Emiya Shirou doesn't want to work overtime

A series of light, spring-like laughs came from not far away, and a group of young girls surrounded a person as they walked around the corner.

This person's attire was different from the other geishas here; her clothes were dazzling and colorful, making her look like a goddess or fairy, and her appearance was exceptionally beautiful.

At the very front of this group of children was Kaori Asakusa, whom Emiya had met before.

"Emiya-san, Kae is sorry for causing you trouble."

She covered her lips and smiled as she spoke to Emiya, who was sitting in front of the madam. Then she beckoned to one of the girls next to her, who handed him a bag of coins.

"Xianghui, I'm so sorry to have troubled you with all this."

She stood there straight, expressing her apologies to Emiya.

When Emiya saw that Kaguya was alright, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"No need. Actually, I'm quite happy to go shopping with Miss Xianghui."

Seeing such a kind woman, he didn't feel comfortable bringing up Kaori's situation with her. If he had come in and seen Asakusa Kaori being beaten and scolded, Emiya would definitely have stepped in to stop it.

However, since everyone was speaking to Emiya so politely, it wasn't convenient for him to talk about Asakusa's situation. The main reason was that the madam was there, and Emiya couldn't very well embarrass her in front of others.

but----

Emiya noticed that the madam beside him was as if she had seen some terrifying creature. She was so scared that she didn't dare to breathe and sat upright in the same spot, not even continuing to smoke her cigarette.

Kaori Asakusa, who was standing to the side, had lost her previous liveliness and looked like a child who had made a mistake, with her head down and not saying a word.

"That's great. When will Emiya-san come to Tokitoya to cook again? I'm really looking forward to it, since I rarely have the chance to eat out."

Princess Yamazuki's lips curled slightly upwards, revealing a smile that could topple empires, but no one present was moved by such a smile.

"Let's do it tomorrow. I don't have anything planned for the time being, so it'll be a good opportunity to make up for not being able to eat the whole street with Miss Xianghui tonight."

Emiya placed his hand on Asakusa Kae's head and rubbed it.

"Tick!"

A drop of clear liquid fell at Xiang Hui's feet.

Emiya once again half-squatted down and lifted her head by her chin.

Kaori Asakusa seemed to be enduring the pain above, her mouth tightly closed, and veins bulging on her forehead, but saliva couldn't help but drip from both sides, quickly soaking the ground with her secretions.

"You've eaten so much, and you're still so hungry?"

Emiya mentally grumbled as he took out a tissue from his pocket and wiped Asakusa Kae's mouth. He was completely unaware that Yamamura, who was standing next to him and looking down at him, was staring at him with a murderous gaze.

The madam behind Emiya could only hold her breath, hoping that the woman hadn't noticed her.

Emiya, who was half-squatting in front of her, also noticed that Asakusa Kae's skin had become plumper and she was no longer as thin as when they first met.

However, Emiya didn't suspect anything too much. After eating so much, her stomach hadn't gotten bigger. Where did all that stuff go? It must have provided energy to get her development back on track.

However, at that moment, an untimely voice came from the doorway.

"Ouch!"

Chapter Twenty-One: The Vanished Residential Area

A painful thud as someone fell down instantly dispelled the extremely heavy atmosphere around them.

The proprietress, who was holding a pipe tremblingly in her hand, walked quickly towards the door.

The woman who had collided with Emiya earlier was lying face down on the ground, holding a rag in her hand.

It seems that he had accidentally spilled tea and was asked to clean the corridor floor. He then slipped and fell on the floor at the doorway, making a sound.

At least, this is roughly the scenario that is presented on the surface.

As for whether there were any deeper reasons, Emiya didn't know, nor did he think about it.

"Waaah! I'm so sorry!"

Suma covered her head, and large tears gradually soaked her eyes.

"Don't cry! Why are you so cowardly? It was just an accident, we won't do anything to you!"

If it weren't for Suma's good looks, she would have kicked her out of the Tokitoya long ago; someone with that kind of personality wouldn't be able to have a normal conversation with guests.

Who would want to chat with a geisha who cries loudly at the drop of a hat? You might have to start comforting her after only a few words, wasting most of your time.

The madam could only sigh inwardly, hoping to correct her personality; otherwise, the loss of money spent on her would be too severe, as the geisha house had no shortage of people to serve her.

"If there's nothing else, Xianghui and I will head back now."

Princess Yamazuki shifted her body slightly. While her entire statement appeared very polite, everyone present could hear the unquestionable tone in her voice.

Even if something were to happen, Princess Yatama wouldn't stay here.

Unless Emiya plans to demonstrate his culinary skills on the spot, Princess Yatama might stay here.

A short while later, the people around Yuzuriha and Asakusa Kae left the room one by one.

When they reached the corridor, she paused briefly beside Suma, but said nothing.

Emiya, who only saw her back, had no idea what her expression was like when she looked at Suma.

However, what is certain is that this courtesan holds an extraordinary status here, and even the madam has to show her respect.

"It's good that Xianghui is alright. I was really afraid she would get lost in the crowd."

Watching Asakusa Kae follow Tamaki away into the distance, Emiya breathed a sigh of relief. Although he felt there were many problems, it was ultimately a good outcome.

He wasn't very interested in this courtesan, even though the madam there treated her strangely.

Emiya is not someone who enjoys prying into other people's secrets. In this world, there are all kinds of people, some kind and some with wicked personalities.

He does not judge others by his own standards, nor does he impose his own standards on others.

Emiya doesn't interfere in other people's worlds; he only does his best to ensure that those around him don't cry.

It's like Emiya would prevent Shinji from harming those around him, rather than trying to change Shinji's mind.

As they left, the madam continued to criticize Suma, who was sitting on the ground crying.

"Since Miss Xianghui is alright, I'll take my leave now."

Having confirmed Xianghui's situation, Emiya had no intention of staying any longer.

The madam tried to persuade Emiya to stay, but after he finished speaking and expressed his gratitude, he quickly left the Tokitoya.

As a high school freshman, Emiya felt it best not to frequent places like this too often.

A short while later, Emiya returned to the restaurant entrance. The passageway on the second floor was open, indicating that the owner had no intention of keeping Emiya outside overnight.

As Emiya recalled the events of the day, he took out his key from his pocket and opened the door to his room on the second floor.

The restaurant has two layers of security measures on the second floor. The first layer is that the owner must open the door to the second floor if you need to go there. The second layer is that some employees have keys.

However, this door was completely useless to Emiya, as he could easily climb over the wall and return to his room.

However, Emiya usually wouldn't do that.

Let's check on Xianghui's condition again tomorrow.

He wasn't sure if Xianghui would continue to be abused; on the surface, this Yuzhu Princess didn't seem to be a tyrannical person.

However, judging from the madam's unfriendly facial expressions, there is indeed some problem.

He could only hope that Xianghui wouldn't get into trouble; there was really nothing he could do about it.

Just like Shinji and Sakura, Emiya also had no way to keep Sakura by his side and prevent her from going back to Shinji.

He also often saw the wounds on Sakura's body caused by Shinji beating her.

With these thoughts in mind, Emiya practiced his enhancement and projection magic for a while, and after gaining some insight into the Breath of Wind, he quickly fell asleep.

The night passed quietly.

But for many, such a quiet night was anything but peaceful.

The morning sunlight is as warm as ever. Every time I am bathed in the morning sunlight, it feels like a newborn baby being held in its mother's arms. It is as if an invisible hand is stroking my face, making me want to cherish this feeling.

Almost no living thing would refuse to bask in the sun, right?

Meanwhile, a resident lying in bed rubbed his eyes, seemingly puzzled by the sudden warmth.

He remembered that he had drawn the curtains, because after last night's revelry, all he wanted was to get a good night's sleep.

But the dazzling light forced him to open his eyes only while he was still drowsy.

"Who turned on the lights so early in the morning? Haha~"

One resident yawned loudly, rubbed his eyes, and sat up in bed.

"Holy shit!"

"This... am I dreaming?!"

He slapped himself hard across the face!

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! This isn't a dream!"

"Oh my God!"

At this moment, he was completely oblivious to the redness on his cheek from slapping himself; the sight before him was enough to plunge him into deep shock.

The resident was bathed in sunlight, and in front of him was a very large, circular flat area.

It was just like Konoha Village after Pain's Shinra Tensei; it was completely empty.

This vacant lot was supposed to be a residential area last night, where various houses were originally located.

This slightly luckier resident happened to be located at the edge of this circular area.

He could see the smooth marks beside his bed, which did not look like it had been cut, and there was no dirt or wood chips flying around.

The first rays of sunlight quickly filled the entire open space.

More and more residents woke up to this horrifying scene.

No one knows where the residents who originally lived in their houses will go.