Old Acquaintances and a Banquet

In short, Sakura is doing very well in the Edelfelt family. The head of household treats her like his own daughter, and her adoptive sister Luviagelita Edelfelt treats her like a younger sister. In fact, she has now been raised to be a charming and dazzling lady.

Her name has now been officially changed to Sakura Edelfelt. As Edelfelt's adopted daughter, Luviagelita Edelfelt's younger sister lived there for more than ten years.

During her years living in Northern Europe, Sakura not only honed her unique Imaginary Magic but also learned the Magic Bullet Gandri and wrestling techniques. As the adopted sister of the "crane among ladies," she and her adopted sister were known as the "human bomb tanks"—a group of skilled wrestlers.

According to rumors, someone interviewed a survivor who studied at the Clock Tower with her. That person said that Sakura, the younger sister, was usually gentle and virtuous, unlike her sister who was all show and no substance. However, when she got angry, she was more terrifying than the Red Demon and the Crane combined.

At this moment Rin Tohsaka and Luviagelita Edelfelt were still arguing.

"Haa!"

"Hmph!"

"I told you! Quiet down! Do you know what kind of occasion this is?!" Sakura said with an angry laugh, black magic emanating from her body. Her long black hair, connected to the magic, extended down to her shadow on the ground.

A red and black phantom emerged from the end of the woman's long hair, transforming into a pair of large black hands. At the same time, it grabbed Rin Tohsaka and Luviagelita Edelfelt's heads and pressed them together, causing the two to collide.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, but it's all this drill bit's fault!" Rin said, rubbing her stinging nose as she apologized to her sister.

Ignoring her reddened nose, Luviagelita Edelfelt retorted defiantly, "No, it's all that poor Tohsaka's fault! If she had been willing to let go of her meaningless pride and obediently accept the Edelfelt family's charity, things wouldn't be like this now."

"That's not what we're talking about. This place is just too conspicuous! You two are being watched by everyone now," Sakura warned the two.

"No, Sakura, it's only natural that you'd attract attention since you're participating in a tournament that determines the fate of the world. I don't see anything wrong with that," Rin Tohsaka said fearlessly, meeting all the gazes directed at her with righteous indignation.

"Yes, Sakura-chan, our Edelfelt family fears no opponent," Luviagelita Edelfelt said proudly, arms crossed.

These two arch-enemies surprisingly share the same thoughts when faced with a problem.

"I'm not that arrogant, conceited, blonde-haired, high-rolled young lady who would reveal all her cards long ago."

"Although Tohsaka will definitely mess things up at crucial moments."

The two spoke almost simultaneously.

"What!?"

"Is there something wrong with what I said!?"

With a loud bang.

The two men clashed forehead to forehead and started arguing again. Their fierce gazes collided like lightning, sparks flying through the air like a bolt from the blue.

Okay, I retract the preface.

"Hmph! At least Sakura's on my team now! Tohsaka, if you were to bow down and apologize to me, admitting that all your past actions stemmed from your poor brain and big breasts, causing your jealousy of me, then I might mercifully let you join us. Oh ho ho ho~!"

Luviagelita Edelfelt reached out and put her arm around Sakura's waist, then pulled out a noblewoman's fan from somewhere, covered half of her face, and laughed mockingly at Tohsaka.

"Who would want to join your questionable team? Get out of here and let Sakura join my team!" Tohsaka said, frowning and with a villainous expression.

Finland, as one of the five Nordic countries, is a member of the European Union. However, they are not participating in this competition as a European Union member state. As a nouveau riche family from the Renaissance era, who have always enjoyed getting involved in world conflicts and seizing all the Magecraft treasures they could possibly obtain, the Edelfelt Family naturally wouldn't obediently compromise and miss this opportunity to gain the greatest benefit.

So she chose to unite with South American countries. Of course, it's also possible that this was a roundabout strategy, a union between South America and the European Union, with some kind of backroom deal involved. It's like how the Japanese and Korea teams are actually part of the US team.

Passionate Samba Wrestling Team! That's their team name!

"Wow! That's really exciting! Luviagelita Edelfelt- chan and Tohsaka -chan are so hot right away. As expected of the fighters I've chosen, I'm so happy. But the competition hasn't officially started yet, so friendship comes first." A woman with a strange foreign accent walked up.

Luviagelita Edelfelt's expression changed, and she said, "Ugh... Miss Quetzalcoatl..."

Rin Tohsaka was also startled and blurted out, "Uh! Feathered serpent goddess... Big Sister..."

The newcomer was undoubtedly a beauty, with long, unruly golden curls that exuded a wild aura, and her headdress was full of exotic charm. As soon as she stepped forward, she stretched out a pair of strong arms and hooked them Rin Tohsaka and Luviagelita Edelfelt, laughing heartily as she spoke.

"Oh dear, don't call me that so formally, let's get along really well!" The blonde woman laughed, pulling the two women closer to her with a little force.

"Wait, please let go..."

"Breathe, breathe..."

Luviagelita Edelfelt and Rin Tohsaka were lifted up, barely able to touch the ground by standing on tiptoe. Their expressions changed, and they patted the blonde woman's arm with their hands to indicate surrender. Because they couldn't breathe, the two were almost rolling their eyes back.

"Waaaaah, sister! Miss Quetzalcoatl! Please let go!" Sakura cried out in alarm upon seeing this.

Compared to fighting his mortal enemy, he seemed to be in more pain being held by the neck by this disheveled blonde woman's arm.

The blonde woman was noticeably a head taller than the other women, standing over 1.8 meters tall barefoot. Her strong and fit physique, accentuated by her ethnic-style attire revealing her clearly defined eight-pack abs, instilled a sense of pressure in the men around her.

In fact, it's not just the abdomen, but also the muscles in the arms, calves, and even the bare feet that are full of power. This is not the kind of muscle that athletes who specialize in a few sports have specially strengthened, nor is it the kind of muscle that bodybuilders have.

Her muscles possessed both explosive power and astonishing flexibility, something that any human unarmed combat expert could only dream of. Her body was as perfect as a mythical war goddess, exuding the aura of a powerful being from head to toe.

No, it's more like the terrifying aura of Tyrannosaurus Rex that dominated the Jurassic!

"Let my sister join in the fun too!!" Quetzalcoatl grinned, revealing her wicked, expressive face, showing a row of jagged teeth and sticking out her long tongue as if to lick the faces of the women she was holding.

To correct that, while she is indeed a beauty, she is also a fearsome female tyrant.

"Wait! There! Big white-haired guy, don't go! Don't just stand there watching the show, say something for me too!" Rin Tohsaka escaped death, saw the white-haired man quietly leading Anastasia away from them and shouted angrily.

"Haa..." Shirou knew he couldn't avoid it, so he sighed helplessly and turned around.

Happy New Year, everyone!

First of all, I wish everyone a Happy New Year, and that your families enjoy good health and a wonderful holiday.

Because I have various things to take care of at home, and this book is really nearing its end, I won't be holding any extra chapter events for asking for votes or rewards. Let's just try to write it as perfectly as possible.

I'll write as much as I can, but after March, I probably won't be considering full attendance anymore. I'll be devoting more time to my life and preparing for my new book then.

Wishing everyone a happy new year, a harmonious family, success in studies and career, and that you all maintain a good mood and live a better life.

What follows are my family matters.

A while ago, on December 31st, my grandmother fell and hit her head, and was hospitalized for half a month. Now she is back home but still cannot take care of herself. She can only lie in bed every day. She has started to show signs of dementia and can no longer recognize her own home.

My grandmother's other children are all living in other places and have their own difficulties. This year, they didn't even have time to come back to see her for the Spring Festival, so I don't expect them to share the burden.

So my family suddenly had a lot more burden, and I felt a lot of pressure. I thought a lot about whether I should focus on earning money to help support the family. However, my family was understanding and let me do things at my own pace.

My kind-hearted father has quit his job and is prepared to shoulder everything himself. For the elderly woman, now she can only drink porridge and doesn't need much. What she wants is not money, but the company of her loved ones.

All I can do is help my dad and comfort my grandma when I'm at home.

In short, after experiencing all of this, I feel even more strongly that Shirou, who can quietly do good deeds and always be enthusiastic about helping others, is indeed Great Hero.

I hope that one day I can create such a charismatic character.

So I will continue writing and try more methods. There probably won't be much improvement all at once, but I need to take my life more seriously.

If I could, I would still prefer to live the way I choose. I don't ask for too much; simplicity is best.

That concludes my New Year's reflections, February 4, 2019.

May all elderly people suffer less pain and enjoy a lifetime of health and well-being.

Chapter 467 Acquaintances and Banquet

Shirou led Anastasia towards the black-haired woman and said, "Yo, Tohsaka, you finally arrived. I was almost going to invite other players to form a new team. In fact, I already had someone in mind."

"Oh, that's a shame. In this venue, is there anyone willing to team up with someone like you who looks dangerous and betrays others for no reason?" Rin Tohsaka retorted, raising an eyebrow.

As it turns out, while shifting timelines can alter a person's fate, it cannot save their character. This woman, as she aged, became increasingly unlovable.

However, the other party probably sees it the same way.

"Hello, Tohsaka," Anastasia greeted a woman she knew. Tohsaka was also there when the silver-haired girl met Shirou.

"Ah, hello there, Anna -chan." Rin Tohsaka looked at the silver-haired girl, bent down deliberately, and greeted her with a smile. Then she looked at Shirou and asked with a mischievous grin, "Following this guy, you must have suffered a lot, right?"

"No, Shirou took good care of me. The meat of the bears on the ice plains and the lizards in the desert is delicious when grilled." Anastasia shook her head and agreed. As expected of the daughter of a warrior nation, she was the type to stuff ice cubes into snowball fights. If she got hit once, whether by a human, a bear, or Monkey, she would definitely retaliate tenfold.

"Well, it's good that you're alright. At least this man will do his best to do anything he can, or rather, he'll go overboard. In any case, he won't treat you unfairly." Rin Tohsaka straightened up and said with a smile.

In this life, Shirou spent a lot of time traveling with Kiritsugu since childhood, and his stay in Japan was very short. He never attended school, and his scientific knowledge was taught by his aunt Maiya Hisau. As for Magecraft, Kiritsugu was his teacher.

Living in this environment, he would normally have had no chance to become familiar with Rin Tohsaka.

But what is called a karmic entanglement is probably like this: you can't get rid of it no matter how hard you try.

Because Sakura went to Europe, Rin Tohsaka also went to study at the Clock Tower in England when she was in junior high school.

So, during the time Shirou spent in England with Kiritsugu in this life, he had quite a few dealings with the Clock Tower. It was due to unavoidable circumstances that he met certain people. During several missions, they acted together and gradually became familiar with each other.

Shirou then turned to the long-haired girl beside him and said gently, "Sakura, long time no see."

Sakura had been staring at the man's face ever since he appeared. Now, snapping out of her daze, she blushed slightly, lowered her head, and said, "Yes, hello, Shirou-senpai. Thank you so much for what happened at the Clock Tower."

Although they had never lived together, Sakura had studied at the Clock Tower with Luviagelita Edelfelt in London. Although Shirou hadn't regained his memories at the time, they Shirou felt comfortable around her, probably because their personalities were so compatible.

There was some kind of attraction between them, and during their shared mission at the Clock Tower, Shirou saved the girl, thus forging a bond that went beyond ordinary friendship. Even now, with Shirou busy with various things, their relationship has remained very good.

Quetzalcoatl leaned over, curiously examining Shirou, and said with a smile, "Oh, so this is Tohsaka- chan's partner? He looks like a tough warrior. Big sister can tell he'll be a good man!"

"Well, it's a strange coincidence, but this is the guy I'm teaming up with this time. Although his personality is terrible, he's strong enough as a teammate." Rin Tohsaka said reluctantly, pouting.

"Hello, beautiful and powerful goddess. Our team has caused you trouble." Shirou bowed slightly to Quetzal.

Luviagelita Edelfelt glanced at Shirou, then turned back to Rin Tohsaka, hands on her hips, and said rudely, "As expected of you, you crazy woman, you only go looking for dangerous guys like this."

In this life, Shirou and Luviagelita Edelfelt don't have much interaction; he's probably the type of person she hates the most now.

"Mr. Emiya, you are usually an upright person and a gentleman to women. You should be a very good man. If you are willing to let go of that dangerous obsession, you will definitely have a bright future. Don't you really want to reconsider?" Luviagelita Edelfelt looked at the white-haired man and advised him.

"No need for you to trouble yourself, that's impossible anyway. We'll take our leave then." Shirou refused without hesitation, turned and walked away. Anna waved to Tohsaka and followed Shirou.

"Oh, you cold-hearted boy, Luviagelita Edelfelt, you got dumped?" the Quetzalcoatl leader said, looking at the woman.

"No, that's not true!" Rin Tohsaka and Sakura said in unison.

Luviagelita Edelfelt, on the other hand, didn't seem to care much. She twirled her golden curls with her fingers and smiled, saying, "I don't intend to end this here. That man's corrupting ideas and his attitude towards things are really annoying. He clearly has great abilities, but he only uses them for pointless things."

It's like using a top-quality jadeite rough stone to prop up a table leg—unforgivable! It's even more upsetting than simply wasting it. His thinking absolutely needs to be corrected, completely changed."

The flame burning in Luviagelita Edelfelt's eyes seemed to have ignited her fighting spirit.

"That concludes today's opening ceremony. Afterwards, the staff will be at your service. Please feel free to ask them if you need anything; they will accommodate your needs for food and drinks. However, please note that you should not attempt to leave the designated activity area, otherwise it will be considered a cancellation."

"Hey, are they going to lock us up like prisoners?" someone shouted in dissatisfaction.

"Of course not. Next up is a banquet prepared by the master of the Tower to the Sky for everyone," the bunny girl with the frilly hair said, snapping her fingers.

"Hmm? What's that sound?" Some people with keen hearing had already noticed something.

Soon everyone knew what had happened.

A series of drumbeats sounded, approaching from afar, as if a band was drawing near. Some played chimes, others zithers, and then the music swelled and became solemn and grand.

The main entrance to the inner side of the venue was opened, revealing rows of musicians and a group of men dressed as chefs, wearing tall white hats, pushing long, movable dining tables into the hall. Starting around the central platform, rows of tables were neatly arranged, laden with dozens of dishes—expensive delicacies, served in unlimited quantities.

Various wild animals that were previously unavailable are now appearing on the plates, with rare and exotic dishes emerging one after another. After all, in an era where even humans are facing extinction, the protection of other species is no longer such a necessary matter.

What to do? What not to do? What to eat? What not to eat? It's all up to people's own preferences.

It can be said that, apart from human flesh, everything edible here was brought up.

The bunny girl with a single ponytail said with a grin, "This is a grand feast prepared for everyone by the master of the Tower to the Sky! Fine wine and delicious food, why not enjoy it?! Be sure to savor it, because... this might be your last supper!"

The contestants' joyful faces instantly tightened; some, whose mouths were already stuffed with food, choked upon hearing these words. One by one, they unabashedly unleashed their murderous intent.

"Then we'll take our leave. Please enjoy your meal, and we'll see you tomorrow." The bunny girl with the bunny hair pulled her along by the single ponytail, heading towards the employee entrance.

"Ahhh... that was dangerous, that was dangerous! I just felt dozens of killing intents aimed at my neck!" The bunny girl with her ponytail swayed her head from side to side as she walked into the staff-only passageway, laughing and exclaiming.

"So, you shouldn't deliberately provoke every contestant," the bun bunny girl next to me said, frowning.

"Because... if we don't do it this way, the show won't get exciting," the bunny girl with the ponytail said, shrugging.

"Thank you for your hard work." A clear and elegant youthful voice came from behind. A young man wearing a mask that covered the upper half of his face and dressed in Chinese martial arts clothing stretched out a hand and handed over a bottle of mineral water.

"Thanks, Lan-chan. My throat was so thirsty after talking so much." The bunny girl with the single ponytail took the water, drank it down in big gulps, wiped her mouth, and laughed heartily, "Ah, that's much more refreshing! If it were alcohol, it would be even better~!"

"No, no, you're on duty right now. General Qin, please do the same." The masked boy said with a smile.

"Thank you, Lan-chan..." The bunny girl with the bunny hairstyle took the water. Compared to the bunny girl with the single ponytail, she looked like a deflated balloon. She had completely lost the socialite demeanor she had displayed outside. With a bitter face, she sighed and said, "Ha... Why do I, a general of the empire, have to act like a prostitute and host banquets? I'm not Chen Yuanyuan..."

If acting skills are a required course for assassins, then for soldiers who lead troops into battle and are used to following orders, it's a real challenge.

"These are all orders from that lord, and we can only obey. Also... my original surname is Gao, and Lanling was just a fiefdom bestowed upon me during my lifetime. In any case, the character 'Lan' has no connection to my name." The handsome young man said.

"Alright, alright, as long as you're cute, that's fine, Lan-chan. I have a friend who's just as beautiful as you and also has the surname Taka, so it's confusing. So just call me Lan-chan." The bunny girl with the single ponytail waved her hand and said.

"What about me? Sister Jing, what about me?" At this moment, a man with long black hair jumped out of the stairwell. He had a handsome face, and a long braid was tied up at the back of his head and coiled around his neck several times.

The man wasn't very tall, less than 1.7 meters, but he had a great physique. His body was covered in tattoos of various flowers and menacing dragons, making him look like a gangster from the streets. However, his demeanor was of the highest class, allowing him to move freely between small shops and the most upscale clubs. He was well-connected in social circles and an expert in all aspects of life, from food and drink to entertainment.