Is there anything fun to do in Fuyuki City in 2004?
The answer Xia Yu gave herself was: it was only good for a bit of novelty.
Fun?
There really wasn't much.
It had been only about a decade since the bubble economy burst, and the atmosphere was still somewhat bleak. Although Fuyuki wasn't a major metropolis, its planned development had clearly lost momentum. The once-thriving pace had been interrupted, and the rhythm of the entire city had shifted from fast to slow.
The Mion River runs through the center of the city, dividing it into two districts with completely different architectural styles. To the east is Shinto, a highly modernized new town; to the west is Miyama-cho, an old town consisting mostly of residential areas. The two banks are connected by the Mion River Bridge.
Although Shinto has more modern facilities, the Emiya family, Matou family, and Tohsaka family residences, as well as the school they attend, are all located across the river in Miyama-cho.
If one were considering retirement or a quiet life, this would be a decent place (ignoring the Holy Grail War), but for anything fresh or exciting... forget it.
As for entertainment... there wasn't much worth mentioning. Xia Yu wasn't interested in amusement parks or zoos, so she simply wandered aimlessly through the streets.
Spotting a game center by chance, she walked in with interest and, after a quick lap, found a familiar game.
The King of Fighters 2003. A new release from last year, though she heard the reviews were mixed. Her curious appearance drew a crowd; usually, a girl looking like Firefly was a stranger to game centers.
Someone saw her curiosity and directly invited her to a match. Since she hadn't brought any money out, she didn't refuse.
Xia Yu tried her hand at it and found it quite alright.
However, her opponent's expression didn't look so good.
Understandable. Although she was a pure novice, with her overwhelming reaction speed, she completely crushed the "noob" once she familiarized herself with the move list.
When she left, she even heard the college student wearing glasses fuming that KOF 2003 was absolute garbage—how were you supposed to play when there was no invincibility frame upon getting up? If you were caught in one opening, you basically just waited to die!
It seemed he was truly seeing red.
After all, the girl opposite him looked soft and weak, a type that didn't fit the vibe of a game center at all. She looked like she was touching a game for the first time, and everyone expected him to school the rookie...
Instead, she was merciless. By the time he was caught in an opening for the last time, the student had basically taken his hands off the console, his heart as cold as ash.
Satisfied after her "noob-stomping," Xia Yu walked out of the game center feeling refreshed. Just as she was wondering where to head next, she noticed a few thuggish-looking guys following her.
Tsk, these mobs really do spawn. In 2004 Japan, this place was practically heaven for Kiana; there were randomly spawning mobs everywhere. These punks grew like weeds—faster than leeks, really.
The thought piqued her interest. Since she happened to be out without money, she turned and ducked into a small alley.
The thugs saw this, exchanged glances, and followed her in excitedly.
A few moments later, Xia Yu walked out, wiping blood from her hands with a look of disgust.
She counted the spoils of her "jungling." Tsk, truly bottom-tier thugs. Five or six of them only managed to scrape together about twenty thousand yen. What was this pittance supposed to buy?
Whatever, she'd just find a restaurant to grab a bite.
What? You're asking about Illya and the others?
They were the least of her worries. Sella and Leysritt were very capable. If it weren't for the fact that she truly couldn't take them with her, Xia Yu would have wanted to drag them along as her own maids.
They had told her to go out and buy groceries, but it was just a perfunctory excuse. Sella had clearly gone to exchange yen but "forgot" to give her any... it was entirely a pretext to send her away.
She suspected they had things to discuss behind her back. After all, during this month of living together, although they were respectful to her, they hadn't mentioned a single word regarding the Lesser Grail.
The long-cherished wish for The Third Magic... having been brainwashed with such thoughts since they opened their eyes, how could that accumulated momentum be broken by a few words from her? Xia Yu didn't really care.
Let Illya play around for a bit and see what she could pull off.
So, there was no need to bring food back for them. This twenty thousand yen might be little, but it was her hard-earned income.
As for that Holy Grail, it could not be allowed to remain.
Compared to the vague feelings in the previous worlds, Xia Yu had discovered her objective ever since arriving in Fuyuki City.
The Greater Grail, or rather... All the World's Evil.
The sensation was much clearer than in previous worlds. Moreover, since the Throne of Heroes was the inherent territory of the Counter Force, she found it hard not to suspect that this mission had a clear boss watching over her.
However, one thing made Xia Yu very curious: was the Counter Force really this comfortable with her?
Or did They feel that while Firefly was strong, she was still within the suppression capabilities of the Throne of Heroes?
Wait, if They have that much effort, wouldn't Their own enforcers be better? Why go through the trouble of outsourcing to me?
Xia Yu had considered this... She felt that, given the xenophobic nature of the Counter Force, perhaps They didn't want to outsource. It was likely They simply couldn't stop her and could only pull some strings to slot her into a Heroic Spirit identity to monitor her.
They only saw Firefly, so they could still manage that. Xia Yu was curious: if she switched to Acheron, would the Counter Force flip out?
What to do? I'm curious. I'm almost unable to suppress it!
But after a moment of thought, she held back.
Sigh, you can't have an outburst when you're trying to stir up trouble. Isn't it better to hold it in until the end and give them a massive surprise?
As for how big that surprise would be, that would depend on the Counter Force's attitude.
It's not that I won't work for you, but the salary and benefits have to be enough, right? If you're stingy... then don't blame me for weeping for the lost wages.
It had to be said, the feeling of having leverage was great.
Xia Yu strolled through the streets and alleys of Fuyuki, eventually stopping in front of a very familiar-looking shop.
Koushuu Ensaikan: Taishan.
Hoh.
Long time no see.
Seeing the bright red shop decorations, Xia Yu pushed the door open and entered.
I'm going to see if your Mapo Tofu is actually authentic!
"Boss," she said in her hometown dialect, "give me an order of Mapo Tofu."
The moment she said this, a customer sitting at the inner table raised his head and looked over.
Sensing the gaze, Xia Yu looked back.
Oh ho, the Mapo Priest. You really do love this shop.
However, she only spared him a glance before looking away.
A short while later, a plate of bright red Mapo Tofu was brought out by the petite owner. She looked at Xia Yu with curiosity, as if looking at a strange creature.
Xia Yu didn't mind. She could sense that the owner wasn't simple either, but what did that have to do with her?
"Hiss... whew!"
She didn't know if this Mapo Tofu was authentic—mainly because she hadn't had "authentic" before—but it was definitely intense!
Kotomine Kirei, sitting across from her, saw her devouring it in one go and gave her a look of approval.
The business in this shop really couldn't be called good. It was currently lunch hour, yet there were only two tables of customers... perhaps these dishes really didn't suit the Japanese palate.
Only one empty table separated Xia Yu and Kotomine Kirei.
But she had no intention of striking up a conversation. She knew the Mapo Priest all too well; there was no need for contact now.
Looking at him, he didn't seem to have any intention of talking either.
The two of them silently finished their respective portions.
"Boss, ten more orders, to go!" Satisfied, Xia Yu took a sip of ice water. Feeling a warm glow throughout her body, her mood improved significantly. This was the first thing she was truly satisfied with after wandering for so long today.
She'd put it in the Painting Scroll later and save it up.
Actually, I can collect delicacies from every world, store them, and take them out whenever I want to eat. Since she didn't know how long this endless bitter journey would last, Xia Yu felt she should set a goal for herself.
Let's start with collecting gourmet food!
Xi's Painting Scroll couldn't preserve freshness, it was just a large space, but she could stuff things into the Painting Scroll and then put the scroll into the Tarnished's space that could preserve freshness. She had done this before; otherwise, trying to categorize and preserve that massive amount of supplies alone...
Let's talk about something more practical, like going to kill an Aeon.jpg
"Ten orders? To go?" The tiny boss poked her head out from the kitchen, sized up Xia Yu for a few moments, and then nodded. Soon, a pungent, spicy aroma wafted from the back.
But at that moment, Xia Yu suddenly remembered something awkward.
She didn't have enough money.
Twenty thousand yen was enough for a delicious meal for herself, but to pack ten portions... this shop was actually quite expensive.
Sigh, in all these worlds, when have I ever worried about money? I subconsciously skipped that part.
But the words were already out. There was no way she could say she didn't want them anymore.
They were already making them...
Tsk, those thugs were so useless. Couldn't they bring more money when they leave the house? Six or seven grown men only scraped together twenty thousand yen. That's probably not even enough for a group meal...
Xia Yu sighed, resigned, and began rummaging through the Painting Scroll.
But the things inside were basically various civilian supplies, and even the exceptions were weapons and ammunition... none of which could be used to pay a bill.
You couldn't exactly carry out a few slabs of pork and ask if they could be used to offset the meal cost.
Finally, Xia Yu fixed her gaze on the Mapo Priest.
After a moment's thought, she stood up, walked over to the priest, and sat down.
"Father, you might not believe it if I tell you," Xia Yu said, looking at him, "but you have the look of someone about to suffer a financial loss today."
"..." Hearing this, even a man as heartless as Kotomine Kirei was bewildered.
Earlier, he had watched a soft, weak-looking girl dare to challenge the restaurant's signature dish and finish it without changing her expression... he had even thought highly of her.
He didn't expect her to... what was she trying to do?
Kotomine Kirei couldn't understand. Or rather, he understood the girl's intent, but he couldn't grasp why she would do it.
"May I ask, how will I suffer this financial loss?" A hint of curiosity rose in the priest's heart.
"For example, if you don't pay to ward off disaster, I'll tell Tohsaka Rin about how you backstabbed her father—and I mean 'backstabbed' in the literal sense," Xia Yu smiled at Kotomine Kirei's suddenly freezing face. "To actually listen to that Gilgamesh fellow... you really are beyond saving."
Kotomine Kirei was stunned.
Was he worried about this being exposed to Tohsaka Rin?
No, he wasn't worried about that at all. On the contrary, he had secretly looked forward to what kind of expression Rin would make the day she found out.
What truly puzzled him was how this person in front of him knew.
She looked like a perfectly ordinary girl, with no trace of Magecraft visible; she wasn't even a magus!
Why would... the only ones who should know about that incident were himself and Gilgamesh!
Could it be... him? That's right, she had just mentioned Gilgamesh as well, but...
After a moment's thought, he nodded.
"I choose the financial loss."
Normally, he might have just told her to go ahead and snitch, but the Holy Grail War was coming, and he had even greater pursuits to realize.
As for this matter, he could just ask Gilgamesh later. Even if the answer was negative, he wouldn't lose anything.
A mysterious girl, clearly not from the Magecraft World, yet knowing so much—he felt an irrepressible curiosity.
For Kotomine Kirei, this was a rare occurrence.
"My judgment of people is indeed accurate," Xia Yu nodded with satisfaction.
She didn't speak to him again. Once the owner brought out the ten orders of Mapo Tofu, she picked them up and left.
Exiting the shop, she found a secluded spot, stowed them in the Painting Scroll, and was done with it.
She actually wanted to buy more, but considering that dishes are different from supplies—the latter can be shipped in boxes, while this had to be made portion by portion—buying too many at once would be too much trouble for the chef.
After all, this shop didn't seem to be run for the sake of making money; it was the type where throwing cash around didn't work.
So, she happily decided that her breakfast for the coming days would be solved here. Her goal was to finish the entire menu first.
Then, she'd pack dozens of orders of anything worthwhile.
In high spirits, she wandered along the Mion River Bridge, humming a tuneless melody while looking around.
She went to Mount Enzou and saw the Ryuudou Temple; mhm, unremarkable.
She also gazed at Homurahara Academy from a distance and checked out the Tohsaka and Matou residences.
Very satisfying.
Just as she was preparing to head home, on an uphill path, Xia Yu encountered someone unexpected.
That blond figure looked down at her from above, his face looking as if he had seen a strange creature. For some reason, his expression suddenly shifted to one of utter disgust.
It was as if Xia Yu owed him several million.
"As expected, despite having the same face, you look so much more punchable," Xia Yu said with a smile before he could speak. "Gilgamesh, you were much more pleasing to the eye when you were a child and after you returned from the underworld."
"This gaze... tsk, no wonder your Wise King self considers this period to be your dark history."
"You mong—" Gilgamesh flew into a rage instantly, but before he could finish, Xia Yu lunged. Firefly's pale blue longsword manifested in her hand in an instant, followed by a horizontal sweep!
Gilgamesh was no slouch; he retreated instantly to dodge the attack. Just as golden light began to ripple behind him, the girl who had looked soft and weak a moment ago transformed into a tall steel warrior amidst flames. Lunging forward with the fire, she punched him squarely in the face.
"Foul language gets you a beating!"
She wasn't going to indulge Gilgamesh. If he dared to insult her, she dared to hit him.