Emiya residence.
The next day.
The rays of the morning sun nestled into the room, thus waking me up. My sleep was a bit restless due to the situation with Yasaka and Kuno, but overall I could say that I managed to get a good night's sleep.
I slowly opened my eyes and stroked the head of a still sleeping Tia, using me as a cuddle pillow. Her response was a cute giggle and purr, just like a cat's, which brought a cheerful smile to my face.
Dragons are definitely not early birds, eh? In fact, their resemblance to cats is striking. They both like to eat and sleep, and their reactions to affection are about the same. It's just that one can accidentally kill you, and the other - only if you try.
Getting out of bed without waking Tia, I made my way to the dining room, where the sounds of cooking were coming from, and created a mug with my morning dose of caffeine in my hand. It was basically impossible to do without it lately, as the days were too eventful.
When my carcass reached its destination, I saw something so shocking that my eyes looked like saucers, my body stiffened like a tree burrowed into the ground, and the mug almost fell out of my hand, spilling all of its contents.
In the dining hall, the newly awakened residents of the residence were slowly gathering. Artoria, the newcomers from the Church, Gilgamesh, Enkidu, Medusa, and Runeas were already seated at the table. The Assassins were obviously in the shadows, and Aika and Ophis still hadn't returned. But it wasn't them that triggered my reaction, it was what was happening in the kitchen.
- "Ha..." Archer sighed longingly, looking in front of him, "Toast isn't going to fry any faster if you keep staring like that, Berserker."
In the expanded kitchen, Emiya, Morgan, Elaine, Rea-chan, and Le Fei were at the stove, busily preparing food. While the last three were simply standing aside or busily preparing ingredients, the first two...
Morgan, who was wearing Emiya's apron with 'Bone of My Sword' written on it, was staring intently at a skillet standing on the fire, on which two toasts were toasting. On Archer, however, hung another bright pink colored apron also with an inscription, but a different one, 'The Noisy Sheaths of an Incompetent King'.
Emiya looked at the stove with sadness in his eyes and looked as if his very soul had been taken from him. I could directly see a black cloud hovering over his head, spilling drops of longing and resentment. His fingers were clenched into fists, and his teeth made an audible grinding sound that spread throughout the kitchen.
Morgan, on the other hand, was fine with it. She ignored everything outside the frying pan, focused solely on it. It was as if her very life depended on what was in the pan, given her unblinking eyes.
- "But in that case, I could miss a moment and it would burn completely, becoming inedible, right? I can't understand the reason for your disgruntled expression, Queen Shirou."
- "You're taking up space at the stove, and because of that, I can't continue making breakfast."
- "That doesn't sound like my problem," Morgan said, "And you don't have to hide the real reasons for your displeasure, Queen Shirou. Though, they are not entirely clear to me, since all I did was take your apron and take over the kitchen."
Then she paused and looked at him with a face so innocent that if I'd had anything in my mouth on principle, I would have definitely choked. Archer, on the other hand, actually did, apparently with saliva.
- "Oh? Or does it bother you that you've lost control of the kitchen, your own territory? That you are now obliged to submit and wait patiently for me to finish?" Morgan shook her head and made a fake sad face, "How petty... just like your king, eh?"
Hearing this, Archer sighed tiredly and rubbed his face with his palm, the Servants present did not hide their amusement, and the next moment there was a rather loud bang on the table. It was Artoria, of course.
- "Enough! How dare you spoil such a sacred rite as eating! This is crossing even your moral boundaries, Morgan!" Saber was outraged, and the churchmen, hearing the name Berserker, stared stunned at the latter.
- "M-morgan? Morgan le Fay?" Irina was distraught.
- "Now I see why he addressed her as 'Your Majesty'." Griselda shook her head, and Gabriel, flapping her eyelashes, began to examine the Berserker. Apparently, the latter could still hide her identity from the archangel, just like me.
- "I have none, dear sister, because I'm always right," Morgan smiled, "And you wouldn't go back to the Throne without eating just once, would you? Or would you?"
- "You're getting off the subject!"
- "Servants don't need food or sleep," said the Queen of the Fairies, to which Artoria clucked loudly, "I feel sorry for my husband, for I don't understand why he still maintains a contract with you if all you know how to do is eat and sleep. It's a mystery of the universe to which there is no answer, not even in Korn."
- "I feel sorry for him too," Artoria grinned, "He's the one who's going to have to taste the poison you're trying to make and call food. I don't suppose even two True Magics will do him any good."
Of course, such a jab could not go unanswered by Morgan. She stepped away from the stove, to which Archer sighed in relief, as did the rest of the kitchen, but more covertly, and stood across from Artoria.
I don't know if my own eyes are playing tricks on me, but I can give you my word that I saw a bolt of lightning equal in power to a Rank A spell form between their gazes, and two cowering silhouettes, a lion and a fairy, appear behind them.
- "How about we sort this out like old times, dear sister?" Morgan asked with a challenge in her voice and extended her hand, where her axe staff instantly appeared.
- "With pleasure, sister. Time to give you a lesson in manners." Artoria replied, in a flash of light changing her attire to battle dress, and in her hand appeared Excalibur, not hidden by the wind.
And with a tense silence, the two made their way to the training area in the basement under the gazes of everyone present.
- "Come, Enkidu. This is definitely entertainment worthy of a king!" Gilgamesh declared and headed after the Pendragon sisters. Medusa joined them as well, apparently to back them up or something.
- "I'm coming with you!" Runeas exclaimed cheerfully and followed the others, leaving only the churchmen in the hall.
I was still in a state of shock, which was reinforced by what Artoria had said at the end. I also managed to hear Archer blessing fate that his apron, made by me, would finally be destroyed.
And they really are sisters. Underneath all of Artoria's nobility sat a little bit of Morgan's sarcasm, and vice versa. And I could tell it was really fun to watch them.
I grinned and, reaching the table, took my seat. Work resumed in the kitchen, and the churchmen, who had been awkwardly observing a rather ordinary scene for the residence, turned their attention to me. And their silent stares continued for about an eternity and a couple hours.
- "What?" I started and shrugged, "As if you don't know about the relationship between these two."
- "But..." Irina took the floor with a note of caution, "Was she a fairy?"
- "Another world, another story." I waved away, "But let's get to you. I suppose Michael gave you some kind of assignment or something?"
- "We're here so that Heaven can keep in touch with you, Romani-san," Gabriel said, to which I rolled my eyes, "And my brother asked to re..."
BOOM
A loud explosion was heard from downstairs that made the whole house shake. Furniture rocked from side to side, dishes almost hit the floor, and the wooden frame made a thudding sound. At this, the churchmen stirred and even reached for their weapons, but I clucked my tongue and looked away.
- "Grandpa, can I ask you to keep an eye on them? I'd hate to see the ruins of my beautiful home again." I said into the void, and the next second the shadow in the corner moved as if to answer my request.
- "What about Michael?"
- "He missed…" Gabriel had just begun to speak when the doorbell rang, interrupting her attempt again. Of course, she pouted at that.
Heh. Something's restless today, and it's only morning.
As usual Rea-chan went to open the door, and she came back with only two people, or rather demons. There was no problem with one of them since it was Sona, but the other one....
- "Oh? Sera-chan, long time no see! How are you doing?"
- "Hey! What are you doing in Ro-tan's house... angel?! Heaven wants war, doesn't it?! So, they sent you to seduce Ro-tan to get him to side with you, didn't they?!"
- "Sister! Stop it! You're the Demon Lord, after all! You can't say such things!"
- "But, So-tan, why else would she be here?!"
- "That's enough! I'll cast you out."
I didn't listen any further, I just closed my eyes and ears to at least try to block out whatever was outside.
Great, just great! Great start to the day! What's next!!! Would Cthulhu attack Kyoto in the evening? Or maybe a freaking meteorite will fall and we'll end up like dinosaurs? А? А? What else do I have to look forward to?!
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