There was once a time in Shirou's life where he'd fought against outstanding individuals of legends known as Heroes, many of which could have had slaughtered him had he been any less reckless. Fortunately, he'd always had someone looking out for him when he'd needed it most, like the time that he'd gotten his heart pierced through or when he was seconds away from getting his heart pierced twice.

Yup, pretty good times. At least then, he was fairly certain that he could either fight and make things right, or keel over and die for a reason worth fighting for. In either case, he knew what he was getting into.

The present situation was entirely different.

"You dare to belittle me? Me?"

"Obviously, you're nothing but a third rate whose family was just a little bit better off."

"Well, you're a hag whose research purposes are being squandered on your vanity to look younger."

"…!"

"The cook is mine! Enough bickering."

No Arturia. Don't.

Shirou could see Arturia's brows narrowing fiercely from the corner of his eyes. Her breathing had evened and there was an air of building indignation permeating from around her. Her expression was stony and a breeze was forming with her body at its epicenter. Despite her cool temper, she was going to explode. This went to show the level of audacity of the magi in the crowd of people in front of Shirou's restaurant. Moreover, Arturia wasn't the only one that he had to concern himself with.

Rin and Luvia looked moments away from firing curses. Literally. Gandr spells were subtly forming at the tips of their fingers and Shirou had half-a-mind to remind them that they weren't supposed to use magecraft in front of the common masses. Generally, it was the level-headed Arturia who'd chastise Rin and Luvia's behaviour, but in this case, Arturia's stance was already quite evident.

Shirou worried that rather than Rin and Luvia striking first, Arturia would move to secure what was rightfully hers. Her Kingly disposition was screaming with a type of possessiveness that bordered on obsessive. Treasures, weapons, and armours, were one thing for Arturia, but food and her own personal feelings were another.

In this instance, the intensions of Rin, Luvia, and Arturia aligned.

Shirou had honestly never seen them so agitated before, but there was no helping it. The magi bickering for 'ownership' over him were so caught up in their argument that they were ignoring all else.

The crowd of normal individuals not privy to the Moonlit World were whispering amongst themselves.

Shirou thought the worst and was considering taking preventive action until he overheard what the gathered crowd around his food stall was actually saying.

"Was there a Western Comic Con scheduled today?" A passing Totsuki student muttered. "They all look so authentic."

That's because they were the real thing. All the magi that had appeared to have had arrived from the Clock Tower were dressed in various states of a bygone era. The men wore classic frock coats and sack suits coupled with threaded gold chains dangling from pockets near the pants while the women were in sundresses and wore large fascinator hats.

Shirou took in a calming breath. The situation was still fine, that was until he listened further to the crowds.

"Do you think we can take pictures with them?"

No. Definitely not a good idea. Shirou's breath hitched in his throat when he heard that single comment.

Most magi were uptight and stemmed from longstanding and often 'Noble' family lines who disdained associating with the common rabble. Even if they were lower ranked magi, the mindset was all encompassing for the majority. Rin, Luvia, and Shirou himself were three of only a few exceptions to the rule.

He put away his cutlery and turned off the stove's exhaust before making his way out of the food truck's kitchen.

"Enough," he took a hard stance before things could get out of hand. "I won't work for any of you."

His admission was met with eerie silence, followed by heated whispers from the crowd who were beginning to suspect that something odd was going on. The magi didn't care. So long as the existence of magic didn't get discovered then they felt no remorse for their actions.

"Preposterous," Patrick Owels, a magus from a more prominent line of magecraft users spoke up first in protest. He wasn't the last.

"You can't be serious. If I were to ask any other cook to be my personal chef, they'd be honoured."

The thing was, he wasn't just some cook, and they were going to have to understand that.

Magical energy thrummed from within him, distilling outwards into the air in the form of a hardly noticeable breeze. There were ordinary civilians present, making it difficult to truly reveal his hand, but all magi had a fine-tuned sense of the supernatural.

"Indeed, perhaps you are not just a cook," Patrick straightened his clothes and relented along with a majority of the rest.

If Shirou's cooking was his magecraft, then Patrick and the rest understood that they'd have to act more reserved. All magi were secretive and Patrick and the others were assuming Shirou to be the same. Perhaps he had refused employment not for a lack of funds, but because of some specification regarding his culinary craft?

Luvia threw Patrick's assumption out the figurative window.

"It's preposterous that he won't work for any of you?" Luvia grunted before straightening her back and broadening her shoulders with confidence. "Not as preposterous as trying to swindle a man from House Edelfelt."

Luvia had not been able to contain herself any longer. Even if other magi couldn't recognize her face, they'd better damn well know of her family name. It was famous within the Clock Tower. The cowed expressions that Patrick and the other low-ranked magi made were more than enough evidence regarding the weight behind the name of Edelfelt.

"Now before all of you get any ideas to report this issue to the Clock Tower, let me remind you that it would only be detrimental for yourselves," Luvia announced cryptically. "Firstly, you will be going directly against the wishes of the next heir of House Edelfelt and secondly because doing so would be quite foolish."

"In what way?" A magus asked cautiously.

Luvia gestured for all the magi to converse at a more discreet location. The crowds were clearly listening in, and fortunately, they were assuming that everything was some sort of play for shop advertisement.

Luvia led everyone to a location behind the food truck and where none of the ordinary crowds could follow. To secure the area, a few magi even went and set up a cursory bounded field to ward onlookers away.

For what it was worth, Shirou decided to temporarily close down his shop in order to help sort the matter out. Besides, he'd already completed Senzaemon's task of serving a thousand dishes. It was time that he took a break anyway.

He left much to the disappointment of the gathered crowd while Rin and Arturia followed not far behind him.

By the time that they entered the bounded field where Luvia had ended up as a spokesperson at the center, focusing their attention on Luvia.

"Now then, let's talk business," Luvia crossed her arms in front of her chest and exuded an imposing aura. Admittedly, she really did possess the disposition of an authoritative aristocrat which was only further emphasised when Arturia moved into the picture with a stern gaze. Rin on the other hand just looked downright terrifying when she was pissed.

Luvia nodded towards Shirou and the others presence but soon redirected her attention towards the magi regarding her. She knew that the situation was bad, and for her part, she couldn't understand how they had even caught wind of Shirou's developments in cooking. It was absurd. She'd made sure not to leave any of her own tracks after her flight from London and she knew that most magi would not care enough for an oriental magus like Rin returning to Japan to investigate her reason for departure.

Nothing was making sense, but it didn't change the fact that she had to help deal with the situation. Besides her own personal motivations for helping, her inner magus could already see the potential Shirou's food would bring in the future.

All that was left was to convince the magi in front of her regarding the subject.

They were magi, and it would be a mistake to try and appeal to whatever sense of righteousness or selflessness they may or may not have. Instead, the best course of action was to discuss personal benefit.

"The majority of you are low ranks, with a few second-tier magi mixed in," Luvia began sharply. "Don't any of you wish to change your positions? To aim not only for a higher status, but to earn more recognition for your specific magecraft?"

The magi began to murmur while Patrick himself who was in the crowd balled his hands up into fists and thought of the many times that he'd been scorned by both his higher ranked peers and family members.

No magi wished to be seen as trash.

"In all honesty, so long as none of you are of the first-class of magi, you're all worth nothing less than garbage in the eyes of the oldest families of the Association." Despite how blunt Luvia's words were, no one took offence simply because that was how the Mages Association was. Only those at the top had the right to look down upon those at the bottom. Luvia herself hailed from a first-class family which was why no one questioned her right to act as the immediate speaker. Rin would have had refuted based on capability alone, but with deep rooted family history, came recognition.

Luvia's standing was definitely higher than Rin's in the eyes of the gathered magi and Rin understood this point from the beginning and grudgingly allowed Luvia to handle the situation.

"In which case, you should all understand just what kind of opportunity is before your eyes," Luvia's tone deepened harshly. "The food you all ate, all of you should understand just how much of an effect it had to your magical reserves and its ability to purify the quality of your energy."

The murmurs within the group of magi began to die down as realization began to set. Many had expressions of deep thought and consideration, weighing the pros and the cons. Luvia continued regardless.

"Even talentless fools can see the true potential of what's at stake right now," she pressed a hand over her chest and presented a strong frontal image. "Surely within a year, two, three, or maybe more, the gap between first-class magi and the rest can be bridged. Think about it. All of you. It's possible that if one grew up eating this kind of magically induced food, an ordinary child would one day grow up to possess the magical capacity of the Blue Bloods."

That statement got a rise from the crowd. Many glanced in Shirou's direction with a maddening fervor that Arturia took as a personal attack and defensively moved to defensively shield Shirou from view. The two of them shared somewhat of a special relationship. They'd lived through life and death situations together. That alone would have had been more than enough to label them as friends, but she also cherished the idle memories that she'd had with him as well. She didn't dare to say that she was in love simply because the concept was so foreign to her. However, the concept of others trying to steal from her was one that she knew quite well and detested.

Back off. Arturia's expression was self-evident.

The magi could feel the sheer density of magical energy exuding from Arturia's form and buckled under the pressure. All gazes that had once been on Shirou returned back to Luvia.

"This a chance. One that won't present itself again if made known," Luvia stressed the sentence syllable by syllable. "What do you think will happen should the long seated Noble Families of the Association catch wind of this? They'd covet it like wolves on the hunt. They wouldn't let even a single morsel of meat go. Worse, the extent of the food's effectiveness is not yet known. For all the Association could care, it could perpetually continue to bolster and augment the capabilities of a magus, meaning that it could be within their ground to order a Sealing Designation for further research. Magecraft that can heighten the strength of existing magecraft is beyond simply valuable, it's precious in that it increases the chances of magi to reach the Akashic Root."

Shirou paled upon hearing of the implication. It was one thing to speculate, but it was another thing entirely to hear Luvia laying down his situation flat out for all to hear. Frankly, he didn't know where she was going with this.

Luvia had literally just divulged the weight of his current predicament to everyone, yet she looked utterly confident that no one would leak the secret.

It all went back to the purpose of personal benefit.

"The Head Families of the Association would stand to gain from this arrangement, but in the end, what does that mean for you all? Nothing." There was a pregnant pause in which one could see Patrick and the other magi mulling over their own thoughts.

Luvia pressed on. "You get nothing but perhaps a monetary reward for informing the association, but any chance of rising up through the ranks is utterly lost."

It was a point that Luvia was trying to drive home.

Another point that Luvia was neglecting to mention though was that the Mages Association would never allow the bottom tier magi to jump through the ranks easily. Political structures forged through numerous years of work were difficult to change. More than likely, if the Mages Association could not permanently rope Shirou to their side using a Sealing Designation, then they were more than likely to issue an assassination order.

The Noble Families of the association would not be able to remain idle about the prospect of a magecraft that could allow third-rate magi to overwhelm the pre-existing power structures.

In the Moonlit world, the third and second-rate magi far out numbered the upper tier. If those from the bottom suddenly received a boost in strength, then there was no guarantee that another 'Mages Association' wouldn't form.

There would be a war based on deep rooted prejudice, both from the third-rate magi who were continually looked down upon, and the upper tier magi who scorned the rest.

"For our own benefit, it's best to form a compromise and keep this entire thing a guarded secret amongst ourselves," Luvia concluded. "Shirou will not work for anyone personally. He's apparently a chef in training right now anyway."

"What does that mean?" Patrick was the first to question.

Luvia gestured towards a single individual.

All the magi turned to face Shirou.

"I didn't say that I wouldn't cook for you all," he said calmly while repeating the words that Luvia was sending to him through a form of magecraft. "The prices are there on a menu board for a reason."

Shirou stiffened as he finished speaking. Suddenly, he felt like he'd just been played.

There was a noticeable gleam in Luvia's eyes that mirrored Rin's all too well. What he forgot to mention was that Rin had run back to his shop's menu while Luvia was distracting the other magi and subtly hiked up all the prices.

Had the two actually been working together in this instance? Did they actually compromise?

Now that he thought about it, the possibility was high. The two were probably communicating silently via a communication spell. His brow twitched. Here he was getting a cold sweat about what was going to happen with his future, and Rin and Luvia took the opportunity to make a killing.

He turned to glance at both Rin and Luvia who were insisting on him saying a final sentence. He sighed and relented only because the arrangement settled all disputes and maintained the secrecy of the matter.

"Purchase as much as you'd like," he grudgingly said, much to Rin and Luvia's euphoria.

He felt his spirit leaving him along with the prospect of leading a normal culinary school life. Based on the way that the magi were looking at him, he could imagine how large their orders were going to be.

On the bright side many hadn't thought to bring much in terms of cash since they were expecting to arrive and then quickly return to the Clock Tower. This meant to say that his workload for the day would definitely be smaller than he had expected. Maybe he could even rest early? Yet, he'd neglected a crucial point.

He'd forgotten. This was Rin.

"Don't worry," Rin said smilingly, her hands clasped in front of her; her eyes practically dollar signs. "We can sell on credit. Any left overs I can give to Saber."

And there goes any aid from Arturia.

Rin was going to milk him dry.

It was a tiring day, and as much as he'd enjoy collapsing onto a coach and resting, he knew that he wouldn't be having the time to do so.

The hell was that?

There lying on the table of his villa was a letter of notice. He felt an ominous premonition and debated whether or not he could get away with pretending that he hadn't noticed.

Rin and Luvia could probably do such a thing because they were too preoccupied with counting the money that they'd swindled away and were going to use to purchase more gems; however, he wasn't nearly as preoccupied.

Saber, just as bribed by Rin, was too busy eating the left overs that several magi had ordered but couldn't finish.

This was the reason why it was only him presently within the villa.

It was probably going to be a bad idea, but he still found himself gravitating towards the letter on the table. Based on the seal that he could see stamped over the letter's fold, it was obviously a notice from Senzaemon.

He reached the table, took the letter in his hands, and then just stared at for a good minute. He'd already completed the task that Senzaemon had given to him regarding the number of servings that he'd sold today which meant that he probably wasn't in trouble.

Optimism was a skill that he was trying to cultivate. The spiral of pessimism and disgruntlements that were currently plaguing his life were leading him down the road of a certain Red Archer's snarky disposition.

That was a road that he wanted to avoid at all costs because like it or not, Archer was a future version of himself. This meant to say, that he had the potential to be just as much of an ass as Archer had been in his disillusion of forsaking the ideals in which he initially fought for.

Honestly, any similarities that he had with Archer were daunting to him. There was no way he'd accept himself becoming that kind of man in the future. Then again, he couldn't recall Archer ever having to attend a culinary school.

Regardless, it was time to stop dwelling on the topic and focus more on the letter in hand.

With his thumb, he peeled up the edge of the letter's fold and carefully peeled off the seal in order to access the document inside.

He gave it a cursory glance before his eyes furrowed and then began to twitch. He knew that he had said that he was trying to verify the prospect of saving others through his cooking, but this wasn't what he meant.

Sure, he had the goal of improving his culinary skills; thereby enhancing the amount of magical energy his prepared food could contain, yet what was Senzaemon trying to do here?

The letter read simply.

Next assignment: Two Week's notice.

Food Challenge.

Erina Nakiri, Rank Ten.

Why? Erina couldn't understand what was happening even though she was reading the letter in her hand. Why was her grandfather insisting that she wager a food battle against some freshman?

Her mood soured. What was worse was that she'd heard that it was the older brother of Soma Yukihira, the same person that she'd personally failed during Totsuki Academy's entrance exam.

Was he really that good?

She'd heard rumours regarding something about Eizan challenging and losing in an unofficial Food Battle, but when she'd sought out answers, the truth was difficult to discover. It wasn't like she cared much anyway, but now it would seem that she had to put in a bit more effort.

Studiously, she got out of her bed within one of Totsuki's elite dorms and changed out of her nightgown. The morning sunlight was shining in through her windows and illuminating her large single bedroom. The entire room was hers. There was no need for roommates or other distractions. It was perfect. She'd even had a hand in designing its layout, but at times, she couldn't help but feel that it was a little lonely.

No. She shook her head, her hands clapping over her cheeks to focus her mind.

Since her grandfather insisted on a food battle, it was best to get a rough idea about the ability of the person that she was facing. After all, Shirou wouldn't have to look hard to know what sort of foods and cuisine she specialized in due to her fame in the food industry. He could prepare while she would be left in the dark, not that she needed much preparation at all to defeat an amateur.

She paused while putting on her Totsuki school uniform and placed a hand beneath her cheek.

Was Shirou Yukihira really and amateur?

She couldn't help but think back to what she'd seen of Shirou's performance during the entrance examination. He'd said that he'd learned to cook on his own, but the skill that he had displayed was top notch, and if was truly just a beginner in professional cooking, wasn't his talent terrifying?

When she thought of the scenario that way, a part of her began to grow suspicious of her grandfather's intentions. Her grandfather was up to something, she could tell based on how odd his behaviour has been lately.

Straightening her back, she decided that perhaps it was best to just get a little information about her opponent. Should she send Hisako? No, Hisako was out discreetly procuring the 'goods' to be acquired by her sometime later in the evening.

Did she really have to do it herself?

The prospect was annoying, but she supposed that she had nothing better to do anyway. Soma Yukihira was still out on an academy survival camp so she couldn't send anyone to make an example out of him for constantly agitating her.

Well, there was no use debating things now. She clicked her tongue and made her way out of her room, the clacking of her heels echoing against the tiled floor. Based on what her grandfather had told her, Shirou Yukihira was running some sort of food stand at the front of the school.

Must be deserted. There was no way that some unknown chef could draw in much of a crowd.

At least she had a destination in mind.

While walking through Totsuki's halls, she couldn't help but notice an upperclassman walking down across from her. As a member of Totsuki Academy's Elite Ten, the residency of the those on the top were generally crowded closer together.

The upperclassman walking down across from Erina was Rindo Koboyashi.

The two made eye contact within moments, a playful grin on Rindo's face and a neutral expression on Erina's.

It was at that moment that Erina recalled rumours of Rindo possessing the best intelligence network in all of Tostuki. Out of the Elite Ten, Rindo was the one who was most active between members and was even friends with the First Seat.

If there was anyone that could know anything about Shirou and save her the effort of looking into Shirou's business, it was Rindo.

"Rindo Koboyashi," Erina called out somewhat stiffly but with an air of haughtiness.

Rindo stopped a few feet away from Erina, somewhat taken aback that the unsocial Erina Nakiri had taken the initiative to talk with her.

"Rindo Kobayashi's my name," Rindo said energetically before bounding over and wrapping an arm around Erina's shoulder. "Any reason that you're calling out to me?"

Erina coolly pushed Rindo's arm off of her. "Nothing too major. I was just wondering if you know anything about Shirou Yukihira?"

It could have had just been Erina's imagination, but she could have had sworn a flash of foreboding flicker across Rindo's eyes.

"Yeah I do have some information," Rindo said carefully. "Other than Eishi, he's my only other friend in school, but I don't think that you care about that."

Erina shook her head. Who Rindo made friends with, though questionable, wasn't part of her business at all.

Rindo's expression suddenly turned serious. "Just a word of warning, but you don't happen to want to try anything funny with him, do you? I wouldn't recommend it, Eizan hasn't been able to leave campus without a personal guard in weeks."

What did asking about Shirou have to do with Eizan? Erina schooled her features and said nothing on the subject despite her curiosity. "Do you know anything or not?" She indifferently pressed on.

Rindo furrowed her brows and soon shook her head. "Whatever you're thinking Nakiri, don't try it or you'll find out what Eizan's been dealing with for the past few days."

Okay…That was weird.

Erina shook her head. Eizan's business didn't matter to her anyway. What mattered now was that Rindo had given no information at all which meant that she would still have to gather information on her own.

What a bother.

She huffed before crossing her arms over her chest and continuing on her way. The hair that framed her face swished with each step and highlighted the pensiveness gradually forming over her face. The hallway was empty, so there was no need to maintain her image. No one was around to see.

No matter how lightly she tried to put it off, Rindo's reaction gave her an odd feeling. Was there actually something more to Shirou Yukihira than what she already knew. Better yet, was it dangerous?

When Rindo had mentioned Eizan, did she mean the fact that a majority of Eizan's business contacts had suddenly withdrawn their long-term contracts? Word in the Elite Ten was that Eizan had somehow gotten himself involved with some kind of Yakuza group, but Shirou Yukhira wasn't Yakuza. How could there be any relation?

She thought back to the impression that she had of Shirou and quickly purged the thought. He was too kind looking to be associated with black market thugs. Clearly, she'd red enough too much of the 'goods' Hisako brought for her every other night.

Focus, she reminded herself.

It wasn't like she was the heroine of some manga. She was Erina Nakiri, an elite.

She placed more weight in her steps and suffused her form with an iron-willed determination. Even if she was facing an amateur in a food battle, she would not, and should not take things lightly.

Totsuki was a fairly large institution, but Erina knew of its facilities like the back of her hand. She'd lived and resided in Totsuki long enough to know its inner working and she was even able to name a few staff members.

Reaching the front of the school where Shirou Yukihira's food truck was supposed to be was completed in a matter of minutes. Now then, she just had to look for the lonely figure of a truck with maybe a few or so customers.

She stared forward with expectation.

Strange. Since when was Totsuki's entrance ever so crowded on a school day?

Her eyes kept glancing back and forth. She was no longer at an elevated height from within Totsuki's building, but was instead walking on the ground near the entrance.

Where was the food truck? This wasn't making any sense. She pursed her lips and considered the fact that Shirou may have pulled out due to a lack of business. In her mind, it didn't sound so far fetched.

Still, she'd already come, she might as well look around and verify whether or not Shirou Yukihira was around. Eventually, she found herself staring at a group of oddly dressed foreigners all bickering while queuing up in a long line.

"I swear if it weren't for the Association's policies I would not tolerate lining up behind plebeians."

"Agreed."

"Disgusting."

"I should have had brought more gold…" The entire group seemed to collectively sigh. "Is it just me, or do the prices on the menu go up whenever we draw near? I refuse to believe that these plebeians carry over a hundred dollars for one meal, and I've seen them buy multiple."

Wait what? Erina found her ears perking up. She herself was well versed in English.

"One hundred? Only one hundred? I've been paying double that!"

"It's a coincidence. It has to be. Or I swear I'll start a slaughter."

Erina had heard just about enough. Where did this group of cosplayers come from? Well, like Eizan's matter, none of her business.

She moved along and passed the line since she wasn't intending on buying in the first place. However, her curiosity was growing by the second. What was going on to attract so much attention?

The answer nearly caused her to choke on her own arrogance.

She spotted a food truck. The very food truck she'd assumed would have hardly any business. Grudgingly, it was much more popular than what she had expected.

Inadvertently, she found herself hiding. The food truck had set up a small dining area in front of the vehicle, and based on where Erina had been standing earlier, she'd been able to see Shirou cooking from the inside of the truck. In turn, this meant that Shirou had the ability to see her.

Why was she hiding? Obviously because she'd only waned to assess Shirou's capabilities rather than talk to him up front. In truth, she was actually flustered at her lack of judgment to assume that Shirou wouldn't have any real business.

She didn't want to admit her mistake, but was struggling with just getting everything over with.

It was an hour or so later with her constantly shifting around the surroundings that she finally came to a logical conclusion. There was no way that Shirou would have had known that she was looking down on him. There was no reason to feel ashamed at all.

She puffed up her chest and resumed an air of confidence, fully intent on walking closer for better observation. It wasn't like she'd grown interested in sampling the food that she'd been staring at for a full hour.

Regardless, she wasn't going to have a choice in the matter.

"W-Who are you?" Her voice failed her while she desperately tried to keep her cool in the face of two thugs that suddenly appeared in front of her. They wore khaki's and black rimmed sunglasses. Scars travelled up and down their arms and there was a particularly big one that ran down one of the men's faces.

Yakuza.

The name jumped out at her as she recalled the situation that Eizan was in. B-But she didn't even do anything wrong.

What Erina failed to realize was that her behaviour of pacing back and forth around the food truck appeared highly suspicious to the men that Taiga had stationed to watch out for her little bro.

"Are you here to eat?" One of them asked menacingly.

Erina sucked in a breath and took solace in the fact that she was still in a public place. Regardless, by this point, she couldn't really refuse even if she wanted to cower.

"Lead the way."

Her pride wouldn't allow it.

Thanks for reading! Sorry for being a little late

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