Chapter 516: Coincidence

Perspective shift.

Lin and San Yue Qi stood at the entrance of a Burger Shop.

Lin's stomach started growling again—since this morning Lin hadn't had a proper meal.

Having been busy fleeing earlier, Lin hadn't felt it; now that it's safe, the hunger surged like a tide.

"San Yue Jie, shall we go in first and eat something?"

Lin covered her stomach and said, "Sakura still needs a while to get leave; we'll go together once she arrives."

San Yue Qi nodded, "Good idea! I'm hungry too; although I'm a Heroic Spirit and don't need to eat, I'm craving!"

Just as the two were about to push the door open, a hand from beside them also reached for the same door.

Three hands paused simultaneously above the door handle.

Lin turned her head to look—

A blond-haired girl in a black suit stood beside them, also reaching to push the door.

The well-tailored suit gave her an imposing aura; sunglasses perched on her nose covered most of her face, but the exposed lower half showed sharp features and an eye‑catching handsomeness.

Saber.

The three locked eyes.

Silence.

Awkward silence.

Extremely awkward silence.

San Yue Qi's eyes nearly popped out.

(No way, no way, no way! What a coincidence! I was spying on her fighting upstairs last night, and today we just ran into each other head‑on!)

Lin's mouth twitched.

Saber took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of emerald eyes that lingered on San Yue Qi's face for a few seconds.

"Miss San Yue Qi?"

Her tone carried a hint of uncertainty.

San Yue Qi felt a sudden jolt in her heart.

(She actually knows me! It's over, it's over, it's over!)

Saber looked at San Yue Qi's expression, quickly calculating in her mind.

(This San Yue Qi... is it the fourth‑time one, or the Pinokanni one? Or perhaps... from another timeline?)

Lin stood beside them, her brain racing.

(If this guy makes a move, how many seconds could the two of us last together? The answer: not many. This is Saber, after all!)

The three stood at the doorway, none of them moving.

Passersby cast curious glances—what are these three doing? Performance Art?

Finally, Saber moved.

She put her sunglasses back on, pushed the shop door open, and walked straight inside.

San Yue Qi and Lin froze in place.

"... She just went in like that?" Lin's voice drifted.

San Yue Qi scratched her head, "Seems... yes."

"She won't attack us?"

"No."

"Why?"

San Yue Qi thought for a moment, recalling the Knight King's character: "From what I know, he's a particularly upright person who would never resort to underhanded tactics like ambushes. Moreover, it's broad daylight, and the Holy Grail War's Rule forbids fighting during the day."

Lin let out a sigh of relief.

The two pushed the door and entered.

The shop was filled with the aroma of fried chicken and fries, and a few customers were queuing to order.

Saber was already at the back of the line, posture as straight as a javelin.

San Yue Qi and Lin also joined the queue.

Then they discovered—the line had only one row.

Saber was ahead of them.

San Yue Qi: "..."

Lin: "..."

The line was so tight, it felt like sitting on a bed of needles.

Finally it was Saber's turn to order.

She stepped up to the counter, glanced at the menu, and said, "These, these, these, and this, ten of each."

The clerk stared, "You... eating alone?"

Saber nodded, her expression serious as if discussing matters of state.

San Yue Qi muttered softly from behind, "Can she really eat that much..."

Lin also twitched the corner of her mouth.

After ordering, the three carried their trays, looking around for a vacant seat.

Then they realized—only one empty table remained in the shop.

A four‑person table.

All three eyes simultaneously fell on that table.

Then they looked at each other at the same time.

Silence.

Awkward silence.

Very awkward silence.

Saber first took a step, walked to the table, pulled out a chair and sat down.

She placed the tray on the table, began unwrapping the burger's packaging, moving gracefully.

San Yue Qi and Lin exchanged a glance, then could only steel themselves and walk over, sitting opposite her.

One table, three people, arranged in a triangle.

The atmosphere was bizarre to the extreme.

Saber picked up the burger, took a bite, chewed, and swallowed.

Her movements were calm and unhurried, completely unaffected by the awkward atmosphere opposite.

San Yue Qi lowered her head, staring at the burger before her, not knowing what to say.

Lin did the same, pinching the fries and feeding them one by one, eyes fixed on the tabletop as if there were a Magic Array worth studying on it.

Finally, Saber broke the silence.

"Miss San Yue Qi."

She looked at San Yue Qi, "We've met a few times before, but… you shouldn't be the Pinokanni one, right?"

San Yue Qi was startled for a moment, then scratched her head, "Um… that… I am indeed San Yue Qi, but regarding the Pinokanni you mentioned… I don't know."

San Yue Qi was clearly bewildered.

Saber, seeing this, nodded; having already formed a judgment, she didn't press further.

She looked at Lin, her gaze carrying a hint of appraisal, "Are you a daughter of the Tohsaka family?"

Lin's whole body stiffened, and the fry in her hand nearly fell.

"... It's Jiao."

Saber gave a slight nod, saying nothing more.

She continued eating the burger.

One, two, three…

The burgers on the table vanished at a speed visible to the naked eye.

San Yue Qi and Lin also ate their portions in silence, occasionally exchanging glances, communicating with their eyes messages like "What does she mean?", "I don't know either," "So awkward," "Indeed awkward Jiao," and the like.

In this bizarre atmosphere, the three of them ate the meal silently.

Perspective shift.

Ying finished her leave, walked out of the school gate, and hurried toward the agreed direction.

She kept the wound on Lin's face in mind, and her steps grew faster.

After walking for a few minutes, she suddenly stopped.

Around… something seemed off.

The street was still the same street, the shops still those shops, but everything looked with an indescribable… unfamiliarity.

Ying's gaze fell on the sign at the entrance of a convenience store.

The character was reversed.

She looked again at the billboard beside it; the text on it was all mirrored.

Ying's heartbeat missed a beat.

"What is this… what's happening?"

She looked back—the road she came from was still there, but there was not a single silhouette.

No pedestrians, no vehicles, not even wind.

Only absolute silence.

Ying's hand slightly clenched the hem of her clothes, she took a deep breath, and continued forward.

(Sister and San Yue Jie are waiting for me at the Burger Shop; I have to hurry over…)

Her footsteps echoed on the empty street, thump, thump, thump, standing out sharply in the absolute stillness.

That feeling of being watched by countless invisible eyes sent shivers down her spine.

Finally, the Burger Shop's sign appeared in her sight.

Ying quickened her pace and pushed open the door—

The door let out a "creak" that sounded especially harsh in the quiet space.

The shop was empty.

Tables and chairs were neatly arranged, but each table was covered with a thick layer of dust, as if no one had come for a very long time.

The shelves behind the cash register were empty; sunlight filtered through the dust‑covered windows, casting hazy shadows on the floor.

Ying stood at the doorway, seeing all this, and a huge unease rose in her heart.

"Sister?"

Her voice echoed in the empty shop, with no response.

"San Yue Jie?"

Still no response.

Ying walked to the nearest table, reached out and touched the surface—the dust was so thick it could be written on.

Her fingers trembled slightly.

(What is… the situation…)

Just then—

"Rustle…."

A faint sound came from the corner.

Sakura snapped her head around, looking toward that direction.

It was a corner of the shop, piled with a few dust‑covered cardboard boxes.

The sound was coming from behind the boxes.

Sakura held her breath, staring at that direction, daring not to move a muscle.

"Rustle… rustle…."

After a few seconds—

A fluffy yellow Tail protruded from behind the cardboard box.

Sakura: "……"