I Am Your Master, Saber

"Heh heh heh, heh heh heh."

Eiji was especially happy today.

Because when he woke up, he had received a message from the Holy Grail.

The imagined form of the first Heroic Spirit had finished being gathered.

"That old man really came through."

In Naobito Zenin's eyes, once these two matters were handled, Eiji's "return" to the Zenin Family would be a certainty, and they would no longer have to keep getting suppressed by the Gojo Family's Six Eyes.

Therefore, Naobito Zenin put great effort into the two things Eiji had requested.

Whether it was recommending Eiji for Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer or helping promote Fate/stay night, he handled both personally.

This also made those below him especially diligent when promoting Fate/stay night.

A dynasty for a hundred years, a Great Family for a thousand.

The Zenin Family was the sort of Great Family capable of influencing a "dynasty."

As a result, even some people from the authorities personally got involved in promoting Fate/stay night this time.

What followed was a skyrocketing increase in the "imagined forms" of Heroic Spirits.

"Put away all these drafts and books. If the place is too messy, it'll probably leave a bad impression."

Humming a cheerful tune.

Eiji tidied everything in the room, then carefully cleaned the floor and walls as well.

Before he knew it, noon had arrived.

"Whew."

Suppressing the excitement in his heart.

Eiji walked up before the Summoning Circle.

He raised his right hand, and Cursed Energy began flowing from within him.

"I declare!"

"Let your body be under my command, and let my fate be bound to your sword."

"If you heed the Holy Grail's summons, obey this will, and submit to this reason, then answer."

"I hereby swear!"

"I am the one who shall fulfill all good in this world. I am the one who shall spread all evil in this world."

"You are Seven Days Bound by Three Great Words, come forth from the Wheel of Suppression, Guardian of the Scales!"

The golden chess piece radiated a dazzling brilliance as vast amounts of Cursed Energy from both the Holy Grail and Eiji himself poured into it.

For a moment, wind and thunder roared.

The light grew brighter and brighter, forcing Eiji to raise a hand over his eyes.

A few seconds later, the gale dispersed and the thunder vanished.

The room returned to calm, except there was now an additional figure within the summoning.

Her skin was soft and snow-white, her golden hair tied up behind her head, and her blue-and-white dress armor gave off a solemn, dignified air.

"I ask of you. Are you my Master?"

Gem-like emerald eyes looked toward Eiji as Artoria asked in a resolute voice.

"I am."

Eiji raised his right hand, revealing the bright red Command Spells on the back of it.

"Servant, Saber, I have answered your summons. Master, please give your orders."

Her gaze falling upon the Command Spells on Eiji's hand, Artoria nodded and continued.

"You don't need to be so guarded. We're safely inside our home."

Artoria nodded to show she understood. The Holy Sword concealed by Invisible Air turned into Cursed Energy and vanished from her hand.

"My name is Dongfang Eiji. You can just call me Eiji. Saber, may I call you Ria?"

"You may, Eiji."

It was only a form of address, and Artoria had no objection to it.

The two simply looked at one another.

It's over, it's over. What am I supposed to say now?

With Artoria staring at him so intently, Eiji became a little nervous.

Grrr~

The first sound came from Eiji's stomach.

"Um."

The sudden embarrassment made Eiji feel a little awkward.

"Would you like to go out and get something to eat together, Ria?"

Eiji extended an invitation.

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but when Eiji made the invitation, a flash of light seemed to pass through Artoria's eyes.

"Hunger is a great enemy. Let us depart at once, Eiji."

"Take off your armor first, Ria. There are no enemies here, and it would look strange if other people saw you like that."

Unlike Cursed Spirits, Heroic Spirits had both a normal manifested form and a Spiritron Conversion form.

In Spiritron Conversion form, Heroic Spirits likewise could not be seen by ordinary people, but in their normal manifested form, they looked no different from regular humans.

Upon hearing that, Artoria immediately dismissed her white armor, revealing the blue dress beneath it.

It was a blue dress that perfectly combined the styles of a knight and a princess.

The two soon arrived in the bustling Shinjuku District.

"Eiji, what is that?"

"That's Taiyaki. Want to try some?"

"Yes."

Artoria nodded without hesitation.

"Boss, two Taiyaki, please."

Before long, two freshly made Taiyaki were placed in a paper bag and handed to Eiji.

"They're a little hot, so be careful."

"Yes, I understand. Ah."

Before the words had even finished leaving her mouth, Artoria took a bite out of the Taiyaki.

Eiji smiled slightly at the sight and began enjoying his own Taiyaki as well.

The outer layer carried a rich egg fragrance, while the filling was soft, chewy, and sweet.

No wonder this Taiyaki stall could hold its ground on such a fiercely competitive food street. It was really delicious.

"Eiji, what is this?"

"Let me see. This is Okonomiyaki. The sauce on the outside is ketchup, and inside there are vegetables and instant noodles. Want to try it?"

"Yes."

"Boss, two Okonomiyaki."

"Sure thing."

Two Okonomiyaki covered in vibrant sauces were placed into transparent containers and handed to Eiji.

The two continued onward, eating as they went.

"Eiji, what are these balls?"

"Takoyaki. Want to try some?"

"Octopus?"

Artoria frowned.

"Never mind. Let's look over there instead."

Artoria pointed toward a ramen cart across the street.

"Want to try those flavors?"

"Yes, it's a difficult choice."

Artoria stared seriously at the wooden menu board.

"Should we get a bowl of every kind?"

"May we?"

"Of course."

A ramen cart had limited space, and the ingredients it carried could only make a few varieties of ramen.

"Then please."

Artoria nodded, her dignified manner making it obvious at a glance that she came from a Great Family.

"Boss, one bowl of every ramen, and two bowls of Spicy Ramen."

Because the Island Nation was not rich in resources, its food tended to be lightly flavored. Unless a shop specifically advertised itself with spiciness, even Spicy Ramen was not very spicy.

"Sure thing. Kid, can you really finish all that?"

"Don't worry, Boss. Wasting food is shameful."

"Please wait a moment."

Reassured, the chubby ramen chef agreed with a smile and turned to skillfully prepare the ramen.

But what happened next made the chubby ramen chef's eyes widen.

He had initially thought the noodles were for the young man beside her.

But after the young man finished one bowl of Spicy Ramen, he set down his chopsticks and turned to watch with a blissful expression as the petite girl beside him finished all eight huge bowls of ramen.

Not even a drop of broth remained.

"It was delicious. Thank you for the meal."

Seeing the ramen chef staring directly at her, Artoria politely responded.

"Ah? Ah, please come again."

"Eiji, let's go to the next place."

In just one short hour, Eiji's status in Artoria's heart had risen sharply.

"No problem."

The two soon arrived at the next stall.

"Boss, two... one serving of Oden."

No, I can't eat any more. I'll just watch Artoria eat.

Because of the circumstances of her life, Artoria had never had the chance to enjoy fine food. That was why, after becoming a Servant, Artoria's appetite had become so voracious.

Artoria's explanation for this was, "It is to replenish magical energy."

Over here, it should be Cursed Energy.