"Was this really a good idea?" Rin couldn't help but confirm with herself as she stared apprehensively at the food in her hands.

On first glance the food looked ordinary, a bowl of chicken soup to make it easier to ingest, but Rin knew better than to judge everything by appearance alone. Various types of curse-based magecraft existed, the most commonly known to the public was Voodoo; a product born from a line of magi that delved too close to divulging the secrets of magic to the public and was dealt with by the Enforcers of the Clock Tower. Subsequently, the public was only made privy to rumours about the specifics of Voodoo, but not much else as was intended. At most, it was treated as a horror story after the Clock Tower's intervention, but Rin digressed.

The issue was that like all cursed based magic, it was difficult to determine the potency of the curse before a target was afflicted with it. Gandr for example which was categorized as a simple curse was the same unless overcharged with magical energy and turned into a penetrative Finn Shot.

Rin's brows furrowed as she continued to stare at the bowl of chicken soup Taiga had made, and Saber who was passed out cold before her, the whites of her eyes showing.

Shirou had warned the two that the food was going to be bad despite its appearance, but the level was simply unheard of.

That's a Servant.

That's a Servant.

She confirmed again. The thought itself repeated twice in her head before she glanced wearily at Taiga who Shirou was keeping distracted with idle talk in the next room.

Subtly, she placed her palm over the soup and quietly activated a magic circle.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

There were no traces of magical energy to be found, nor any residue left from casting a curse. In fact, her examination had only given her more doubts. The chicken soup was made entirely out of ordinary ingredients, yet the result was appalling if Saber's state was anything to go by.

She really was too much of a glutton.

Just because the food looked good, didn't mean it tasted good.

After noticing the general appeal of the dish, Saber had opted to try it after Rin had verified that there was nothing wrong with it. The results left Rin visibly shaken, yet at the same time, she was curious.

How was this possible?

Could I learn to do this?

The more she thought about it, the more she considered actually doing it due to its many uses. For instance, if a certain drill-haired bitch insisted on joining her and Shirou's tea-time, then she could prepare a little surprise that would eliminate the competition.

Her lips gradually curved upwards in her musing, yet she knew that it wasn't the time to consider her gains given the situation.

She stood up on her feet, careful to prevent the bowl of soup in her hands from spilling while she made her way to her targets before sighing.

He really did look similar.

She stared at Soma with slight apprehension. Given that she was thoroughly planning to make Shirou hers and to tie the knot, Soma Yukihira could be considered her brother-in-law. Was it really okay for her to traumatize him to make him forget his most recent memories?

Truthfully, she was feeling guilty, but her expression was a mask of indifference. She had perfected her poker-face since her days in Homurahara Academy. There was no way her façade could be easily seen through unless it were Shirou or Issei Ryoudo. Then again, those two were the only exceptions.

Now then, should she wake them up before feeding them Taiga's soup, or should she do it in their sleep?

She debated in her mind for a fraction of a second before deciding to be benevolent.

Casually dropping to her knees, she positioned Soma's head on her lap, and turned his face to stare up at her while opening his mouth.

Generally, one could not feed an individual in the midst of sleeping, but there were certain methods that she could employ such as stimulus.

Using the spoon provided for the bowl of soup, she carefully drizzled the soup into Soma's mouth while simultaneously giving him a jolt to force him half-awake. Feeling that there was something by one's throat, the natural reflex of the body was to swallow.

In Soma's state of drowsiness, he suddenly swallowed a lukewarm substance that should have instantly awakened him, but Rin understood the effects of Taiga's cooking.

No sooner than when Soma swallowed, he instantly passed out cold again, his pupils rolling up into his head.

'That's one down.'

Rin then glanced at Ikumi, Megumi, and the Adlini brothers before proceeding to replicate her earlier actions with Soma. The only problem however came at an abrupt event.

Rin stiffened.

"Uhg," Takumi groaned, a hand pressed to his temple to ease the throbbing of his head. His face naturally scrunched up in his discomfort and his brows quickly began to furrow, moments away from blinking open.

Takumi was the last person Rin had to feed, yet he was waking up earlier than she had expected. Worse, his head was currently on her lap, and he had turned his face away when his body began to stir, making it impossible for Rin to just shove the spoon into his mouth.

Takumi himself woke up to the scent of lavender perfume. What followed next was the soft sensation of skin touching his face, prompting him to open his eyes.

Was that a skirt?

His pupils dilated while his eyes shifted left and right, finally noticing that he was currently lying on a woman's lap. Flushing in bewilderment, he immediately pulled back and stared, unable to process how'd ended up in such a situation.

Flustered as he was, he spoke the first thing that came to him when he got a good look at the person in front of him. "I-It's the witch!" He stuttered out, his mind going into full alert when he became keenly aware of the 'bodies,' laid sprawled out across the room.

"I-Isamu, what did she do to you?" Takumi blubbered in a panic, rushing over to his brother's side and noticing the deathly-white pallor of his complexion.

Isamu wasn't the only one looking dead, Soma and the others were too. "Yukihira? Megumi? Mito? Not them too!"

Subconsciously, Takumi's teeth began to chatter as an oppressive aura ignited behind him. He was a proud chef, someone whose pride was fairly high due to his dreams and aspiration, yet he too was still an ordinary human. When caught in a situation that was simply too inexplicable to rationalize, his thoughts thoroughly blanked.

"~OOH a Witch huh? Is that so?" It was then that the Devil spoke into his ears.

Enchantingly, docilly, slyly, the words seemed to have the power to strike into his very being and gouge it out with a shovel.

Narrow was the road to Salvation, yet wide was the road to Hell.

Even when one walked the proper path, numerous hurdles existed.

The road Takumi was imagining suddenly shifted into an all-encompassing hand that clung onto his shoulder and directly pulled him off his path and into the Underworld.

A spoon was stuffed into his mouth.

He immediately gagged. His life flashing before his eyes.

We believe in you and your brother, Takumi. You'll make us proud.

His parents smiling faces, their joys and expectations, gradually began fading from his memories.

He spit out the substance in his mouth immediately while hyperventilating.

W-What the hell was that?

Was that food?

Takumi's breath hitched, the urge to vomit nearly overwhelming him yet he forced himself to endure while wiping the saliva that had trailed out of his mouth with the back of his hand.

Moments later, he stilled.

'I-I'm going to die.'

Rin was standing right in front of him, the bowl of soup in her hands already placed in front of Takumi's face. "Open wide now, eat every last morsel."

Rin pried open Takumi's mouth and began force-feeding him.

Takumi's vision began to blue, the gates of Heaven manifesting before his eyes. "M-Mercy," he forced out.

"No," was the prompt answer.

Murder.

Murderer!

Froth began spilling from Takumi's mouth before his eyes eventually rolled over in helplessness.

T-This wasn't a student Villa.

This was an Evil Witch's Swamp!


In another part of the Totsuki Academy Villa, two other individuals were sitting across from each other while staring out at the open landscape directly beyond the patio.

"To think you'd come back from overseas and not even tell me until after you've enrolled into a culinary school. Even after that, the first thing you get me to do upon reuniting is cooking for you?" Taiga began pouting. "What kind of big sister do you take me as?"

Taiga had changed into a more casual attire. It was the same yellow and black stripped long-sleeve shirt she generally wore along with a green dress overtop. Her hair was swept back to allow her bangs to fall over her face, and her left hand was currently pinching Shirou's left ear.

"Well?" She inquired stubbornly, feeling a combination of vexation and exasperation.

Shirou didn't know how to answer as he had been too preoccupied with his situation to remember calling Taiga when he had first returned. To begin with, he had been at a cross-road. Either to continue with his life as a Magus, or to explore the life he could have with his blood family. Inevitably, he got caught up in Totsuki Academy, and if not for Rin reminding him, it might have taken him even longer to contact her.

In any case, being as they were finally together after an extended period of time apart, it was probably time to break the news in. "T-There's a reason for everything," he began nonchalantly.

"And that would be?" Taiga finally let go of his ear, putting her hands together and resting them over her lap. "You have to remember that whatever problems you face, you're not alone." Taiga subtly gestured with her fingers, and several kilometers away, a man and woman looking through the scope of a rifle, lit the green light and put away their weapons. "How many times do I have to remind you of this? I've been telling you since Homurahara."

"I know I know," he gestured with his arms to placate her, his index finger scratching his cheek. "It was just a little too much for me to handle when I found out I had a blood family."

Taiga was nodding her head absently to whatever excuse he had come up with before suddenly stiffening, her eyes blinking at him while her mind processed the information she had just heard.

? Error…..Taiga-exe…..booting….?

She was making a peculiar expression, her eyes like swirls, and her mouth open, but no words coming out as steam wafted up from her head.

Rather than repeat his words to verify his claims, he simply took out a photo of Soma Yukihira and let her compare their features. "This is my little brother," he said flatly before pointing to another man in the same photo. "That one there is my father."

Taking the photo from out of his hands, Taiga's gaze alternated between the photo and his face.

The similarities were proof enough.

Only a single word able to encompass all that she was feeling.

WHHHHAAAAATTTT?

In the next moment, she pulled him into a hug. "I'm so happy for you!" She said in earnest. "Big Sister will forgive you this once, but make sure you don't do this again!"

She then went on to admonish him, but he could tell that she was genuinely happy for his sake, yet subtly, she'd already made her future plans.

Signalling with her eyes, her subordinates from the Fujimura group hidden throughout the forested region of the Villa all understood her intentions. Making a few calls with each other, a local house was soon procured near the area in minutes.

To dare threaten her little brother even after her little brother had just found his blood family, Unforgivable. While smiling on the outside, Taiga was considering the fact that someone had set up her little brother as a marked target for the underground syndicates. As her Big Sister, she had a duty to shield him even if he no longer needed her protection. Besides, the old uncles and aunts from the Fujimura syndicate probably thought the same way.

Letting go of Shirou, Taiga busied herself with moving to the nearest open bedroom of the Villa.

"What are you doing?" Shirou asked, brow twitching.

"Choosing my room for later," Taiga said, her hands placing themselves on her hips. "I already filed for vacation at Homurahara, so I decided to stay here to relax. ~Besides, I haven't had your cooking in so long." Drool was making its way passed Taiga's lips, but she quickly wiped it with her hand.

Staring at Taiga, Shirou knew that there was no way he could refuse.

She had that determined look in her eyes that wouldn't accept 'no' for an answer. It was the same expression that she had made when she discovered that Arturia and Rin were living with him in the two-weeks of the Fifth Holy Grail War. Fortunately, it would seem that she didn't have her necessary belonging and she would be going back to obtain them.

Two hours later, and Shirou was waving Taiga goodbye as she left the premise of the Villa, fully knowing that he didn't have much time until she would return.

Three hours. That how long he deduced it would take Taiga to arrive at Fuyuki. In which case, he had six hours to settle most of his problems.

Resolving himself, he made his way to where he knew Rin and the others were hiding in a back room of the Villa.

The Villa itself was fairly large with three floors in total and several spare rooms. As he had been living in it for several days, he had long since grown accustomed to the space and moved in the fastest way possible to reach his destination.

Reaching his hand out to open the sliding door, he had no idea what expression to make when he saw what awaited him within the room.

On one hand, he knew the potency of Taiga's cooking and warned Rin and Arturia about it before hand, so why did it look like he'd just entered a murder scene?

Bodies were sprawled all over the floor with even Arturia passed out on the side.

Rin was the only one in the room, and most of her attention was on experimenting on the bowl of soup Taiga had made.

"This doesn't make any sense," he heard Rin muttering. "Is it an inborn gift? No no. This is something that can't be replicated. A-Another True Magic?"

Staring at Rin, he decided to leave her alone for the time being.

What he needed to do now was make it appear as if Soma and the others had spontaneously passed out in the middle of the forest. Contrary to belief, he had heard the rumours spreading throughout Totsuki regarding his living space and knew it was best to use those rumours to his advantage.

After a couple months of spending time alone with Rin, part of her personality had unfortunately rubbed off on him.

Taking a moment to carry Arturia into his arms and tuck her into a bed, he quickly began moving Soma and the others out of the Villa.

The memories they had concerning the Villa were probably foggy as a result of Taiga's cooking so this was his best chance to play everything off as an illusion from the 'cursed forest.'

Feeling slightly guilty for what he'd put them through, he made sure to deposit them all somewhere near the edge of the forest where it would be easier for them to return to their dorms.

When his tasks were complete, it was finally time to address his main topic of concern.

Rindo Kobayashi.

Unlike Soma and the others, Rindo had been placed to rest in a different room.

The room itself was fairly ordinary and Rin was already standing inside. That was the type of girl Rin Tohsaka was, willing to put aside everything when it concerned someone she cared about.

"So, did you prepare yourself?" Rin asked, obviously hinting at the worst-case scenario.

In the case that an ordinary human discovered the presence of magic, the Clock Tower had strict regulation on how such a matter should be handled.

Death.

To silence all witnesses.

It was an action even Rin had no choice but to uphold which was why she was exceedingly careful not to expose her magecraft in the first place.

Shirou's lips curved downwards, the frown on his face becoming exceedingly prominent at Rin's reminder. "We don't have to kill her," he said. "At the very most, she probably only saw enough to be suspicious."

"Wasn't that the same with you when the Holy Grail War first started?"

"…" He had no comeback to Rin's words.

He had experienced the Clock Tower's silencing policy first-hand in the Fifth Holy Grail War.

The chilling feeling of a spear piercing through his heart was an experience he wouldn't soon forget. In which case, he was even more unwilling for anyone else to experience it, let alone when he was partially at fault.

"Even if remind me Rin, it's not like you don't know what my answer already is."

Rin blinked, before pursing her lips helplessly. "You're really are a piece of work aren't you Emiya? Fortunately, I have experience in dealing with hopeless fools," she muttered under her breath. Besides, she had made a promise.

Her eyes glanced at the back of her hand where the markings of a bond between Master and Servant used to exist.

Archer.

She shook her head to clear her mind and stared at Shirou with all seriousness, one of her brows raised while her arms crossed at her chest. "What are you planning on doing? She won't stay unconscious for much longer, and we can't keep her here either lest people notice that she went missing."

Shirou stayed quiet for the better most part of five minutes before coming to a decision.

He stared at Rin, the seriousness of his eyes causing a flush to rise to her cheeks in the growing embarrassment, prompting her to turn her face away. Then again, it was common to feel uncomfortable when under scrutiny for too long. It made one feel highly self-conscious.

"Do you trust me, Rin?" Shirou asked.

Rin mulled over her answer, trying to save what was left of her pride for being the first to turn away, however when she noticed his deadpan, she began laughing awkwardly at being caught.

"Of course," she answered with a straight face.

"Then will you leave this matter to me?"

Staring at Rin's sudden silence, he figured that he must have been asking for too much. To begin with, he had enrolled in the Clock Tower under Rin's association otherwise there was no way a third-rate Magus like him could have qualified to enter so easily. The problem was, the entire situation had the possibility to implicate Rin if not handled properly.

Just as he was about to recede his statement, Rin sighed.

"Fine," she said. "But if I feel like things aren't working out, then I have the right to intervene."

"Naturally," he replied grinning.

Seeing his smile, any frustration Rin was feeling gradually faded away until she could only objectively look at the situation as some kind of big joke. Somehow, she didn't have much confidence.

She moved to exit the room but halted at the edge of the door.

"Call me if you need me, alright? Saber was the one you relied on in the war, but now it's different." She turned to face him with the Tohsaka-style confidence exuding from her, a hand placed over her chest. "I am the superior Magus, and I will be of much more help than anyone else you can think of at the moment."

He nodded his head. "Thanks, Rin."

Rin hummed before acknowledging his words and leaving just as Rindo began to stir awake.

Rindo rubbed tiredly at her eyes, her body stretching before she blinked and realized that she didn't know where she was.

The inside of the room was comprised of a bed, a dresser, and a study desk arranged adjacent to each other for accessibility. It was quite homely to be honest, yet it was beyond what Rindo was expecting. "W-Where?" She stuttered out uneasily, her body straightening as she sat up. Moments later, she noticed him.

"Shirou?" She called out uncertainly. "I could have sworn we were near the Senior Year Kitchens."

"About that, you seemed to have gotten light headed and passed out," he said slowly, struggling to keep his face from twitching when he noticed Rindo's disbelief. "I'm still not familiar with the Academy so with no other options in mind, I brought you here into a guest room in the Villa I'm currently occupying."

"Oh, is that so," Rindo scratched at her head, her eyes narrowed on him.

There was no way she believing every word he was saying.

Rindo was a healthy student, to suddenly pass out for no reason? It was too hard to believe.

In which case, how could Shirou not notice that his flimsy excuse wasn't working? A sheen of sweat began to form over his brow as his mind worked on overdrive. Eventually, he came to an abrupt answer after considering what Rin would do.

When all else fails, there's only one option left. Lie.

In fact, Rin's entire image as an upstanding and elegant lady in Homurahara, was a lie in and out of itself.

Now, if he could recall the basis of what Rin told him about lies, then everything would be set. The best lies were those that contained a grain of truth.

Closing his eyes, he opened them with in a state of utter seriousness. "Sorry," he apologized. "I knocked you out due to reflex fearing that you discovered a secret of mine."

Rindo furrowed her brows, her legs crossing together as she straightened her back and folded her arms beneath her chest. Reviewing the exact conversation, she'd been having with Shirou before she passed out, she suddenly came to a realization. "Was it the knife?" She inquired.

Shirou nodded without hesitation. "The knife was part of it, but the main point you have to understand, is that I have another profession outside of cooking. One that could spell trouble for you if anyone in the Organization finds out."

Watching Rindo mull over his words, he allowed Rindo to come to her own conclusions, such that her doubts would be alleviated. "Y-You're Special Forces?"

It was the only explanation Rindo could come up with, yet why did finding out about a knife cause such implications?

Perhaps noticing the confusion on her face, Shirou promptly answered. "That knife is special, so I'd prefer it if you got rid of it."

"Uhm, okay," Rindo was quick to agree due to the gravity of Shirou's tone. "But you at least owe me an explanation. Since when were you part of the Special Forces, and where's your proof?"

"Classified," Shirou said. He had no idea what he was saying anyway. At most, he was just choosing the words that would coincide with whatever thoughts were forming in Rindo's mind. "As for proof of my occupation," he picked up a pencil, subtly reinforced it, and then pierced it into a concrete hard-wall. "My training should be proof enough."

To lie was to deceive, and the best deceiver was one's self.

Noticing the pencil stuck half-way through the wall, Rindo's expression faltered. At this point she wasn't thinking about how it was possible for a pencil to withstand concrete, but how much skill it took to due such a feat.

By utilizing Rindo's preconception of Special Forces, the inhuman action Shirou had just displayed was no longer categorized as magic in her mind, but as human technique and physical capability.

Her eyes literally became stars as if she was entranced, but considering that Shirou was Special Forces, she wasn't allowed to share this information lightly with others. "Are there more of you?" She asked cautiously.

Shirou simply nodded without thinking. "It's imperative that you don't speak about this with anyone else, as I'm only in Totsuki for personal reasons, cooking being one of them."

Rindo closed her mouth before gradually nodding. "Then I won't pry into this matter anymore, and I also won't speak of it."

Shirou heaved a sigh of relief. "That's all I can ask for because it really would be too dangerous if you start talking about it."

Rindo pursed her lips before sorting through the information in her head. She grinned at the next moment. "I always wondered how it would be like to have a Special Force friend. Bad people better watch out about annoying me otherwise I'll send them over to you!"

Her words said, Rindo stood up to leave as she could tell by the dimness of the sky, that the day was almost at its end. She had to be back to her dorm before the dorm manager grew worried.

"Please don't," was the only response Rindo heard as she hurried and left.

She let out a boisterous laugh, yet grew increasingly solemn the farther away from the villa she got.

One.

Two.

Sixteen.

Twenty.

No matter where she looked, she was able to see vague outlines of people hiding within the surroundings and keeping a tight perimeter. It wasn't as if they weren't well hidden, it was more like they weren't yet familiar with the area to completely blend in. If not for the fact that she was part of the Elite Ten and had actually visited Shirou's villa once or twice in her First Year in Totsuki, then she probably wouldn't have had noticed them.

Unknown to Rindo, the men and women positioned around the Villa were all part of the Fujimura group Taiga had ordered to look after Shirou while she returned to Fuyuki to pack her belongings. It only helped that many of them were people Shirou would warmly call his uncles and aunts.

Regardless, the impression Rindo had of Shirou jumped up by several levels.

H-He really was Special Forces.

That was the only thought in her mind as she quickly left, feeling jubilant about her judgement in other people. She had two genuine friends in Totsuki now. One that was at the top of the Elite Ten, and the other a part of the Special Forces of the country.

Feeling quite jubilant at her fortune, she suddenly froze in place when she noticed something odd at the edge of the forest clearing.

Bodies?


Plainly speaking, Shirou felt like he'd just dodged a bullet by the skin of his teeth. Even now, he couldn't believe how well it all went, but he attributed it to Rindo's easygoing personality.

Still, at least the matter was temporarily solved, leaving only one problem left to address after Rin had turned in for the night.

Shokugeki.

Frankly speaking, there was hardly any time left to prepare, and the fact that he had to deal with Rindo and Taiga's matters had taken away any quality preparations he could have had made.

He'd have to rely on himself and in his own abilities, yet what were his abilities to begin with?

He was confident in making food, the others around him praising him to no end, yet could he be as good as those aspiring to become professionals? It was hard for him to believe, but what he did know was that he possessed his own strengths and qualities.

If he wasn't confident in himself, then he'd work his way up to a point until he was.

He would climb the ladder of Knives until his confidence was reached.

To stand up with the culinary leaders of the world not only to for his blood family, but for himself who'd glimpsed a future where food could bring others happiness.

Currently, he felt that he was underqualified, yet that didn't mean he had given up.

When one was weak and unable to find a method to victory, then imagine something that can.

Nothing in the world is infallible.

The only method one needed to use to accomplish their aims was to acknowledge their own capabilities and embrace them.

He went to the kitchen, and pulled out the supplies his father had left for him which he had brought when he moved into Totsuki.

It was a silver suitcase that contained nothing else but the cutlery one would need to work as a chef.

He opened it carefully, staring at the silver knife within.

He picked up the knife.

The First Knife.

That which carried the wishes and aspirations of a mother that he never knew.

Emulation, the beginning steps of all chefs whether new or old.

He'd do what he did in the competition between Soma and Joichiro.

He was a Faker anyway.

Might as well continue being one.


Authors Note: Sorry for shorter update! I was called in for a Summer work interview and I couldn't refuse as I need the job to complete my university work-term. I hope you guys liked the chapter as this chapter completes setting up the basis for Shirou's situation in Totsuki. The following chapters are going to be plot moving chapters from now on.

Next Update: Fate-In Time (This one seems really popular right now.)

P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious