New Chaldea Staff Cafeteria
"Oh my, the food here is just too delicious! Emiya-san's special curry? And Boudica-san's freshly baked chiffon cake? A place this full of tempting calories is the ultimate enemy of maintaining your figure~"
Pepe held a plate piled high with exquisite desserts. His expression mixed bewilderment and delight as he blended seamlessly into the noisy space bustling with over 200 Heroic Spirits.
If Kadoc had looked like a frightened porcupine on his first visit, and Ophelia like a modest honor student, while Akuta Hinako resembled a powder keg ready to explode at any moment, then Peperoncino was essentially back in his own host club.
"Pepe, you're adapting way too quickly..."
Kadoc sat beside him, holding a cup of black coffee, his eyes still a little shadowed. Seeing Pepe's relaxed demeanor, he couldn't help but grumble. "We were enemies just yesterday, and now you're already chatting with Sei Shonagon about nail designs?"
"That's life for you, Kadoc-kun~"
Pepe elegantly scooped a piece of strawberry cake with his fork and brought it to his mouth, narrowing his eyes in bliss. "I'm really so happy to see everyone again."
"Look, Ophelia-chan looks much more energetic than before. Her eyes are sparkling more than ever."
At the mention of her name, Ophelia blushed slightly and unconsciously touched her right eye, the one not covered by her eyepatch.
Thanks to Steve's treatment, the burden on her Mystic Eyes was no longer an issue.
"Pepe... welcome back."
Ophelia spoke with a serious expression. "The work here is very demanding, and there's a lot of overtime, but everyone is so kind."
"Ah, yeah—especially that red Archer who loves dodging responsibility."
Akuta Hinako sat across from them with a disgruntled look, vigorously stabbing her yokan with a fork. "That guy dragged us back, then tried to push us onto Sion to use us, while he's busy debugging Gundams or cozying up to that Ritsuka."
"Pepe, you came at the perfect time. Next, let's steal that guy's so-called four-dimensional pocket and burn it."
"Well, Hinako is as energetic as ever."
Pepe covered his mouth with his hand and giggled. "But seeing everyone so lively puts my mind at ease."
"I was worried you might be abused in Chaldea, but it seems you've been raised quite splendidly."
"Who's being raised?!"
Kadoc and Akuta Hinako protested in unison.
"Hehe..."
Mash approached with a tea tray. Seeing the former A-Team seniors bickering like family, she broke into a heartfelt smile. "It's really wonderful that all of you seniors can gather like this."
"If only... the Captain and the others could come too..."
The moment the word "Captain" was spoken, the air at the table fell silent for an instant.
"Wodime..."
Pepe set down his fork, his expression complicated. "That man is really stubborn."
"However, since Steve made such a statement, perhaps... one day in the future, that time might truly come."
He turned and glanced at Steve, who was leaning against the bar a short distance away, quietly conversing with Emiya Kiritsugu.
The man seemed to notice Pepe's gaze and raised his glass in a gesture of respect.
Pepe smiled.
In response, he raised his own cup of black tea.
"Then, let's see what happens in this new Chaldea, filled with miracles."
…
In stark contrast to Chaldea's lively and cheerful atmosphere, this place was filled with deathly silence and emptiness.
A massive round table floated in the darkness, its only light sources coming from several holographic projection screens.
At that moment, one screen displayed Koyanskaya's face, wearing a clearly forced smile.
"...In conclusion, it has been confirmed that the Indian Lostbelt has been eradicated."
"No, to be more precise, it was transferred."
Koyanskaya shrugged. Her tone carried a mix of schadenfreude and helplessness. "The method was the same as before. That Heroic Spirit, Steve, activated an unknown large-scale spatial relocation device at the very last moment."
"Like a magic trick, they whisked away the entire Lostbelt."
"Now, regarding Mr. Peperoncino..."
She paused, observing the expressions of the three people present.
"It seems he was charmed by Mr. Steve's personality and chose to surrender quite readily."
"By now, he's probably enjoying afternoon tea in Chaldea's cafeteria."
With that, the report concluded.
A brief silence fell around the round table.
"...Hah! Hahahaha!"
The silence was shattered by a shrill, maniacal laugh.
Beryl Gut, his face twisted, clutched his stomach and roared with laughter as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.
"That effeminate Peipei actually betrayed us? Hahahaha! I knew it! I always knew that gutless coward had no backbone!"
Beryl licked his lips with bloodshot eyes fixed on the screen, chuckling. "But that Steve guy is really something... Kadoc, Ophelia, Akuta Hinako, and now even Pepe are under his control..."
"Is he planning to throw a Group A reunion in Chaldea? It's disgusting... but exciting."
He traced a line across the table with his finger, as if imagining tearing something apart.
"I really want to go too... I want to turn that reunion into a grand party."
"Captain, please let me go next time. I'll definitely kill them all."
"Quiet, Beryl."
A cold, low voice rang out.
Sitting on the opposite side of the round table, Daybit Sem Void didn't even look up, his gaze fixed on the ancient stone tablet in his hands.
From a survival perspective, Pepe's choice was the optimal solution.
"Under those circumstances, returning to the perspective of all humanity's history was the only path to survival."
"That is not weakness, but calculation."
Daybit's voice was flat and monotonous, like stating a physical law. "Besides, the issue isn't Pepe's betrayal, but Steve's methods."
"Completely transferring four Lostbelts in succession... this is no longer in the realm of magic. He is trying to alter the very structure of this planet."
"If this continues, the boundary between Proper Human History and the Lostbelts will become blurred."
"This is a major variable for our plan... no, for the Alien God's plan."
After speaking, he raised his head and looked toward the person seated at the head with eyes that seemed to hold the abyss of the universe.
"Kirschtaria, you met him in India, didn't you? What are your thoughts?"
All eyes turned to the blond young man in white robes seated at the front.
Kirschtaria Wodime.
He maintained his noble composure and calm as he quietly listened to Koyanskaya's report, Beryl's sarcasm, and Daybit's analysis.
"Pepe's choice... is not surprising to me."
Wodime spoke slowly, his voice gentle yet powerful. "He has always been a very perceptive person."
"If he believes Chaldea holds a future worth witnessing, then as his friend, I respect his decision."
"As for Steve..."
Wodime stood up. Though there was no wind, his mantle fluttered behind him.
His gaze pierced through the imaginary space, as if staring at a distant horizon.
"I did meet him in India."
"Even though it was just communication, I felt that he possesses not only power and technology, but also the imagination to overturn the existing order."
"He wants to save everything. Not just the history of all humanity, but the Lostbelts... and even us, the Crypters... He wants to save it all."
"This arrogance and greed resemble that of a god trying to shoulder the entire history of humanity on his own shoulders."
A very faint smile appeared on Wodime's lips.
It was not mockery, but excitement at encountering a true rival.
"However, that is precisely why our final battle has meaning."
"He will come."
"He will bring Kadoc, Ophelia, Pepe, and all the people he 'saved' to Mount Olympus."
"That will be the end—the end of humanity." History and the Lostbelts will become the stage where my humanity and his technology finally clash.
Wodime looked around the round table, his gaze lingering on Beryl and Daybit for a moment.
"There's no need to rush, Beryl."
"Excessive analysis is unnecessary, Daybit."
"Everything will become clear on Mount Olympus."
"Before that, let's prepare to welcome our guests."
"After all, this is a rare complete reunion for Group A."
"As the team leader, I cannot allow rudeness."
When Wodime finished speaking, the holographic images in the meeting room slowly faded away.
All that remained was endless darkness. It felt as though a massive storm was approaching.
At the center of this storm, two completely opposing wills—"the desire to save everything" held by Steve, and the desire to reconstruct the Age of Gods held by Wodime—were about to collide in a fated confrontation.
…
…
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