Chapter 77: The Birth of Mapo Priest

The sound of a door opening was followed by footsteps as Kirei entered the small, unassuming restaurant. The moment he stepped in, a heavy, spicy aroma filled the air, hitting him like a wave. Oddly, instead of being repelled by the pungent 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 kitchen.

"Alright, give it a try," Chihiro said a few minutes later, setting a steaming plate of mapo tofu in front of him.

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

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

Kirei's heartbeat quickened as he stared down at the plate. 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 flavor was intense, sending a fiery heat through his body, but instead of wincing, Kirei felt something unfamiliar—a small, genuine smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It was… satisfaction. A fulfillment that he couldn't remember ever feeling.

The restaurant's elderly chef, who had been watching 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 turned the dish into a heat bomb with a seemingly endless amount of chili, while the other was eating it as if it were nothing.

Watching the chef sputter and retreat in defeat, a strange new sensation bubbled up within Kirei—a quiet, unexpected joy.

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

With newfound purpose, he quickly finished the entire plate of mapo tofu and set 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 discovering 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 nicknamed him "Mapo Priest." It had been pointing him in this direction 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 omniscient 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 announce the results of our little wager in the group?"

"Of course."

Kirei opened the chat and made a quick post.

Kotomine Kirei: "I apologize, my King, but I've found a new purpose in life."

Gilgamesh: "What???"

Gilgamesh was utterly baffled. Had Chihiro really managed to steer Kotomine Kirei in a new direction?

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

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

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

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

Gilgamesh: "???"

Gilgamesh: "Are you mocking me, Kirei? Don't think that just because I gave you my approval, you can 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 experienced to be understood. Once I have mastered it, you are welcome to try it yourself."

Gilgamesh: "Experience it 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 backing 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 unexpected. He voluntarily terminated his contract with Hassan of the Hundred Faces.

"In truth, I no longer have any interest in the Holy Grail War," he explained. "Whether you choose to stay or go is entirely up to you."

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

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

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

[Class Skills: Presence Concealment 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-Unit (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, who was waiting to speak to him, and headed straight for the kitchen.

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

Before long, the entire church was filled with the pungent scent of spice.

"Cough, Kirei! What on earth are you doing?" Risei coughed as he opened the kitchen door, only to be met with a scene that left him speechless.

Kirei stood there, holding a bright red plate 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 continued, "First attempts always come out a bit rough. I'll need to practice more."

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

Risei could only stare, horrified. Just looking at that red monstrosity made his stomach churn, 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 kitchen door and stumbled away, deeply shaken.

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

As he pondered what to do next, he began to consider bringing his estranged granddaughter back into the family. Kirei was a lost cause, after all.

---

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

However, upon seeing his daughters, Rin and Sakura, sitting on either 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 everyone trying to form alliances lately? 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 technically Chihiro's collaborator, not Tokiomi's. If Tokiomi wanted an alliance, it wouldn't make sense to rely on his daughter's Servant.

***

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