Please play Fate/Go with me.

"Delicious... As expected, Shirou-senpai's cooking is the best." Mash blurted out, immersed in the world of food.

"Thank you, I won." Shirou chuckled as he looked at the black-haired girl.

Mashu quickly changed her tune, saying, "But Yukinoshita-senpai's cooking was also super delicious! I ate it all."

"Thanks, Mashu. But judging from your expression earlier, I knew the outcome. Although I don't want to admit it, I have to admit that Shirou's cooking is indeed better." Yukinoshita glanced at the boy, then shared half of her steak with Mashu.

"Ah... thank you, senior." Mashu wanted to refuse, but in the end she accepted it out of embarrassment, and the deliciousness of the steak overcame her pride.

Shirou then said with a smile, "Here, I'll share half of mine with you. Mash is so slender, but she can eat a lot, so is that why she can lift a shield as big as a dining table?"

"Senpai! My appetite isn't that big in Chaldea," Mashu said, dissatisfied, but she still obediently accepted the steak.

Shirou and Yukinoshita sat on either side of Mashu. Seeing Mashu completely absorbed in the food, engrossed in eating, they couldn't help but find her adorable, like a child. They shook their heads with amusement. Just then, their eyes met, and they smiled at each other.

Yukinoshita sat down as well, savoring the stir-fried beef with radish made by the boy. From the cooking time and the thin slices made with his superb knife skills to the juicy, tender, and refreshing meat, every part was handled perfectly. The combination of these elements made this home-style dish burst with unprecedented charm.

"Indeed, no matter how many times I eat here, your cooking is truly amazing." The girl thought to herself that perhaps the boy's cooking skills were even better than his archery skills.

"I love the steak you made, Yukinoshita! The broccoli is crunchy and just the way I like it. Your cooking skills are getting better and better living alone," Shirou said, savoring the girl's dish.

"Is that so? Thank you." Yukinoshita accepted the compliment calmly, a hint of joy showing in her eyes. It seemed that all the hard work she had put into learning cooking every day since meeting the boy hadn't been in vain.

After dinner, we sat in the living room, and it was time to get down to business.

"Thank you, Yukinoshita-senpai and Shirou-senpai, for your help today. First, I'd like to introduce you to the director of Chaldea, the organization I belong to." Mash took out her phone and connected to Chaldea in the other world.

A light screen projected from the phone, like a 3D image. A black-haired noblewoman, who looked like she stepped out of a medieval Western painting, appeared on the light screen, sitting in a chair, leisurely drinking red tea.

"Da Vinci, what are you doing? The video is connected," Mashu reminded her.

"As you can see, I'm currently extremely busy trying to defend against the foreign enemies that I've defeated so many times, only to have them attack again in a few days," Leonardo da Vinci said, shrugging.

"Da Vinci, aren't you just drinking tea? You're slacking off!" Mashu said to the screen.

Leonardo da Vinci stated confidently, "So-called geniuses need three times the rest time of ordinary people, so their efficiency when working is thirty times that of ordinary people."

"Ah, this person gives me a rather unpleasant feeling," Yukinoshita said to Shirou.

"Yeah, he looks like a shrewd businessman. Mash said that FGO was made by this guy," Shirou whispered.

"Ugh, why are you saying you hate me before we've even met? Is tsundere all the rage in your world now? Actually, the next gacha pool will have a limited version of 'The Last Pharaoh' Cleopatra. Her voice is super tsundere too, are you interested?" Da Vinci asked with a Mona Lisa-like smile.

"Da Vinci, please work properly! Otherwise... even if I draw Da Vinci again, I'll dismantle her." Mashu threatened Da Vinci with dissatisfaction.

"It's okay, you won't get it anyway~!" Da Vinci smiled nonchalantly, then turned to the boy and girl and said with a smile, "Alright, let's get down to business. First, let me explain my situation."

Then Leonardo da Vinci began to tell Shirou and Yukinoshita the origins of these events, explaining what kind of organization Chaldea was, the reason Mash came to this world, and so on...

Chapter 17: The More You Grind, the Stronger You Become

In the living room, the boy and girl sat on the sofa, listening quietly as the 3D image of Leonardo da Vinci recounted the story of Mashu and the courageous girl Gudako as they went to save humanity.

Time and again, they risked their lives to enter various singularities, confronting heroes and kings from different eras, and fighting monsters and even gods from legends.

“Over 90% of the story in this game is true. It really was the miracle that Mashu and Gudako, the best Master in Chaldea, experienced together. In our world, few people know that they accomplished such a great feat, and you are their witnesses,” Da Vinci said.

“Chaldea is constantly being attacked by monsters, and the appearance of monsters in your world is unavoidable. Someone must solve this problem, so we ask that you join us in overcoming this difficulty,” Da Vinci said sincerely to the boy and girl.

Yukinoshita looked at Mashu with pity, never expecting that such a delicate girl was actually the pitiful girl in the game who had gone through so much...

Regarding this, Shirou tried to summarize it as, "So, Mash is inviting us to play a game based on the adventures Mash went through? And this game can help us defeat the invading monsters, right?"

Da Vinci nodded approvingly and said, "That's it, you understand very quickly. It's about letting everyone play Mash's adventure story together."

"Shirou-senpai, Da Vinci-chan, why does your summary sound a bit strange?" Mashu asked, her face slightly flushed.

"This matter may be too shocking and difficult for you to accept, having lived in a peaceful world for so many years. But can you give me an answer to my request now?" Leonardo da Vinci asked.

“No, even if it’s hard to accept, after encountering monsters like those before, it’s impossible not to believe it. Before deciding to help, I want to ask a few more questions,” Yukinoshita said.

“Yukinoshita, please speak,” Da Vinci said.

"So what are you from another world doing here spreading this game? Or rather, what benefit do you get from helping this world?" Yukinoshita asked. Aside from Shirou, perhaps there were other righteous individuals in some unknown corner of this world who would unconditionally save others, but the person in front of her was clearly not one of them.

"Of course, we also have our benefits," Leonardo da Vinci replied with a light laugh to the girl.

"Heroic spirits refer to the beings that are heroes in legends and epics, who have become objects of worship for people today, while 'servants' are the summoned clones of heroic spirits."

As I mentioned before, an unknown mutation is occurring at Chaldea, and it's not just about the sudden attack. Chaldea's mechanism for summoning Servants is no longer complete, making it difficult to summon new Servants, and even the existence of the Servants remaining in Chaldea has become unstable.

Therefore, it is necessary to increase the renown of the Heroic Spirits in order to replenish their power.

The dissemination of the Fate/Grand Order (FGO) game serves two purposes. Firstly, it allows players to act as "batteries," replenishing the energy of the Servants remaining in Chaldea. Secondly, it acts as a safety net; the presence of dangerous monsters in your world is an undeniable fact. To combat these monsters, and even more advanced fantasy species, you must possess equally powerful means. For those of you lacking mystical powers, summoning Servants is the only option.

Therefore, I'm using the current method to make Chaldea a channel for providing energy and connecting to the Throne of Heroes. And your players' 'fate' is the opportunity to summon Heroic Spirits.

"Although most of the Servants in the mobile game are just data provided by me, the Masters who are truly destined may be able to contact the Servants of the Throne of Heroes through this FGO system. Even Servants that we Chaldea have not observed may appear in this world because of you."

"The heroic spirits you summon will stay in Chaldea after the battle to help us defeat the attacking monsters. It's a win-win situation."

"It was because the heroic spirits answered your call and helped you defeat the monsters that you were able to defeat them. So, we don't really have a better choice than to cooperate with each other, do we?" Leonardo da Vinci asked with a smile.

"That's true... although I really don't want to get involved in such a fantasy story," Yukinoshita said helplessly.

"So what should we do to restore this world to normal?" Shirou asked seriously, more concerned about this question than about Chaldea's goals.

"The reason why the world has changed still needs to be investigated by Mashu and Gudako. As an individual, I also ask you to help this child, Shirou Emiya!" Da Vinci said solemnly.

"My name here is Shirou Hikigaya! Mash is my junior, so of course I will help her. Besides, this is my world, and my important family and friends are here. I will protect them all!" Shirou answered firmly.

“Senpai…” Mashu looked at the boy with great emotion. Apart from Dr. Roman and Gudako-senpai, she had once again met someone who genuinely cared for her. She felt very gentle and did not feel lonely at all.

“Shirou…” Yukinoshita’s gaze flickered as she looked at the boy. Yes… she knew that Hikigaya Shirou was that kind of person. Half a year ago, they officially established their bond in the Service Club, and she had received help from the boy many times. She knew his gentleness, kindness, and pursuit of justice.

However, the boy's way of doing things always puts others before himself, and sometimes he is willing to sacrifice himself to help others, which makes her really uneasy.

"Thank you! Shirou-senpai, I will do my best to assist you!" Mash promised.

"Well, since we've come this far, as a friend from the same club, I can only lend a hand," Yukinoshita said with a smile.

“Is that so? I see. It seems you’re not the Shirou I knew. But you’re just as strong and reliable as I am. Thank you for your help. I will do my best to assist you in Chaldea,” Leonardo da Vinci said with a smile.

"So what should we do first?" Shirou asked.

"Yes, due to the limitations of your world, the power that Heroic Spirits can exert through incomplete possession is less than half of what it used to be, thanks to the current method of secretly providing energy by exploiting loopholes in the world. This is even less when the compatibility is low. But if we can achieve 100% compatibility and become one with the Heroic Spirit, there might be a new transformation."

"Anyway, let's focus on grinding the game! Spend more money on gacha pulls, try to strengthen the Servants that have a good synergy with you, learn about their stories, and who knows what miracles might happen once you max out their bonds? Like Archer Hercules with all twelve trials, or the King of Heroes who unlocked the Omniscient Star, or even King Arthur with Avalon in his body, wielding the Holy Sword in his left hand and the Holy Lance in his right!"

"Humans are creatures that create miracles. Even in another world, there might be beings with deep connections to Heroic Spirits and gods. So go find more Masters who can resonate with Heroic Spirits! Young men and women, do your best! Yeah!" Da Vinci raised his fist and cheered for the young men and women.

"Wait a minute? Isn't that just making us play a game? You're the game manager, aren't you? You could have just let me collect all the Servants and max out their NP level, or give me tens of thousands of Saint Quartz or something." Shirou complained.

"That's pointless. I can only modify the data. What connects you to a Heroic Spirit is your emotions and will. That's how FGO works! The stronger the feelings a player Master has for a Heroic Spirit, the higher the chance of possession and summoning! So spend more time building a deep bond with your favorite Heroic Spirit! Well... I have work to do, I'll contact you again next time~!" Da Vinci finished speaking and immediately ran away. The light screen dimmed, and the 3D image disappeared.

"He ran away... just like a heartless business owner who wants employees to work overtime but doesn't want to talk about raises!" The boy and girl reached a consensus again; this unscrupulous businessman was indeed quite annoying.

"Shirou-senpai, Yukinoshita-senpai! Let's cheer each other on! Playing FGO is justice! Everyone who likes FGO is a good person! Everyone is my good senpai!" Mashu clenched her fists and tried her best to smooth things over.

"Enough... Mashu." Shirou pressed down on the pink-haired girl's head, who was still trying to defend Da Vinci. Now that he had decided to help, he wouldn't go back on his word, and besides, this was the only way to save the world.

The boy turned to Yukinoshita and said, "Yukinoshita, I'm sorry, I dragged you into this. I didn't expect things to turn out this way."

Yukinoshita shook her head and said, "No, this is a choice I made myself. It won't end if I don't solve the problem myself. And if it's really like what Da Vinci said, as someone with the qualities of a Heroic Spirit, I'll be drawn into FGO sooner or later as long as I've been in contact with it."

"Moreover, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is my principle. If a monster wants to hurt me, I will retaliate before it happens," the black-haired girl said with a cold smile.

"How should I put it... As expected of Yukinoshita, I understand. From now on, let's fight side by side!" Shirou said with a light laugh.

"Yes, Yukinoshita-senpai is beautiful, reliable, and cool, and her cooking is amazing!" Mashu agreed, feeling incredibly lucky to have found two such reliable seniors. She had a feeling she might draw a gold card next time!

"Mash, that's enough..." Yukinoshita reached out and pressed Mash's head down, speaking with a soft laugh. She didn't dislike this junior; after learning what Mash had been through, she now only felt a desire to protect her.

The three of them actually share the same goal: Yukino wants to restore normalcy, so she needs to drive away the monsters that will cause trouble in the future.

Shirou wants to protect the peace of this world and help his junior find happiness.

Mashu's goal is to resolve the crisis at Chaldea, investigate the reasons for the world's changes, and reunite with Gudako.

"It's getting late, so let's head back now," Shirou said, glancing at his phone.

"I understand. Let's discuss the detailed battle plan later." Yukinoshita nodded.

Shirou led Mash outside.

"Mash, Shirou... See you tomorrow." Yukinoshita stood at the door, slightly raised her hand, and gently shook it.

"Okay, see you tomorrow! Yukinoshita-senpai!" Mashu bowed.

"Oh, see you tomorrow, Yukinoshita." Shirou waved his hand.

After leaving the luxury apartment, Shirou saw Mashu off onto the subway and then went home.

Chapter 18 Chiffon Cake and Sister

The moonlight illuminated the quiet earth, all the lights were off, only the gray clouds in the sky changed shape, the weather was gradually getting colder, and the boy walked alone on the way home, the silence seemed to stretch on.

In his past life, he had also experienced long periods of time walking home alone at night like this. At that time, it was pitch black all around, with only the night sky and the shadows cast by the streetlights for company. Sometimes, while walking, he would suddenly forget the reason for returning to his destination, because even if he returned to that mansion, there was no one waiting for him there.

But the world is different now. He has plenty of reasons to return to this home, even though it's smaller, it's warmer.

Sure enough, when the boy turned the corner, he arrived at the long, straight alleyway outside his house. Looking into the distance, he saw a light shining in front of the house, the light illuminating the ground in front of the house, forming a pale yellow path, with fluorescent lights dancing, as if welcoming the boy home.

The boy felt his steps become lighter as he pushed open the gate and went inside. Through the window, he saw that the living room light was on. As soon as he took out his key and opened the door, he heard a 'knock knock knock!' sound from inside.

Komachi rushed over in a hurry.

"Yo, Komachi." Shirou raised his hand to greet his sister.

"Hey, you!" Komachi pouted and looked at Shirou with dissatisfaction. "Brother! Where have you been gallivanting around so late?"

"You're my sister, aren't you?" Shirou turned his head away and retorted. Although he was mentally prepared, he didn't expect to be caught as soon as he walked in.

"Oh no! Your clothes are all dirty. Did you get into a fight with some thugs? Get back to the point! You're not a kid anymore. You have to participate in the archery competition in Tokyo soon. What if you hurt your hand?!"

"No, I have my own reasons for not being able to do this," Shirou explained.

"What? Was it a hero rescuing a damsel in distress? Tell me about it," Komachi asked with great interest.

"No, quite the opposite. Komachi, you're a test taker, right? Go back and study." Shirou walked into the house, urging his sister to go back to her room.

"Tch... stingy! And Komachi was so worried and waiting for you to come back." Komachi walked towards her room with dissatisfaction.

"Go study hard first, I'll bring you some late-night snacks later," Shirou said.

"Komachi wants black tea and a baked cake! Thank you, brother! Your brother points are really high tonight! Haha!" Komachi's face immediately brightened, and she ran back to her room laughing.

"Are you some rich young lady from somewhere?" Shirou asked helplessly.

The parents of the Hikigaya family are always very busy with work. Sometimes, during busy overtime periods, they may not get home until late at night and leave for work again early in the morning. They may not even be able to say a word to their children all day.

Because of this, Komachi felt neglected by her parents, and even ran away from home once when she was in elementary school.

He went out and searched the surrounding area, running around several times, before finally finding his sister and bringing her home.

Everyone feels lonely sometimes, and knowing that someone is waiting for you at home is actually very important.

Neither Komachi nor Shirou ever explicitly said it, but they had an unspoken understanding: the one who got home first would always wait for the other in the living room.

After rinsing himself off, Shiro returned to the kitchen and began making a chiffon cake. Since he made it regularly, it wasn't difficult. He started by separating the egg whites and yolks, adding sugar, flour, oil, and honey, then stirring until the egg whites were foamy. Finally, he combined the mixture, poured it into a mold, and placed it in the oven, setting the temperature for each stage.

Then came the 40-minute wait. During this time, Shirou took out his textbooks and prepared to finish his homework for the day.

Because he lacked magic in this life, he couldn't even do his usual magic practice at night, so he could only do his homework. As a result, his grades were pretty good, and he could occasionally rank in the top three of his grade.

When I finished my homework, the oven beeped. I opened the oven, and the kitchen was immediately filled with the sweet aroma of cake. The golden-yellow, cylindrical chiffon cake was ready.

A short while later, Shirou arrived with a slice of cake and some black tea. He knocked on the door and went into his sister's room.

Komachi immediately ran up with a grin, took the black tea Shirou handed her, and looked at the golden cake with a satisfied smile.

"Thank you, brother. You might be perfect as a butler," Komachi said admiringly.

"You're not going to be my butler, are you? Then I'll decline." Shirou placed the tray on the small table, sat down, and poured himself a cup of tea.

"No, no! How about something like a Finnish princess? It's delicious~! As expected of Komachi's brother, he's a jack-of-all-trades in housework and handsome too." Komachi, sitting in the chair in front of the writing desk, took a bite of the chiffon cake, happily waving her legs and blinking at Shirou.

"Really? Remember to study hard after you finish eating." Although he didn't know why it was Finland, Shirou casually agreed, took out his phone, silenced it, and opened FGO.

"Yes..." Komachi replied listlessly. She had originally intended to say, "Want to play FGO together for a while?" but her strategy of trying to please her brother and get him to let her go had completely failed.

FGO slowly entered the login screen. As expected, if I hadn't been pulled into another dimension, clicking on the game would have led me to the normal game state.

At that moment, a message came from the chat group.