In an instant, the already lively recreation room became incredibly noisy.
Queen Marie (waving excitedly): "Hi~! Do you remember me? My full name is Marie Antoinette!"
Mozart (resting his chin on his hand): "You know, now that I think about it, the last time we met you looked pretty dizzy too."
Sitting at the same table, Jeanne nodded at Takumi, her face slightly flushed. It looked like the other two had just been teasing her about something.
Jeanne Alter looked even worse than Jeanne. Not only were her face and neck completely red, but faint steam seemed to be literally rising from her head. She had fully evolved into a steam engine.
Siegfried and Georgios seemed to have bonded quickly over their shared traits. Sitting together, they both offered Takumi a warm, respectful nod.
Caesar (trying to restrain Caligula, who kept chanting "Nero, Nero"): "Honestly, I'm genuinely curious if we could manage to summon Cleopatra here..."
Jing Ke, drinking alone, shrugged: "If you're wondering where Lu Bu and Spartacus went..."
Boudica picked up the explanation: "Once they confirmed you were safe, Spartacus started yelling about 'Oppressors' and left. As for General Lu Bu... well, who knows what he was thinking, but he left right after."
"But honestly, it makes sense. This isn't exactly the right environment for them to stretch their legs."
Boudica let out a helpless sigh.
Euryale was whispering quietly with Asterios and Ana. Seeing Takumi, she looked surprised but offered a small, knowing smile.
And then there were the others:
Artemis, who for some reason was still aggressively cuddling the stuffed bear. Medea Lily, who was tirelessly trying to pet Atalante's animal ears. David, staring intensely at the two beautiful women from the sidelines. The two grand authors, exchanging tips on how to properly procrastinate on deadlines. Elizabeth, who wanted to start singing but was being physically restrained by Robin Hood and Billy the Kid. Lancelot and Tristan, still being glared at from the shadows by the Hassans. Ereshkigal, waving shyly, while Ishtar stood next to her, looking profoundly disappointed in her lack of initiative...
There were fewer Servants here than there had been at the Time Temple, but it was still incredibly lively.
Seeing all these Servants gathered together, Takumi's heart swelled with genuine excitement. A massive, happy smile spread across his face. Taking a deep breath, he called out loudly:
"Emiya! Is Emiya here?!"
As he called out, Takumi instinctively stood on his tiptoes, trying to spot a certain red-clad archer in the crowd.
Hearing Takumi call his name before anyone else's, Emiya, who was sitting near the back, looked a bit confused, but he raised his hand:
"You need me for something?"
He really is here!
"Since we're all here... let's throw a massive banquet to celebrate today!"
Takumi flashed a wide grin and threw a fist into the air.
As he said this, Takumi deliberately made eye contact with Drake.
Drake paused for a second, instantly understanding what Takumi was hinting at. She let out a hearty laugh and raised her mug in absolute agreement:
"Hahaha! I'm completely down for that!"
The other Servants were slightly taken aback by Takumi's sudden pivot, but they all understood the concept of "celebrating." After exchanging a few glances, they quickly voiced their approval.
"I have no objections!"
"Yay! I was starting to get bored just sitting around here anyway!"
"Say, if we're throwing a banquet, we obviously need someone to perform, right? If you beg me, I suppose I could reluctantly agree to take the stage~!"
Hearing the word "banquet," Elizabeth's eyes sparkled. She spoke with a dramatic, highly expectant tone.
Robin Hood and Billy the Kid exchanged a very serious look, nodded in unison, and immediately bolted.
"Miss Euryale! Please, you have to sing a few songs for us later!"
Elizabeth: "..."
Watching the two of them sprint over to beg Euryale, the Dragon Idol was consumed by an unprecedented fury!
...
"As much as I hate to ruin the mood, there's literally nothing here. I can't even cook a single dish. Furthermore..."
Seeing the Servants getting riled up, Emiya—who now perfectly understood why Takumi had specifically called him out—couldn't help but pour cold water on the idea.
As he spoke, Emiya glanced around the room, his eyes lingering heavily on Saber Alter, the Lion King, and Mordred.
"With this many people, there's absolutely no way I can cook for all of them by myself..."
Already experiencing phantom cramps in his arms just thinking about it, Emiya sighed helplessly.
"If it's just rice, I can provide as much as we need. I can help with some of the cooking too, but I'm not great with complex dishes."
Tawara Touta hoisted a massive bag of rice onto his shoulder, scratching his head with an apologetic smile.
"It's fine! We can just go buy the ingredients! I'll help cook, and if anyone else knows how, they can pitch in too! It shouldn't take that long!"
Having fully anticipated this problem, Takumi cheerfully rolled up his sleeves and struck a "look at these muscles" pose.
Back in Chaldea, he used to do the heavy lifting for dozens of people. Cooking a massive meal now would be a piece of cake!
"If you're willing to help, then I have no objections."
Hearing Takumi volunteer, Emiya sighed in relief and threw his hands up.
Well, I suppose I'll just have to sacrifice my arms for the greater good!
"A fine idea. But you don't actually possess any currency that can be spent in modern Earth cities, do you?"
Sitting on a sofa, gently swirling wine in a crystal glass, Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow and interjected.
"Hehe, I guess I actually don't..."
Takumi thought about it for a second and scratched his head with a goofy smile.
"Heh. I knew it."
Gilgamesh chuckled. Reaching into a golden ripple, he pulled out two massive, solid gold bricks and casually tossed them to Takumi.
"Use these. If it is not enough, simply ask me for more."
After tossing them, Gilgamesh acted as if he had just handed Takumi a couple of useless rocks, completely losing interest.
"Thank you, boss!"
Staring at Mr. Golden, who was currently exuding an absolute aura of infinite wealth, Takumi felt a profound sense of respect and immediately gave him a massive thumbs-up.
"Alright then! I'll go find a place to exchange these gold bricks for cash!"
Takumi announced as he tucked the gold away.
While two solid gold bricks were obviously more than enough to buy ingredients and supplies, modern society didn't exactly operate on the barter system with precious metals. He still needed to convert them into actual cash.
Gilgamesh waved his hand dismissively, telling him to do whatever he wanted.
As for who he could ask to exchange the gold...
Takumi actually had an idea.
He had finally made it to the Nasuverse, but so far he had either been stuck in Chaldea or fighting for his life in Singularities. He hadn't even had the chance to properly explore Fuyuki City!
He just wondered if a certain perpetually broke, elegant Magus named Tohsaka Rin was still around...
Just then, the sound of rapid, heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway behind him.
Takumi, who had just finished putting the gold away, froze and turned to look.
Wondering who was sprinting down the hall, a familiar pink blur suddenly shot into his line of sight—it was the child form of Tiamat he hadn't seen yet!
Seeing Mommy Tiamat charging at him with terrifying momentum, Takumi's heart skipped a beat.
"Waaaah!!! o(≧口≦)o"
Looking incredibly angry for some reason, Tiamat slammed directly into Takumi's chest. The impact was surprisingly forceful, actually pushing him back two steps, the two large horns on her head painfully digging into his chest.
Having successfully tackled him, Tiamat wrapped her arms tightly around one of his, glaring up at him with puffed-out cheeks.
"Mommy only left for a little while, and you decided to wake up right then—and you didn't even come looking for Mommy first..."
Bad boy!
Not only had her physical form regressed to a child's, but her mental state had seemingly regressed slightly as well. Tiamat pouted, throwing a genuine, adorable tantrum.
"It's not like I can control when I wake up..."
Takumi sighed helplessly, using his free hand to rub his aching chest.
He had literally just woken up and knew nothing. He only got a brief summary from Nero, bumped into the Lion King's premeditated ambush the second he stepped outside, and had only exchanged a few words since arriving here.
He wanted to explain, but seeing how adorably angry Mommy Tiamat looked, Takumi softened his tone and began gently comforting her.
Tiamat wasn't actually that angry; she was just pouting for attention. Seeing Takumi apologize, she quickly shifted gears, gently reaching up with her small hands to rub the spot she had just headbutted, murmuring, "Pain, pain, go away."
Being treated like a toddler by this "young mother" in front of a massive crowd of Servants, Takumi's face instantly flushed bright red.
The Servants watching the spectacle from inside the room practically had to bite their lips to keep from laughing out loud.
"Heh. Did I not explicitly warn you that dealing with Goddesses is incredibly troublesome?"
Ozymandias chuckled, looking highly amused as he watched the blushing youth who currently had absolutely no idea what to do with his hands.
Beside him, Nitocris nodded furiously in serious agreement.
"Anyway, we should get moving! Does anyone want to come to the city with me?!"
Feeling incredibly uncomfortable under the teasing, "auntie" gazes of the entire room, Takumi quickly changed the subject and called out.
"Mommy wants to go! We have to hold hands, okay?"
Tiamat clung to Takumi's arm, staring intently at him.
Takumi nodded helplessly.
"Me too, me too! You promised you'd help me pick out a new outfit, Praetor!"
Refusing to be outdone, Nero rushed over and latched onto Takumi's other arm.
The Lion King smiled faintly and quietly stepped up to stand directly behind Takumi.
Even Jeanne and Jeanne Alter were dragged over by Queen Marie.
"Please take care of us..."
Pushed in front of Takumi by a mischievous-looking Marie, Jeanne blushed slightly. She gripped her hands nervously in front of her and offered a stiff, incredibly polite nod.
Jeanne Alter, entirely lost in her own thoughts, didn't even bother uttering her usual tsundere remarks. She kept stealing glances at Takumi, quickly looking away every time he noticed, her face turning redder with every glance.
And they weren't the only ones. There was the timid Ereshkigal being dragged over by a highly exasperated Ishtar. The overly enthusiastic Quetzalcoatl. Emiya and Tawara Touta, who insisted on personally buying the ingredients. Sanzang, who just loved a good crowd... Even Gilgamesh stood up, looking mildly interested, and strolled over to join the back of the line!
Looking at the massive group, Takumi realized that over half the Servants in [Chaldea] wanted to go to the city.
"Alright, how about this? When we get to the city, we'll pick a spot to gather. Once I exchange the gold and pass out the money, everyone can split up and explore on their own. Then, tonight, we all meet back here?"
Takumi thought about it and proposed the plan.
The Servants nodded, perfectly fine with the arrangement.
"There is no need to 'pass out' money to me. It's just pocket change anyway. Heh."
Gilgamesh smirked disdainfully.
Even without the [Gate of Babylon], with his A-Rank [Golden Rule], he fundamentally couldn't be troubled by something as trivial as money.
Impressive. I need to figure out how to get [Golden Rule] for myself someday!
Takumi silently gave another thumbs-up to Mr. Golden's overwhelming tycoon aura.
"Uh, quick question. Are you going to be okay maintaining this many Servants in the real world all at once?"
Jing Ke, who had no intention of going to the city, glanced at the massive crowd of Servants and couldn't help but ask.
"No problem! As long as you guys don't suddenly start throwing Noble Phantasms around, I can easily handle the mana upkeep!"
Takumi managed to extract one hand from Tiamat's grip and flashed an "OK" sign.
The Servants currently present were essentially bound by contract to [The Unfalling Chaldea]. And since [Chaldea] was Takumi's Noble Phantasm, the mana required to maintain them in the outside world naturally fell on him.
However, because [Chaldea] acted as an incredibly efficient intermediary, the actual strain on Takumi's mana reserves was drastically reduced.
The second he lowered his hand, Mommy Tiamat immediately snatched it back and hugged it tightly against her chest.
I don't know why, but this version of Tiamat is incredibly clingy...
With both arms completely trapped, Takumi felt a profound sense of helplessness.
Some guys might think being aggressively clung to by two incredibly beautiful girls is a dream come true. But for someone as thin-skinned as Takumi, being the center of attention in a crowded room like this was purely embarrassing and highly stressful!
Wanting to get out of there as fast as possible, Takumi hurriedly activated [Independent Manifestation]. A short distance down the hallway, a circular "portal" materialized, swirling with dark, ominous particles, perfectly wide enough for two people to walk through side-by-side. It gave off serious "final boss" vibes.
[The Unfalling Chaldea] possessed absolute defense and stealth capabilities. Those were its core features. However, it had also inherited the most crucial function of the original Chaldea: Observation!
Takumi's physical eyes might not be able to scan the entire Earth, but [Chaldea] could easily observe and lock onto specific coordinates globally. Combined with his high-ranking [Independent Manifestation], he could essentially fast-travel anywhere he wanted.
However, because Takumi's conceptual understanding of Chaldea was largely limited to its observation capabilities, his [Chaldea] was, quite literally, just a massive observatory.
Well, as long as he wasn't there to defend it.
Using [Chaldea's] observation systems, Takumi set the portal's exit in a secluded alleyway to avoid causing a panic.
"Let's go! Destination: The peaceful Fuyuki City!"
Having set the coordinates, Takumi excitedly announced their destination.
—Time for a holy pilgrimage!
Since he was actually in the Nasuverse, how could he not visit the legendary Fuyuki City?
Hearing that highly specific name.
Emiya, who was just about to step through the portal, completely froze. He slowly turned his head and gave Takumi a deeply suspicious look.
If he didn't know Takumi had zero malicious intent, he would have assumed he was actively targeting his PTSD.
But... Fuyuki City, huh? Honestly, it's not a bad idea.
A hint of nostalgia and anticipation flashed in Emiya's eyes. Without hesitation, he stepped through the portal.
Seeing him go, the other Servants eagerly followed, stepping through the "gate" into Fuyuki.
Because he had to maintain the [Independent Manifestation] portal, Takumi, along with the group of highly competitive female Servants glued to him, had to go last.
Feeling the intense, invisible tug-of-war happening around him, Takumi broke out in a cold sweat.
He could only swear a silent oath in his heart: I will absolutely never, ever inadvertently seduce another woman!
The ones he already had were giving him enough headaches!
With the room significantly emptier, Takumi finally noticed the Count standing quietly in a secluded corner.
Coincidentally, the Count pulled a cigarette from seemingly nowhere and placed it between his lips.
He looked like he was about to reach into his pocket for a lighter.
But before he could even move his hand...
A glowing Rune briefly flashed in the air, and the cigarette in his mouth magically ignited on its own.
The Count raised an eyebrow. Looking up, he saw Takumi standing near the portal, grinning and winking playfully at him.
'Hmph. You should worry more about yourself.'
The Count couldn't help but smirk, shooting Takumi a look that clearly said, "Good luck surviving those women."
He took a deep drag of the freshly lit cigarette and exhaled a thick cloud of white smoke.
Seeing this, Takumi accepted his painful yet joyful fate, and alongside the gaggle of female Servants, slowly stepped into the portal.