On the cross-shaped shield on the screen, twelve orbs of light rose up. At the same time, a golden Magic Circle appeared. Rainbow-colored orbs spun rapidly, crackling as countless bolts of lightning seemed ready to fly out of the screen. When the intense light faded, a golden card appeared, depicting a long-bearded old man holding a book in one hand and a staff in the other...
Just then, the ground shook, and the tables, chairs, and windows creaked.
"Earthquake! Komachi!" Shirou hurried out of the kitchen.
"Brother!" With tears in her eyes, Komachi ran over and threw herself into her brother's arms.
"It's okay, it's okay. Look, Komachi, the earthquake has already stopped." Shirou held his younger sister and stroked her head reassuringly.
The ground shook only briefly before returning to calm. The earthquake had not been very strong, and nothing in the house had been damaged.
"Brother... I'm not scared of earthquakes." Komachi shook her head from side to side, drilling into Shirou's chest like a drill and rubbing against him with all her strength.
"Wait... then what is it?" Shirou pressed down on his younger sister's head, which seemed determined to start a fire by friction.
"My ten-pull went horribly! I didn't even see a single four-star Servant!" Komachi said miserably.
"What? Then just pull again. The rates in games like this are low to begin with, right? Like one percent or two percent." Shirou said as if it were obvious.
"Brother! You don't understand at all! You don't understand the romance of players meeting the Servants they love! Outsiders shouldn't be giving me their opinions!" Angrily, Komachi once again drilled her head into her brother's chest.
"Stop! I'm not an outsider, you know. I actually downloaded this game too." As Shirou spoke, he took out his phone, lit up the screen, and held it out before his younger sister.
"Ooh! Brother, you're finally willing to play with Komachi?" Komachi happily raised her head. In truth, she had invited her brother countless times before, but he had always seemed to have some sort of knot in his heart, so she had not wanted to push too hard. Now that she could finally grind with him, she was naturally delighted.
But when she saw what was on the screen, her expression changed again. She stared at her brother as though he were a class enemy.
"What's with that look? You look like you've seen a seal." Shirou asked strangely.
"Brother! What did you just do? Did you use up an entire year's worth of luck here?" Komachi excitedly grabbed Shirou by the collar and demanded.
"What happened?" Shirou turned the phone around and saw a golden card. It depicted a handsome man with long white hair, white robes, purple eyes, and a black staff in hand. He wore a somewhat frivolous smile, and the bottom of the card read Caster.
"Ah! I tried summoning once just now. Mm! Five stars! Is this one really strong?" Shirou looked at his younger sister in confusion.
If Servants were ranked by stars, then Saber, the King of Heroes, that monsterishly powerful Berserker Heracles, and the lancer who chased after me back then, Child of Light Cú Chulainn, must all have been five-stars too.
"Really strong? You're asking whether he's really strong?" Komachi lowered her head and tightened her grip on Shirou's collar, speaking in a grief-stricken voice.
"Brother... I thought we would always be close siblings, but you betrayed Komachi! You secretly crossed over to Europe! You traitor! From today on, Komachi is cutting ties with you!"
"Calling me a traitor is a little dramatic, isn't it? Let's see, this character is... the Magus of Flowers, the king from the legends of King Arthur..." Shirou tapped the card and checked its information, unable to stop himself from recalling the dignified, handsome blonde girl who had appeared before him beneath the moonlight.
"Brother, let me see your phone." Komachi held out her hand in a hostile tone. If she saw Saber Lily and Archer Lily, then she would make her brother start over with a new account. Though she wanted to enjoy the pleasures of grinding with her brother, this was Japan. Europeans were not needed here!
"Here." Shirou straightforwardly handed over his phone.
Komachi sternly looked through the card lineup on his phone, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Hahaha, what's up with this account, Brother? This is hilarious! It's over level one hundred, but other than pulling Merlin, this account has never even gotten a four-star! Teacher Qiao even ate a Holy Grail."
"Well, this was an account a junior gave me. I still don't really know how to play." Shirou said. Could Mash's luck actually be terrible?
"It's fine! It's fine! Let Komachi help you with all her heart, Brother. First, let's add friends. As long as you know how to ride the coattails in this game, you can pretty much keep playing. No matter what, Komachi and Brother are family. That was a high-scoring move by Komachi standards just now!!" Komachi's gloom vanished completely as she smiled brightly. One big happy FGO family—so long as a player had worse luck than her, they were a good person.
"Is that so?" Shirou wondered why his younger sister had suddenly started looking at him like she had spotted a new member of the tribe.
Komachi opened the chat group on her phone and began sending messages.
Yuuki Aoi-chan: "Everyone! This is my friend's account: Not a Eggplant. Please add them as a friend and help out a newcomer."
Sparkling Rapier User: "Welcome, newcomer."
All the World's Younger Sisters Come From My Treasury: "Hahaha, since they're Aoi-chan's younger sister's friend, they're my younger sister too!"
Mr. Aipan's Snow Cat: "Got it. Added."
Sabre Don't Run Wild: "Not a Eggplant? What kind of kid is that? I'm really curious."
"Now Brother can play games with adorable beautiful girls every day. How wonderful! Komachi is truly great!" Komachi laughed as she praised herself.
"No! I heard that online these days, people who say things like meow, woof, or -chan—anyone with a verbal tic, really—are often fat uncles pretending to be someone else. You need to be careful too, Komachi. Don't get tricked." Shirou waved his hands repeatedly, not forgetting to warn her.
"Brother nags like an old man! Hurry up and log in, I'll pull you into the group." Komachi urged.
"So I just need to join the group, right?" Shirou entered his account and logged into the chat app. His username displayed as: 'Emiya'.
A new notification popped up in the app. Yuuki Aoi-chan (Komachi) invited you to join the 'Please Play FGO With Me' chat group.
He tapped 'Confirm'.
"The food's ready. I'm going back to the kitchen to stir-fry some greens, then we can have dinner." Shirou said.
"Got it! For now, let Komachi help Brother clear stages!" Komachi said with a smile, holding two phones.
"No, I meant for you to come help me, but never mind..." Shirou gave up on his younger sister, who was hopelessly addicted to mobile games, and returned to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
At that moment, one side of the gas stove held a steaming eggplant casserole, while the other held a large pot simmering over low heat. Small stew pots were still being cooked in a water bath inside. Besides servings for himself and Komachi, there were also portions for their parents, who often worked overtime and came home late—four portions in total.
Their parents had eaten out tonight, but being able to drink a bowl of hot soup that was easy to absorb and digest after coming home would still be nice. After all, cooking was his only real strength, so he liked to find ways to comfort his parents, who lived the life of corporate drones.
Wearing heat-resistant gloves patterned with a taiji symbol, Shirou removed the finished eggplant casserole, replaced it with a wok, and skillfully shredded cabbage with his kitchen knife. Once smoke began rising from the wok, he poured in olive oil, fried the minced garlic until fragrant, added the cabbage and stir-fried it, sprinkled in seasonings, and plated it. Dinner was complete.
Since only two people were eating, there was no need to be too particular. Rather than dividing the food onto separate plates, he put it directly into one large bowl. The eggplant casserole was also ladled into a huge serving bowl.
After all, he and Komachi had even shared a pair of chopsticks while eating before, so picking food from the same dish was not a problem at all. In fact, Komachi thought eating like this as a family was livelier. For example, there was the predator-like thrill of snatching away the meat her brother had just picked up and stuffing it into her own mouth. It was simply irresistible.
When Shirou placed the food on a tray and carried it to the dining table, the fragrance immediately filled the room. The enticing golden eggplant and tofu gleamed richly, while red chilies and green-and-white scallions added beautiful color to the dish.
This was food the Youth had made after carefully considering nutritional balance. Compared to Western dishes centered on meat, he preferred Chinese Cuisine and Japanese food.
For adults, lighter food might be better for maintaining their figure and health. But for growing young people, eating more dishes rich in protein, iron, and calcium each week was more suitable for their bodies. Besides, being able to take large bites of richly seasoned, fragrant meat dishes was a pleasure in itself.
"Komachi, come eat." Shirou called out. If she did not come over, then there would be no point in cooking.
There were two kinds of cooks: those who cooked for themselves, and those who cooked for others. Shirou was the latter.
And among those who cooked for others, there were also two types. One cooked to receive praise, like the skilled chefs in restaurants; the other cooked to see smiles, like family members who knew the eater's preferences by heart. Shirou was still the latter.
"I'm coming! As expected of Brother. With talent like this, you obviously wouldn't have trouble finding a girlfriend, so it's really strange that you've stayed single all this time!" Komachi praised him.
"Thanks so much for worrying about that. Also, playing with your phone while eating is rude." Shirou reminded her.
The Youth could not help recalling the black-haired woman with twin ponytails to whom he had once been engaged in his previous life, as well as the purple-haired junior who had remained in Touki waiting for him.
"Got it, but before we eat, let Komachi take a photo to show off. Brother's cooking is really great! It smells good, tastes good, and looks good too!" Komachi ran over with a smile. When it came to eating, she was always enthusiastic.
"It's nothing special. This is just the foundation of Chinese Cuisine—color, aroma, and flavor all have to be there." Shirou picked up a spoon and packed the rice tightly into bowls.
Komachi took out her pink phone and snapped photos of the dishes on the table, then pressed send.
Then the sound of messages arriving in the chat group rang out. Shirou took out his own phone and looked.
Yuuki Aoi-chan: "This is the loving meal made by my brother at home!"
UMR: "Ooh! Aoi-chan, that's great! Actually, my brother is good at cooking too!"
Dancing While Doing Laundry: "My brother too. He always leaves food outside my room."
Angel Who Saves the World With Microtransactions: "Damn it, as long as I have games! Cup noodles, chips, and cola are enough for food."
Goal is the Demon Top Student: "It really looks delicious. I want to learn some Chinese Cuisine too. And you up there, your lifestyle is way too unhealthy. Remember to come to school tomorrow!"
Strongest, Most Evil, Super Invincible: "Wahahaha, that touch of red looks great. This great demon Satania likes it!"
Emiya: "Thanks for the compliments."
Sakura Sheep: "Wah! The brother himself has appeared!"
All the World's Younger Sisters Come From My Treasury: "Tch! So he's male! That's so enviable! I want an adorable younger sister like Aoi-chan too!"
Sabre Don't Run Wild: "Ah, so Aoi-chan's friend meant her brother. That game name—is it related to eggplants somehow? Yuki-nyan? Are you there? Did Yuki-nyan already go study?"
Sakura Sheep: "Brother is good at cooking. Is he a professional chef? Could I ask Brother to teach me how to make some dishes?"
Goal is the Demon Top Student: "Really? Then can I learn too?"
Emiya: "Of course. I only cook at home, but I'm fairly confident in both Western food and Chinese Cuisine. If there's anything you don't understand, I can answer your questions."
Sakura Sheep: "Brother is amazing, and so considerate too! Not a professional? Could he be a college student? Which school does he attend?"
Goal is the Demon Top Student: "Thank you, Brother. I'll ask you when I run into problems in the future."
Sparkling Rapier User: "I'm fairly confident in my cooking too, though I'm not as versatile as Emiya-kun. We should definitely exchange ideas sometime."
Emiya: "Sure. As a new player, please take care of me as well."
Yuuki Aoi-chan: "Mm-hm, Brother is not only good at cooking, he's good at all kinds of housework, and he looks pretty good too. Everyone, please get along with him."
All the World's Younger Sisters Come From My Treasury: "I want to trade my useless brother for a younger sister. I'm so jealous. Brother-loving Aoi-chan is so cute too!"
UMR: "My brother is already an office worker. He always works overtime and never plays with me."
Sakura Sheep: "Eh, is he really that good? Aoi-chan, aren't you just a brother-loving younger sister who likes her brother?"
Yuuki Aoi-chan: "Of course not! Brother-loving younger sisters are the ones who want to marry their brothers, right?! Don't lump me together with them. Rather than saying I like Brother as a brother-loving younger sister, it would be better to say that I love Brother! Not like, but love! I've always been working hard to find Brother a girlfriend, so if anyone is interested, please contact Brother privately anytime and make full use of him."
Emiya: "Little sister, I'm touched, but do you realize that you just said something even more embarrassing than a brother-loving younger sister would?"
In reality, Shirou was kicked by his younger sister, who had lowered her head beneath the table.
All the World's Younger Sisters Come From My Treasury: "Ahem... anyway, has everyone considered having an offline meetup? We all live in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, after all. Maybe we live surprisingly close by, or might even know each other."
Dancing While Doing Laundry: "I probably can't. It's not like I could meet people normally..."
Sparkling Rapier User: "It doesn't matter if we don't meet. Aren't we all having fun chatting here?"
Yuuki Aoi-chan: "The group owner is right! Having fun is what matters most!"
Sabre Don't Run Wild: "Exactly. Isn't it great just to chat while grinding games together?"
Angel Who Saves the World With Microtransactions: "Exactly. Going out is such a pain. If we could just fly out of the screen, then meeting up wouldn't be so bad."
All the World's Younger Sisters Come From My Treasury: "True enough. If we're fated to meet, we'll surely have a chance someday. But Aoi-chan's younger sister, please consider my suggestion a little too."
Yuuki Aoi-chan: "I'll pass, but Brother can be called out anytime. Anyway, that's it for now. I'm going to eat dinner!"
Sakura Sheep: "Okay. Goodbye, Brother, and goodbye, Aoi-chan."
Goal is the Demon Top Student: "Then I'm logging off today too. Goodbye, Brother. Goodbye, everyone."
Komachi put down her phone, revealed a cute smile, and teased her brother. "Hehe, how nice. Brother started chatting with cute girls so quickly. Now Komachi and Mother do not have to worry about you so much."
"No, there are good kids, but most of it is probably just online personas. In real life, they might not even be human." Shirou replied jokingly.
"Honestly, that lack-of-dreams attitude really is just like Brother. For Brother's happiness, it looks like I need to work even harder." Komachi encouraged herself, then reached out with her chopsticks and beat Shirou to the tofu in the bowl, putting it into her mouth with a satisfied smile.
"Hey... I've had dreams too, you know." Shirou's chopsticks missed their target, and he looked at his younger sister irritably. But seeing that smile, he truly could not get angry.
"Delicious! It's so delicious that I want to eat Brother's cooking for the rest of my life! That was a high-scoring move by Komachi standards!" Komachi said with a laugh.
"Mm, this eggplant really is good." Shirou tasted his own work as well. As far as today's meal went, he would have given it eighty points for satisfaction. With Komachi's words just now, that satisfaction score immediately rose to two hundred.
As for his younger sister's request?
Of course I can. If it's for Komachi, forget this life—even in the next life, and the life after that, I'd be willing to keep cooking for you forever.
That was what he thought, but because she would call it disgusting, the Youth would never say it aloud.
"Even if Brother doesn't say it, Komachi can guess it. Gross~!" Komachi rolled her eyes at her brother in disgust, but afterward, even while eating, she kept secretly giggling, looking very happy.
That night, under Komachi's guidance, Shirou more or less learned how to play FGO. Basically, it was grind, grind, grind, then run out of things to do, right?
On the condition that Komachi completed her homework, the two played in the living room all night until they returned to their rooms to sleep.
The next morning, as the sun rose, a Youth stood in the courtyard of the Higashiya family, swinging a wooden sword as part of his morning training.
The Youth had neat, short black hair and was fairly handsome, but the spirit he carried made him stand out from the crowd.
Most striking of all were his deep, lively eyes. He was usually quiet, but whenever he spoke to someone, he would look them squarely in the eye.
There was a mysterious, weathered melancholy hidden within those sincere and upright eyes. They were the kind of eyes that easily stirred a woman's curiosity, like a faint gleam of jade revealed beneath unpolished stone, waiting to be carved and refined.
At first glance, he seemed rather dull and ordinary. Only after spending more time with him could one discover his reserved strengths. The more one learned about him, the more one would care. At some point, that concern would turn into fascination with the passage of time, until it could no longer be driven from one's heart, like fine wine that grew richer with age.
Yet the Youth himself had little awareness of this trait.
Before you continue