Returning to Chaldea via Rayshift, Ritsuka and Olga Marie collapsed from the aftereffects of the first Rayshift.
Olga Marie woke up quickly, but Ritsuka is said to not be able to wake up for about three days. They didn't use runes to wake her because it's better to let her body adapt to the Rayshift.
"Are you okay? Olga."
"... Well. The staff who went outside to check have disappeared, and communications are down. We can't contact the outside..."
"Of course. The incineration of humanity... Currently, there's nothing outside. The end is certain, and the observation device Shiva defined that everything ended in 2017. And... that's the reality. But there's still a chance. We have time until the last day of 2016. There's over a year left."
"I know... but, there are as many as seven singularities. The scale is also incomparable to Fuyuki based on observations... Is it possible? And, after we succeed, will humanity return?"
"They will return. Even I, as a goddess, know that much. But this journey..."
"You want to say it's practically impossible, right? Sitonai."
"Yes. All the gods would say so. The goddesses inside me are saying the same."
"..."
Olga Marie is discouraged by Sitonai's words, but...
"What about Illya then?"
"Isn't it obvious? There's no reason we can't."
"... Huh?"
"The gods are saying that without knowing anything. Fergus has said it repeatedly, right? Humans make the impossible possible."
"In the distant past, humans thought they could do nothing without the power or help of the gods. Even the development of medicine to overcome Asclepius's death was with divine aid. But... humans who parted ways with the gods achieved dazzling progress. They succeeded in circumnavigating the globe, which was said to be impossible, made electricity their own, and even learned to fly. With pure human technology, without mystery. The gods always declare things impossible, but humans, despite countless failures, ultimately achieve success. That's the difference between gods and humans."
"The difference between gods and humans..."
"The gods feared such humans. They worried that someday, the faith they needed for their existence might disappear from advanced humans. So the cowardly Mesopotamian gods, hoping to preserve the Age of Gods, gave birth to Gilgamesh, and that Gilgamesh led to a parting with the arrogant and foolish gods. Most gods are arrogant cowards. They give up even on low chances of success if the risk of failure is high. Even 14,000 years ago, when they were driven out by the White Giant, they begged for their lives and made a contract to have humans repay their debt. It was Gilgamesh who repaid it. Ridiculous, right? That's what gods are."
"So just ignore them, Master~ Impossible? You just have to make it possible. Ignore the gods who say it's impossible without even trying and without being involved."
"Olga. You taught me, right? That doing your best in any situation is the pride of Animusphere. Isn't it time to show that pride now? We'll help you."
"... I get it! I'm the director of Chaldea, so I'll do my best!"
"Good spirit, Olga. Then let's begin too."
Due to Lev's explosion terror, only Chaldea's control room was barely maintained, and the rest was essentially in ruins. We have to repair all of that. It'll take a long time if I do it alone...
"I'll release you for a while."
"Yay...! Freedom!"
"Should I seal you again..."
"Got it! I'll work hard! But you have to feed me too!?"
"To use my treasures on such a facility... Ugh! And it's not even for luxury like Ishtar!"
"What's wrong with that? Isn't it fun?"
Releasing the power of the hopeless clairvoyant trio, I have them help repair Chaldea too. As for Sitonai...
"Shirou, what do you think about this place?"
Since she's an ice specialist, she has nothing to do and plays around... She has magecraft knowledge thanks to Freyja, but it's not much help...
"Then, shall we proceed with summoning?"
Solomon uses his specialty, summoning magecraft, but... wait, what's that?
[The time of lust has come. Have you called for me, my king...]
"Why Zepar of all things?"
"Huh? Why?"
[You! Are you mocking me!]
".... You summoned him knowing full well."
"?"
"... Never mind."
Zepar... come to think of it, that guy was in charge of lust, right? A demon who can control women and make both men and women lustful... in a way, he might be an inferior version of Kiara. That's why he became a sex slave and was discarded. Pathetic bastard.
"But why did you appear?"
[Didn't you call for me?]
"I was trying to summon Halphas... I made another chant mistake. Does it matter? Well, Zepar. Let's repair Chaldea together."
[Understood.]
Well, as long as he does the work, it's fine, I guess... even though he's a slave who submitted to Kiara after falling into pleasure.
Gilgamesh also repairs Chaldea using his spare equipment and lower-quality treasures. Still, by modern standards, they're items that are either impossible to obtain or as rare as stars in the sky.
Merlin, perhaps genuinely wanting to eat my food, was diligently restoring things with magecraft.
"Ugha... will it work if I move this here?"
"Yes, put it there."
Mash, who has grown stronger, helps from the side, and staff including da Vinci are programming to normalize Chaldea's systems. Olga Marie is also busy restoring and organizing damaged data and records.
"Phew... it's lunchtime! Everyone, let's eat and take a short break."
I immediately prepare meals for everyone.
"Hmm, I shall assist."
"What is it?"
"I can cook too. This is proof of that. Your cooking skills are undoubtedly impressive... but I'll show you that mine are superior!"
"... Ah, yes. The menu is curry."
"Curry, a food from the Indus. Good, I'll show you my skills!"
I don't know why Gilgamesh suddenly butts in... but what I'm making isn't Indian-style; it's more like cafeteria curry. Of course, the taste will be on a different level. I immediately start by transmuting the highest-quality ingredients with primordial runes. Next to me... hmm, I'm not sure what's happening. That woman, didn't she say she has a certificate for preparing hydra meat?
... She's good at preparation, but she never said she's good at cooking. Well, preparation is something Britons are good at too...
Later, our cooking is done.
"So... please try both kinds."
"Fuhahaha! Know the honor of eating a handmade meal by me, mongrels!"
Said the mongrel...
Everyone glances around a bit and receives the curry made by me and Gilgamesh. It looks ordinary and smells fine. But, with 600 years of cooking experience, I can tell. That is...
Everyone takes a bite of Gilgamesh's curry first. And...
No one can speak and they quietly bow their heads. How should they react to this... Solomon and Merlin didn't even take Gilgamesh's and only took mine, and Sitonai, who took it out of curiosity...
"Illya, your expression, expression..."
"...."
Sitonai says nothing, pushes the bowl aside, and eats the curry I made.
The others glance at Gilgamesh and then sneakily eat my curry.
"What is it... is my curry no good?"
"Yeah, trash. It was on the level that makes me think of Saber."
"Ahh... indeed, that was the case back then."
Her cooking back then was miserable... truly fitting for the potato-centric cuisine of the Age of Gods.
"Kuh... how can this be."
"Well, try yours and compare while eating mine."
"..."
Gilgamesh, who perhaps didn't even taste the seasoning of his own curry, takes a spoonful. He remains silent for a while...
"It's delicious."
"... Ah, yes."
I give him the curry I made. And after taking a spoonful...
Crash!
"No, who are you telling to clean up..."
"You clean it up. Can't you use my treasures?"
"That's true but... sigh. What a waste of ingredients."
He immediately throws his own curry into the sink. This is really...
"Mmm~♡♪ I can't resist this texture and flavor~ It's truly the best! It's a shame I can't taste it myself! In that sense, one more bowl!"
"I won't give you any, though?"
"That's too mean!?"
"... Then, want to eat mine instead?"
"Can I?"
"In exchange for that... um, a signature... I'm a fan!"
"Oh, I see, I see~ If you're a fan of the great idol Magi☆Mari, of course!"
"Romani, that guy is Merlin."
"That can't be! Magi☆Mari is Magi☆Mari!"
"Buffalo Romani."
What to do with that otaku...
"It's really delicious. Can I have one more bowl?"
"Hmm... well, since you're better than Merlin, here you go. You did give Lev a good hit, right?"
"It's my specialty, thank you."
"That's discrimination!"
"Merlin is fine as he is."
"I want one more bowl too!"
"After you clean up the trash you made, I'll give you some."
"Trash, you say... you fool!"
Gilgamesh gets angry but opens his treasures and cleans up. This side seems a bit better.