Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Clearly, thanks to the influence of local cuisine, Artoria's tolerance for spiciness is extraordinary, no less than that of Samael, who was tormented by Kirei Kotomine and his wife for several years.

"one more bowl!"

Immediately, the two suppressed the churning in their stomachs and simultaneously gritted their teeth and shouted at the deliveryman beside them, crossing the treacherous threshold set up by the organizers one after another, and starting a new round of competition.

“哦哦哦哦！！！居然是势均力敌的对手！双方在突破障碍后，并没有停下，还在进行着激烈的角逐！510碗、520碗、580碗、590碗、600…碗！！！！”

Cat Princess, holding the microphone, broadcast the battle situation live, her eyes flashing frequently, her voice becoming increasingly loud.

"They didn't stop! Even if they were facing the hellish landscape of Mapo Tofu, it still couldn't stop them! My God, their speed is actually increasing! I can no longer see their speed with my eyes, I can only get a rough result by watching the numbers on the counter."

700 bowls! 800 bowls! 900 bowls! 1000… bowls!

With their overwhelming eating power, both sides created a legendary record!

Not only that, but the battle between the two seems destined to continue! Let's solemnly offer them the 1001st bowl of ramen and look forward to an even more intense battle to come!

With Cat Princess's shouts, the atmosphere at the scene became increasingly heated, and it seemed that even the air was filled with a scorching and fiery smell.

As a new bowl of ramen was served, the two who had intended to start eating immediately and quickly overpower their opponent froze on the spot. Their hands holding chopsticks trembled slightly, and their reddened eyes gazed at the bright red bowl of noodles and the cat-like girl holding a microphone in front of them.

Why is it still Mapo Ramen?

"Is there...something wrong with this?"

Cat Princess blinked and explained with an innocent look on her face.

"No, starting from 1000 bowls, all tonkotsu ramen will be replaced with mapo ramen. The kitchen is now completely under the control of a new specialist."

Qi, Li!

Upon hearing this, Samael's face twitched slightly, turning red and then black, and his bloodshot eyes seemed to spit fire.

"Ah!"

At the same time, a priest dressed in a closed magic costume, with a blue headscarf and a white apron around his waist, looking like a chef, sneezed loudly.

There's no way around it; if we let you eat as much as you want, the finances will be breached by your stomachs.

Allowing you to overeat so recklessly is a violation of the teachings of moderation; you must show some real skill.

Kirei Kotomine gazed at the dozens of pots of bubbling cauldrons around him, resembling hellish lava, raised his hand to make the reversed cross on his chest, and prayed devoutly.

Lord, I did this to save costs, and I'm sure you, in your generosity, will understand and support me.

However, during the process of repenting, the corners of the man's lips involuntarily curled into a pleasant arc.

boom!

At this moment, the two players, their clothes soaked with sweat and large wet patches visible on their feet, put down their 1001st empty bowls one after another, panting heavily and looking at each other with red eyes.

"Stop struggling, surrender, Saber. You can never beat me."

Samael pressed his stomach against the rumbling, churning Mapo noodles that seemed about to erupt like volcanic lava. Sweat poured down his forehead, and his taut face forced a smile as he tried to persuade him.

"What a joke?! You're the one who should surrender! Stop spouting nonsense, you're about to give up, aren't you!"

At this moment, Artoria, who was trembling all over and half of her body was slumped on the table, stood up angrily, gasped for breath, and raised her red-skinned arm, pointing to the opposite side.

"Same here, but with my eating ability, I can definitely last longer than you. There's no need to torture yourself like this. Why bother? Just surrender!"

Samael, who was about to lose his composure, twitched his facial muscles, and even his voice urging surrender became somewhat distorted, but his expression remained firm and confident.

Indeed, that is true.

Jormungandr, the world-encircling serpent that devours everything, that was his former identity.

If he needs it, he could theoretically never feel full.

Therefore, the real bug in the first eating contest was not Artoria's enormous red dragon stomach, but Samael's bottomless pit of insatiable appetite.

In terms of eating ability, everyone present combined couldn't match Samael himself.

However, he was too lazy to binge eat and drink to vent this meaningless desire.

However, with the arrival of Mapo Ramen, it is no longer a simple contest of eating ability, but has gradually become a contest of endurance and willpower.

Kirei, you son of a bitch!

I ran all the way to Fuyuki City, and I still couldn't escape you serving me Mapo Ramen. You repay kindness with enmity, don't you?

Samael cursed under his breath, filled with resentment after being tricked by the believers.

"Keep going, Saber, don't stop!"

As the ancient serpent paused, Irisviel, who was seated, broke the silence of the arena, stood up, and fervently cheered for her own Servant.

"Saber will win! Saber will win! Saber will win!"

As the Winter Saintess spoke, the atmosphere in the venue was ignited once again. The cat fairies, who had completely sided with this silver-haired beauty, waved glow sticks and held up banners to encourage the somewhat overwhelmed Artoria.

"Where's the ramen? The battle isn't over yet, and I haven't fallen. Bring it over right now!"

At this moment, Artoria, who had slightly recovered from the previous bowl of Mapo Ramen, ordered food with trembling hands and gritted teeth.

When a generous portion of Mapo Tofu, wrapped with a few decorative strands of ramen, enters the mouth, an even stronger stimulating sensation surges through every limb and bone.

The Knight King swayed, then straightened up abruptly. His eyes, wet with sweat, seemed to vaguely see a pure white, thousand-year-old kingdom, a sacred, ideal city, standing tall on the earth.

Artoria Pendragon, son of the red dragon, queen of Britain!

Your country and your people are waiting for you to save them!

You must win! You absolutely must win!

A mere spiciness, and you think you can stop me? You underestimate the weight of conviction!

With her belief reinvigorated, Saber regained her fighting spirit, picked up the bowl of noodles, and ate heartily.

Good job, I'm starting to get used to it, it doesn't seem so unbearable after all...

Artoria ate faster and faster, entering a state of inexplicable excitement. She not only withstood the onslaught of mapo sauce, but also devoured three bowls in the blink of an eye.

However, the intense burning sensation in his stomach and the rapid loss of bodily fluids also made the fighting knight king unbearably thirsty.

After emptying her bowl of ramen, Artoria, who was temporarily leading by one bowl, pulled out her empty cup, raised it, and gave a hoarse reminder.

"Cola! Where's my Coke?!"

"Sorry, due to the changes in the rules as the competition has entered its third stage, only three types of beverages are currently available at the venue: water, milk, and rice wine. Please choose the one you need."

Cat Princess looked at the notes on the script and answered truthfully.

"Water! Give me water! Add ice!"

Seeing that the opponent on the side was about to tie the score, Artoria, whose throat was parched, didn't have time to think and quickly placed her order.

"So, to be fair, Pretender, what do you need?"

"A glass of...yellow wine, please..."

Samael glanced at the list, his gaze meaningful.

"no problem!"

Soon, a glass of clear, colorless ice water and a glass of fragrant yellow wine were handed to Artoria and Samael respectively.

"Thank you! After I finish this bowl, I'll still be number one!"

At that moment, Artoria, who was holding her 1005th bowl and hurriedly stuffing a mouthful of ramen, looked at her rival who was still struggling with her 1004th bowl. Her nemesis seemed to have also stopped. She quickly took the ice water, muttered excitedly, and looked up to drink the contents of the cup in one gulp.

"Crack!"

However, as soon as the ice water entered her throat, Artoria's hand trembled violently, and the empty glass fell to the ground and shattered.

"So spicy, this is..."

At that moment, the bloodshot veins that had just begun to fade in Artoria's eyes instantly returned, and she covered her throat with both hands, barely able to breathe, as she uttered a strained murmur.

"Map water!"

At the same time, Father Mapo, wearing an apron, came out from the kitchen, a slight smile playing on his lips, and answered with pleasure.

"Recently, transparent beverages have become popular, and in order not to be left behind by the times, I also tried to develop some."

"boom!"

However, before Kirei Kotomine could finish speaking, Artoria rolled her eyes and collapsed onto the table.

Well done, Kirei!

At this moment, Samael, who had anticipated this, secretly gave his disciple an approving look as he successfully took down his last opponent.

Immediately, Gu She suppressed the urge to overturn the table, slowly ate his 1006th bowl of ramen, then elegantly wiped his mouth, reached for the cup of yellow wine, and took a sip as a celebration.

It has a smooth entry and a lingering aftertaste.

Sure enough, there's always a trap hidden in seemingly normal drinks; only by choosing the wrong option can you escape the clutches of Mapo Tofu.

"3, 2, 1...0! Saber is finished. The ultimate winner tonight is... Pretender! Congratulations to Tokiomi's team for winning the championship!"

With the announcement from the Cat Princess, the matter was settled. Samael satisfiedly drank the contents of his cup in one gulp, then stood up, preparing to go on stage to receive his prize.

However, as soon as he left the table, the ancient snake stumbled, and a strange sense of dizziness washed over him.

Instantly, Samael stared at his empty cup, his face stiffening.

"What... was added to this wine...?"

"Oh, it's realgar. That Chinese restaurant, [Hongzhou Banquet Hall · Taishan], has a traditional hometown drink that's said to be very effective at warding off evil spirits and insects. As a sponsor, they generously gave us two jars, saying they hoped to help promote their new product..."

Kirei Kotomine wiped his hands and answered casually.

Instantly, Samael's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, his body swayed precariously, and his gaze became increasingly hazy.

Under the light, a faint smile of pleasure seemed to appear on the thin lips opposite him.

Accompanied by waves of dizziness and lightheadedness, Samael could no longer hold on, his vision went black, and he cried out in grief and indignation.

Qili, you bastard, you schemed against me!

Chapter 154 The Loli Raising Plan (4.4k)

At dawn, the residents of Fuyuki City awoke from their long night's sleep, their bodies weary and their minds filled with a jumble of thoughts.

Gymnasium… Eating contest… Cats… Holy Grail… Magic… Heroic spirits…

People seemed to have experienced a unique adventure, a memory that was both real and illusory, quietly taking root and sprouting in the bizarre and colorful old dreams.

Everything seemed so incompatible with reality, yet it also seemed so perfectly natural.

However, soon, the people who woke up one after another shook their heads to dispel the hazy thoughts in their minds, and got up to do their own things, whether it was work, school, housework, or leisure.

For most ordinary people, no matter how the world changes, everyone's life will remain the same.

A small pebble thrown into the water creates ripples, then falls silent again.

It seems that nothing has changed.

Meanwhile, at the Tohsaka residence.

Samael, who had just woken up, got out of bed, stood by the window, and gazed at the city in the distance. A meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

When everyone believes a lie, the lie becomes the truth.

When everyone blurs the line between a dream and reality, the dream becomes reality.

"Yeah..."

Just as the ancient snake stood by the window in thought, the half-open door behind him was gently pushed open, and Tokiomi Tohsaka, who had rarely changed into a loose-fitting home-style kimono, leaned half of his body in, his usually serious face now showing a touch of warmth.

"Awake? How did you sleep last night?"

"Fortunately."

"How about we have a cup of tea together?"

"Okay."

Samael smiled and nodded, then, at the Master's beckoning, turned and went downstairs to join him in the tea room in the courtyard.

Because the Tohsaka family had been involved with the Holy Church for over a century and also had some European ancestry, their lifestyle was very Westernized.

For example, Tokiomi Tohsaka did not brew matcha, which is commonly used in traditional Japanese tea ceremony, but rather black tea that suits Western tastes.

Samael couldn't be more in favor of this.