The sound of a door opening was followed by footsteps as Kirei ehe small, unassumiaurant. The momeepped in, a heavy, spicy aroma filled the air, hitting him like a wave. Oddly, instead of being repelled by the pu smell, Kirei felt something stir deep inside him.

  Without a word, he took a seat at the bar, his eyes following Chihiro, who was busy in the open kit.

  "Alright, give it a try," Chihiro said a few mier, setting a steaming pte of mapo tofu in front of him.

  The dish glistened with a fierce, bright red hue, as if it were glowing embers set to ig looked almost dangerous, as though each bite held a challenge.

  Even Hassan of the Hundred Faces, who had been as a spirit, almost thought Chihiro had poisohe food.

  Kirei's heartbeat quied as he stared down at the pte. This was a feeling he rarely experienced—a raw, unfiltered desire.

  He picked up the spoon, and without hesitation, took a mouthful.

  The explosion of fvor was intense, sending a fiery heat through his body, but instead of wing, Kirei felt something unfamiliar—a small, genuine smile tugged at the ers of his mouth. It was… satisfa. A fulfillment that he couldn't remember ever feeling.

  The restaurant's elderly chef, who had been watg curiously, couldn't resist. He scooped up a small bit of the leftover sauce from the pan and tasted it.

  "Cough! Ack…!" The chef immediately started choking and had to rush to the back to grab milk. Inwardly, he cursed both men. One of them had turhe dish into a heat bomb with a seemingly endless amount of chili, while the other was eating it as if it were nothing.

  Watg the chef sputter areat i, a strange new sensation bubbled up within Kirei—a quiet, ued joy.

  In that moment, he felt he'd found a dire in life, something he never knew he was missing.

  With newfound purpose, he quickly fihe ee of mapo tofu a down his spoon with a satisfied sigh.

  "What… what exactly is this dish?" he asked Chihiro, his tone filled with something almost reverent, as if he were a child disc a wonder for the first time.

  "Oh, it's called mapo tofu," Chihiro replied casually.

  "Mapo…" Kirei repeated, letting the word roll over his tongue. Suddenly, the pieces clicked. So that's why the Q&A system had niamed him "Mapo Priest." It had been pointing him in this dire all along, and he had been too blind to see it.

  He felt a surge of awe for the Q&A system, as if it were some omnist entity.

  "Thank you," Kirei said, standing up and bowing deeply to Chihiro. The gratitude in his voice was genuine—Chihiro had given him something he didn't know he needed.

  "Ah, it's nothing," Chihiro waved him off. "Now, could you go ahead and annouhe results of our little wager in the group?"

  "Of course."

  Kirei opehe chat and made a quick post. Father Mapo: "I apologize, my King, but I've found a new purpose in life."

  Gilgamesh: "What???"

  Gilgamesh was utterly baffled. Had Chihiro really mao steer Kotomine Kirei in a new dire?

  Gilgamesh: "Kirei, surely you're joking."

  Kotomine Kirei: "No, my King. I'm entirely serious."

  Gilgamesh: "…Iing. Very well, what 'grand purpose' has that mongrel set you on that made you discard my teags?"

  Kirei responded by sending a photo to the group: a picture of the empty pte where the mapo tofu had once been.

  Gilgamesh: "???"

  Gilgamesh: "Are you mog me, Kirei? Don't think that just because I gave you my approval, you trifle with me."

  Kotomine Kirei: "Not at all, my King. This is my new purpose."

  Gilgamesh: "…So your 'new purpose' is… washing dishes?"

  Kotomine Kirei: "My King, some things must be experieo be uood. Once I have mastered it, you are wele to try it yourself."

  Gilgamesh: "Experie myself? Hmph. I shall indeed witness for myself what you think you've found."

  Chihiro: "Alright, then, Goldie , it's time for you to honor our bet."

  Gilgamesh: "…"

  Chihiro: "You're not thinking of bag out, are you?"

  Gilgamesh: "Hmph, I am no oath-breaker. Take it and be silent."

  With a huff, Gilgamesh sent over the invisibility cloak through the system, then promptly logged off, unwilling to tolerate any more banter. His pride had taken a blow, and he needed a break from Chihiro's taunts.

  In the restaurant, Kotomine Kirei did something ued. He voluntarily terminated his tract with Hassan of the Hundred Faces.

  "In truth, I no longer have any i in the Holy Grail War," he expined. "Whether you choose to stay o is entirely up to you."

  Surprised but relieved, Hassan signed a tract with Chihiro instead, unwilling to exit the war so abruptly—it would be a disgrace to the Hassans.

  [Name: Hassan-I Sabbah (Hundred Faces); Css: Assassin; Gender: Depends on the individual; Allig: Lawful Evil.]

  [Strength: durance: D; Agility: A; Mana: C; Luck: E; Noble Phantasm: B. ]

  [Css Skills: Presence cealment A+. ]

  [Personal Skills: Librarian of Knowledge C, All Kinds of Specializations A+, Battle Retreat B. ]

  [Noble Phantasm: Zabaniya: Delusion and Illusion, Rank: B+,Type: Anti-Uniy (self), Range: -, Maximum Target: 1]

  Chihiro accepted her offer with a pleased nod. With Hassan on his side, he now had an invaluable source of intelligence.

  True to form, Hassan of the Hundred Faces quickly demonstrated her worth. She revealed the precise location where Emiya Kiritsugu was hiding, a detail she had gathered the previous night while Kiritsugu's own spy, was elsewhere.

  ---

  Elsewhere, back at the church, Kirei returned, now fully devoted to his newfound passion. He ignored his father, Kotomine Risei, aiting to speak to him, and headed straight for the kit.

  Risei watched his son with a growing sense of dread. Kirei was ag strange unlike anything he'd seen before.

  Before long, the entire church was filled with the pu st of spice.

  "Cough, Kirei! What oh are you doing?" Risei coughed as he opehe kit door, only to be met with a se that left him speechless.

  Kirei stood there, holding a bright red pte of food, analyzing its taste with a thoughtful expression.

  "Hmm… not quite right. It still needs work," he muttered, oblivious to his father's presence.

  He tinued, "First attempts always e out a bit rough. I'll o practice more."

  As he devoured the fiery dish, a look of pure satisfa spread across his face.

  Risei could only stare, horrified. Just looking at that red monstrosity made his stomach , yet Kirei was relishing it.

  "Kirei… what are you doing?" Risei finally asked, his voice trembling.

  But Kirei was already starting a new batch, humming slightly to himself as he prepared.

  Realizing he wouldn't get an answer, Risei closed the kit door and stumbled away, deeply shaken.

  He thought to himself, It's over. My son is beyond saving.

  As he pondered what to do , he began to sider bringing his estranged granddaughter bato the family. Kirei was a lost cause, after all.

  ---

  Meanwhile, at the Tohsaka residence, Chihiro was intercepted by Rin and was soed to her home. Tokiomi Tohsaka had asked to see him.

  However, upon seeing his daughters, Rin and Sakura, sitting oher side of Chihiro, Tokiomi felt a twinge of annoyance. He hid it, knowing that he was the one who had called Chihiro here, and quickly got to the point.

  "An alliance?" Chihiro raised an eyebrow, surprised at the proposal.

  Why was everyorying to form alliaely? The Holy Grail War was turning into a game of coalitions.

  "But… you currently don't have a Servant, do you?" Chihiro pointed out.

  While Rin had Ishtar, she was teically Chihiro's colborator, not Tokiomi's. If Tokiomi wanted an allia wouldn't make seo rely on his daughter's Servant.