Dinner

Since Shirou and the others were going out to eat, they naturally chose self-service barbecue. The reason was simple: "self-service"!

As everyone knows, Emiya Shirou is the universally recognized Grand Chef of the Nasuverse, and this timeline's Shirou is even more so.

Before today, the Emiya Family had never eaten out, because no restaurant chef could cook as well as Shirou.

Shirou has an unparalleled obsession with food, especially meat. Everyone in the family knows that Shirou is a beast who can turn beef into nine different dishes. Choosing self-service barbecue this time was naturally so Shirou could do the grilling.

"Boss, give us ten servings of pork chops, ten of pork belly, ten of beef tenderloin, ten of beef tongue, twenty of sirloin, twenty of short ribs, and a bowl of rice. That's it for now—I'll order more if it's not enough!"

The moment Shirou finished speaking, the noisy barbecue shop fell silent. Aside from the Emiya Family members looking as if they expected this, everyone else was stunned.

Aozaki Touko even said to Shirou, "Hey, kid, ordering that much—are you trying to raise a pig?"

"Who says?" Shirou shook his head. "I'm afraid the table can't fit it all; otherwise, this amount should be tripled."

Aozaki Touko wanted to say more, but seeing the other Emiya Family members already seated, she shut her mouth.

By now, the table was piled high—not just full, but stacked everywhere except the grill grate.

With astonishing speed, Shirou laid the meat on the wire mesh. As it sizzled, the Emiya Family members, as if rehearsed dozens of times, clasped their hands together and said in unison, "Let's eat!"

The synchronized movement made Aozaki Touko's eye twitch. "This family is hopeless."

Still, despite that thought, Aozaki Touko obediently picked up her chopsticks. "Let's eat!"

She picked up the first slice of pork belly with her chopsticks, dipped it elegantly in spicy sauce, and slowly brought it to her mouth.

"Mm, this flavor!"

Aozaki Touko's eyes widened instantly. As the Barbecue Emperor and Big Eater Record Holder, she was a connoisseur of grilled meat, but this taste—Touko swore on her taste buds—was the best she'd ever had.

"Mm-hmm, it's amazing, right? Because Shirou has a huge appetite himself, he's also really good at cooking!"

Illya said to Touko. As a homunculus, her growth rate was half that of a normal person. Though she was a year older than Shirou, she looked only seven or eight.

"Oh? Is that so? This kid."

Sensing Touko's gaze, Shirou calmly shoveled a mouthful of rice, then filled another bowl, eating as he spoke:

"What? That's just my duty as a cook. If good ingredients don't make a popular dish, it's always the chef's fault."

"Interesting." Touko smiled slightly. "Kid, are you going to be a chef when you grow up?"

"Huh? No way. I'm going to be a magician for sure. But come to think of it, a guy like me will probably be seen as a freak by my peers!" Shirou said.

Heaven knows how he managed to speak clearly with his mouth full.

"So, do you want to learn magic from me? Honestly, I've taken a liking to you." Touko had the idea of poaching him. Though Shirou was young, he was more mature than his peers, good at taking care of others, and most importantly, his cooking was top-notch. That last point was key.

At Aozaki Touko's words, Kiritsugu couldn't sit still. She was blatantly trying to poach from him, and the one in charge of meals—that was unacceptable!

"Hey, hey! Don't just steal people, or I might snipe you!" Kiritsugu threatened.

"Tch! Bring it on, I'm not scared of you." Touko taunted Kiritsugu, then continued her poaching. "How about it, kid? Sticking with that freak magician dad of yours who only uses guns is a dead end!"

Shirou finally glanced at Touko—just a glance—then went back to devouring his food. "You can't beat me," he said.

"Hey, don't look down on me!" Touko chugged some beer. "I'm one of only ten Grand Magus!"

"So what? In my eyes, magical skill only represents achievement, not combat ability. And I only care about combat ability."

"Then let's make a bet!"

"What?"

"You're confident in your appetite, right?"

"Uh, you could say that."

"Then let's see who can eat more. If I win, you come work at my office, how about that?" Touko was persistent.

"And if I win?" Shirou countered.

"Then I'll give you a twenty percent discount on the homunculus adjustment fees."

"Deal!" Shirou swallowed his food. "Boss, bring another round of what I just ordered!"

As the meat covered the grill again, Touko and Shirou exchanged glances, then picked up their chopsticks simultaneously.

The meat sizzled on the wire mesh as the juices and barbecue sauce evaporated under the high heat.

"Ready?" Shirou asked.

"Yeah!"

"Then—"

"Let's eat!" ×2

The two started in perfect sync, the sizzling of the meat and the clatter of their chopsticks blending into one.

Touko and Shirou quickly got into the zone. Under their astonishing eating speed, plate after plate of meat emptied, and two bowls of rice were rapidly consumed.

Then, Shirou's young voice rang out again: "Boss, another ten servings of pork chops, twenty of sirloin, thirty of pork belly, and another bowl of rice!"

"And twenty servings of beef tenderloin, twenty of short ribs!" Touko added.

The barbecue shop's customers were almost numb. Good heavens, they could still eat? Were these two people prehistoric beasts in human form?

The only one truly happy was the barbecue shop owner—thanks to Shirou and Touko's "contest," tonight's earnings nearly matched half a month's worth of business.

Savoring the last slice of beef tenderloin with a satisfied grin, Shirou looked at Touko with a childlike smile. "So? Ms. Aozaki, a bet's a bet—twenty percent off!"

Touko clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Tch! I know. I'm not one to welch on a deal, but you sure can eat! Is your stomach connected to the Root of All Evil or something?"

"Who knows? Maybe it's a fourth-dimensional stomach."

"Shirou, I've only heard of a fourth-dimensional pocket on a robot cat." Illya looked at him with a curious, innocent expression. It was 1995, and the robot cat craze hadn't faded yet.

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