Chapter 934

fate/The Emiya family's meal today.

This matter is also recorded on Miss Zhigengniao in the Holy Grail War.

Afternoon sunlight leaked through the gaps of the cedar trees, scattering gold flecks across the stone steps of Willow Cave Temple. Zuosong Xiaoxiaolang sat on the top step, took a bite of his bacon sandwich, and was enjoying the leisurely mountain breeze.

"Zhigengniao, that child…… The fragments she split into were quite wild; even one of the ranger fragments kept swearing." Caster tilted her head, recalling, "If the fragments are facets of the inner self, that would be interesting—I never expected the gentle‑seeming Zhigengniao on stage to also have a mad side; I really should let her brother see this."

"In a few hundred years, if Pinokangni ever gets another chance to hold a Holy Grail War, wouldn't it mean that future Masters could summon Zhigengniao as a Berserker?" Zuosong Xiaoxiaolang guessed with great interest.

If future Masters could impose a berserker's spell on Zhigengniao, they might fully unleash her "Sea‑Wandering Ranger" side, turning her into a genuine ranger bird. Combined with that tuning ability akin to Caster's magic, her combat power in the Holy Grail War would absolutely not be to be underestimated.

"Berserker…… Your imagination is really rich."

Caster also took a small bite of the sandwich and chewed it slowly. The bread was crisp outside and soft inside; the salty fragrance of the bacon and the richness of the fried egg melted in her mouth, and she satisfiedly narrowed her eyes.

"Mm… Shirou's cooking is really getting better and better."

——

"These aspects of Tingyun's inner self are all over the map—one who claims pure innocence says she's only five, one obsessed with money is fixated on a cash‑spraying machine, and there's even one who sleepwalks down the street… In short, after searching around for a while, the group finally found a "Miss Tingyun" whose mental state was perfectly normal by the roadside."

"Oh, could it be that you've come looking for this young lady?"

"March's eyes lit up: 'Found it! If I remember correctly, this Miss Tingyun's trait is…'"

"Tingyun replied with a bright smile: '…Just a habit of wording.'"

"This should meet your standard of 'being able to communicate,' right?"

"Let's give it a try." Xingqiri turned around and said to the lady, "I would like to perform a tuning on you."

"Wait, wait, wait! We made it clear beforehand—we're all watching you. If you intend to take Miss Tingyun as a hostage—"

"Here we three have four eyes between us." Xing took over March Seventh's words.

Xingqiri chuckled: "I have no intention of challenging you all. Just to be safe, let my friend handle this—speaking of harmony, Wanweike's expertise surpasses mine."

"That's indeed true."

After obtaining Tingyun's consent, the group had Wanweike immediately begin the tuning. As Tingyun fell into the intangible ripples, the girl's brow furrowed ever so slightly.

A strong crimson welled up from deep within her consciousness.

Thick and scorching, like a pool of warm blood, like a mass of ever‑burning living fire, as if something were seeping out from the original base color, carrying an extremely ominous aura.

A human silhouette gradually became distinct in the blood‑red.

When those emerald eyes came into view, Wanweike was utterly stunned.

It was still those eyes. Still that clear emerald, like a stream at the end of spring, like the first clearing in the mountains. But unlike the Tingyuns before her, her eyes held something extremely dangerous and even more ferocious.

"Heh…"

——

Luoxiaohei War Chronicle.

"Huanlong!! That wicked woman is still inside Miss Tingyun!!"

Xiaohei's body tensed almost instinctively, as if ready to pounce at any moment. Though the face that Huanlong wore in disguise was identical to Miss Tingyun's, the aura was worlds apart, and the way he lightly lifted his chin with his index finger was something he would never forget—because next, her neck was about to twist backward…

"No, that isn't Huanlong." Luoye furrowed his brow, staring unblinking at the mass of seemingly blazing red light in the sky, "It should be the lingering power of 【Destruction】 residing within Tingyun; even if Ruan Mei rescued her from the gates of hell, she still couldn't completely erase this residue."

"Will that affect her body?" Xiaohei asked softly.

"I don't know either, but it would probably become something like a disease? Although we've avoided death, we can't avoid suffering. The key is whether this lingering power means Tingyun has unintentionally embarked on the path of 【Destruction】."

Before the mighty power unleashed by such an envoy as Huanlong, mortals are like motes of dust—even a slight touch can shatter them to pieces. Even though Tingyun has been reborn, the scar named 【Destruction】 will remain permanently in her body, constantly burning her.

This time, even Wanweike, who applied the tuning to her, was scorched.

"To step onto the path of 【Destruction】, isn't that akin to Nanuk…?" Xiaohei wanted to speak but held back, feeling his guess was a little frightening.

"No, the star gods are pure; a star god only needs to follow its path without hesitation. But humans are complex; humans can walk multiple paths. Just as Fu Xuan is undoubtedly a 【Hunter】 pathfarer on the Immortal Vessel, yet she also receives the law‑eye granted by the 【Wisdom】 sages, showing she has also entered the path of 【Wisdom】."

Luoye frowned and said, "I guess that even if one sets foot on the path of 【Destruction】, it doesn't necessarily mean they're allies of Nanuk. Just as a rakshasa who can wield 【Abundance】 power aims to bring 【Abundance】 to the dead lands, so some pathfarers might even regard the star god of their own path as their enemy."

——

"What the heck?"

Wanweike opened his eyes and immediately ended the tuning.

"Did you hear that sound just now?"

"Sound?"

Everyone shook their heads in bewilderment.

Fortunately, Wanweike's tuning took effect instantly; amid a startled cry from Little March, the various Tingyun personalities before them began to change.

Their bodies turned into petal after petal, falling like a silent rain of flowers beneath the night sky of Pinokangni; the petals floated, swirled, and gathered, drifting in the same direction… ultimately merging into a huge peony bud.

The petals unfolded slowly, layer upon layer, until the final layer fully opened, and a clear, familiar figure appeared once more before everyone.

"I never expected that meeting you all would always be in times of distress."

The girl lifted her eyes slightly, slowly unfolding her folding fan—bright and lovely, like a full moon over autumn lotuses, like dew on hibiscus at dawn, blooming in the breeze.

"Have I been rude before?"