't make us wait!" "Let me drink already!"
The crowd grew more impatient.
Syr carefully poured the wine. The scent, now unsealed, wafted into the air.
Instantly, the atmosphere changed.
The tavern that had been filled with noise fell into a stunned silence. Every eye locked on the wine, unable to look away.
"Is that... divine wine?"
Even the tavern staff were entranced, nearly rushing in to drink — stopped only by Mia's iron glare.
Similarly, Ais' intimidating presence kept the customers in check.
Strangely, Syr — who stood closest to the wine — remained unaffected.
Eventually, one taster couldn't resist and drank.
BAM!
Like being struck by lightning, he trembled violently, pupils dilated, mouth curled into a blissful smile — as if experiencing paradise.
"Delicious! It's so good! I've never had anything like this!"
The rest followed, instantly falling under the wine's spell, collapsing in ecstasy.
"Damn, I want to try it too!" Even gods in the crowd looked jealous.
All eyes turned to Lili, the only one left.
"Hey kid, drink already! Or give it to me!"
But Lili hesitated. To her, the wine wasn't a blessing — it was poison.
"What's wrong, Liliruca Arde?" Soma looked at her. "I know what you're thinking. You're one of the rare few who regained your senses after drinking my wine — but that was luck. Drink it again, and you may never come back."
Lili stayed silent, which was an admission in itself.
But her fear wasn't just for herself — she was afraid that if she fell, it would mean Shirou had lost.
She had seen a faint but real hope in Shirou and wanted him to win — to banish the divine wine from the city forever.
And so, she steeled herself and drank.
"Ahh!!"
Her vision blurred. Her pupils dilated. Her mind was pulled into an illusion of pure bliss.
Her resolve crumbled easily in the face of the wine's power.
Now, all five tasters lay scattered across the floor, smiling in utter bliss, completely consumed by the divine wine.
"What a boring ending," Soma muttered coldly.
He stood to leave, clearly uninterested in seeing more.
"Hold on," Loki stopped him. "The result isn't out yet. Why not stay and watch a little longer?"
"Pointless," Soma replied, but sat down anyway — not out of hope, but to witness the moment Shirou's pride was crushed.
Then, the kitchen curtain parted.
Shirou stepped out, but instead of an extravagant dish, he carried a simple plate of egg fried rice.
Plain in color, faint in aroma — not even comparable to the tavern's usual meals.
Disappointed murmurs filled the air. Many had hoped Shirou might surprise them with divine-level cooking, but now, they were sure the match was over.
"Is that your dish?" Syr asked curiously.
"Yes." Shirou nodded, unfazed by the disappointment and mockery around him.
"Incredible..." Syr whispered. "Even Soma's divine wine can't beat this dish."
"Huh?" Shirou thought he misheard.
After all, nearly everyone thought he had no chance. But Syr's eyes shone with something else — like she was seeing something extraordinary.
"You're not joking?" he asked.
"Most people would assume that no food can rival divine wine. But in this moment, I believe your cooking surpasses it," she said with full sincerity.
Shirou was stunned — he hadn't expected anyone to understand.
But in that moment, it was clear: Syr had seen through the truth.
Who is this girl really? Shirou wondered. But he had no time to dwell on it.
Now, he had to present his dish to everyone — and end the chaos the divine wine had caused.