The Infinite Journey of a Certain Flame

Accompanied by a sharp "Screech!"

"You two... Oh, excuse me, my name is Kirei Kotomine."

The vendor slowly pulled at the white towel tied around his head, then looked up and stared directly at the two people.

It wasn't until he looked up that Kiana and Illya were surprised to find that this vendor... looked incredibly sinister and terrifying.

It feels like he was born with a villain's face?

"What a gloomy man..."

This was an exclamation that the two of them couldn't help but utter.

After a moment, Kiana came to her senses and smiled, saying, "Hehe, that's right. You sell ramen, right? If possible, she and I would like to buy a bowl of ramen. It's really too difficult to get around in this weather!"

"Do not."

Kirei Kotomine slowly shook his head, then took the lunchbox off the back of his bicycle and opened it for the two of them: "Mapo Tofu."

"...What?"

The moment I hear the word "Mapo Tofu".

Both of them were stunned.

They never imagined that the man who looked so much like a ramen vendor was actually selling Mapo Tofu.

Okay, so Mapo Tofu is spicy, but the problem is...

Is this Mapo Tofu? Why does it just taste like plain chili soup?

"Uh, I feel like there are a lot of things to complain about. Do you have anything else to eat? For example..."

Just looking at the Mapo Tofu, which was as red as blood soup, made Ilya feel a soreness in her stomach.

She clasped her hands together and asked playfully.

However, when asked, Kirei Kotomine's answer was unusually curt: "No."

Magical Girl's Parallel World Journey (Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya): Chapter 4 The King Above the Streetlight (Not Really)

It has to be said that Kirei Kotomine's answer was so straightforward that it was almost embarrassing.

Ilya had been hoping to get closer to him, but this one sentence left her speechless.

"Uh, um, um..."

Because she was interrupted halfway through her sentence, all Ilya could do was offer a wry smile.

She didn't know how to respond, or what to say to make the other person view her with a normal attitude.

Although we found it strange that he was a vendor delivering goods in the midst of heavy snow, it seemed abnormal no matter how you looked at it.

However, if we put ourselves in his shoes, he probably would also find it strange to look at us.

After all, they were two girls wandering around in the midst of a heavy snowfall...

"Um...that."

However, just as Ilya was worrying about how to respond.

"Are you two going to buy it or not? If not, please don't waste my time."

Kirei Kotomine's expression darkened, and a terrifying red light flickered in his calm and deep eyes.

It seemed as if anyone who dared to stop him from selling Mapo Tofu deserved to die.

It's really hard to understand why this man has such a strong obsession with Mapo Tofu.

"Buy, buy, buy! Of course, buy!"

Because she was unfamiliar with the place and the people around her, Ilya immediately started waving her hands in a flustered manner after being scolded.

Seeing his expression, Kiana felt a little helpless.

Who would admit defeat right at the start of negotiations? Wouldn't that just make them look bad?

Fortunately, this seemingly gloomy man didn't appear to have many thoughts. He simply and calmly took out the Mapo Tofu from the takeout box.

There were a total of six bowls...

"Um...it seems a bit much, but whatever." Kiana scratched the back of her head, then took the money from Sirin and paid.

Immediately afterwards, she held the bowl in one hand and asked Kirei Kotomine about many things with the other.

The most important question is why this city has become what it is today.

Then...

"Because the world is about to be destroyed," Kirei Kotomine replied nonchalantly as he counted his money.

For him, the destruction of the world was a trivial matter. Selling and eating Mapo Tofu were the most important things.

The most striking feature is its casualness.

One can't help but wonder, does he have some way to escape from this apocalypse?

"The end of the world? It seems we really have come to a not-so-wonderful world."

Kiana touched her chin and uttered this sigh.

"this..."

Ilya held the Mapo Tofu in both hands, hesitating to take a bite, letting the cold wind howl against her body without her trembling even slightly: "I want to know where Miyu is, vendor uncle, can you tell me... uh, why are you staring at us?"

Ilya had originally hoped to persuade this strange vendor to stay and extract more information from him.

But to everyone's surprise, the other party just stood there by the snow-covered road, showing no intention of leaving.

Such a reaction is by no means normal.

What exactly does he want to do?

"We must not waste food."

Kirei Kotomine crossed his arms and looked at the two of them with a cold expression.

His attitude was so firm that he resembled a strict mentor.

For some reason, Illya suddenly thought of Taiga-sensei...

"Um... well, I'm not that hungry right now!"

Just as Ilya was about to decline, her uncooperative little belly suddenly made a 'woo-woo-woo!' sound.

Normally, such a faint sound might not seem like much. However, it's important to remember that they were having a conversation at that moment.

Therefore, when this stomach growling sound occurs.

The atmosphere at the scene was extremely awkward for a time.

"Uh, Ilya. Eat if you're hungry."

Kiana glanced at Illya's flat little belly, then spoke slowly.

Although I don't particularly like extremely spicy food, this strange vendor in front of me seemed determined to make sure we both had a good meal and drinks.

I really don't know what's wrong with him.

However, we can't give up halfway through the intelligence gathering process, can we?

Since I had some free time, I mustered up the courage to start eating Mapo Tofu.

result...

"call!!!"

It has to be admitted that this tofu is simply not something the average person can stomach. Its spiciness almost pushes the limits of human taste. It wouldn't be surprising if someone with a spice allergy ended up in the hospital after eating it.

Of course, this would be if there were no such constraints.

This super spicy Mapo Tofu is undoubtedly a very delicious dish.

The food was so delicious that Kiana finished off three bowls of Mapo Tofu, and her head felt a little dizzy from the numbness.

"This is a delicious dish."

Kiana wiped her bright red lips as she handed the bowl back to the vendor.

The other party didn't dawdle and immediately picked up the conversation as if they were very familiar with each other.

"Indeed. Speaking of which, why isn't this young lady speaking?"

Faced with Kirei Kotomine's aggressive questioning, Illya showed utter helplessness.

To be honest, she prefers sweet things.

Dishes like these, which are obviously likely to cause health problems, are best avoided.

"Uh... I feel so cold, what should I do?"

Ilya tried to get away with it.

However, the next second, Kirei Kotomine turned around.

"If that's the case, you're welcome to come in and have a seat. There's hardly anyone left in this city, and because of you, I don't need to sell Mapo Tofu today."

Upon hearing this, Kiana and Illya were speechless.

So it turns out you weren't delivering goods at all, but rather selling Mapo Tofu in this practically deserted city on your bicycle?

Well...

What a strange person.

Watching the large tree speed away on its bicycle, Kiana and Illya were at a loss for words.

...

The ramen shop isn't actually too far away; it's just a short walk away.

Compared to the biting cold outside, the store was not equipped with many heating facilities.

But it's still much better than before.

Not to mention, at the ramen stall, you can also enjoy the delicious ramen served inside...