Chapter 348: [348] The Difference Between Coming Willingly and Being Dragged In

Words : 1426 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

Chapter 348: [348] The Difference Between Coming Willingly and Being Dragged In Artoria and Draco were in an exceptionally good mood—after all, they finally got to taste the long-dreamed-of udon noodles. Sakatsuki and Ritsuka had also eaten lunch and were feeling quite full (though the latter was more of an unplanned surprise). However, for the magical girls and Servants who had been tossed into free fall from a hundred meters up... things weren’t nearly as pleasant. Just moments before hitting the ocean surface, Illya and Miyu narrowly managed to transform into magical girls, barely avoiding the bad ending of being flattened by the pressure into paste. The two lay sprawled out on the beach, still recovering from the trauma. "I knew it. I hate that guy the most!" Illya snarled, silver teeth clenched in fury. "Ahaha... who knew she could hold a grudge. But I guess I get it," replied a dripping-wet Kuro with a dry laugh as she shook the water from her hair. "Miyu, you alright?" As for Miyu, she had been unusually composed when she found herself falling from such a height—so much so that she even reached out to comfort Illya mid-air. But halfway through the drop, her reassurances morphed into high-pitched screams, and she clung to Illya like a lifeline, nearly forgetting to transform altogether. She was still sitting nearby, practically puking up her soul. "Whew! So that’s what bungee jumping feels like, huh? Gotta admit—it’s refreshing!" Mordred, one of the few Servants who didn’t spirit-form and instead tanked the fall straight into the sea with her high stats, wrung out her wet clothes like a drenched cat, grabbed a surfboard, and grinned. "Alright! Time to eat some udon and recharge!" A few moments later... "...Huh?" Mordred froze, staring blankly at the meticulously stacked empty bowls. Her gaze slowly shifted to Artoria, who sat primly in a chair, her cheeks just faintly flushed, the picture of dignified satisfaction. An ominous premonition crept into Mordred’s heart. "Um... Mister Sakatsuki?" "I’m afraid you’re too late," Sakatsuki replied with a polite, utterly unapologetic smile as he shrugged. "The Summer Limited Edition Udon... has officially sold out." Of course, the moment this chaotic crowd started eyeing his failure for laughs, Sakatsuki had already blacklisted them in his mental notebook. Eat the udon broth painstakingly prepared by his precious Little Red Dragon? Dream on. Let this be a lesson: today’s peanut gallery will be tomorrow’s pig in the melon patch, dear friends! In this isolated island world, where Sakatsuki held complete control over infrastructure, he sat firmly at the top of the food chain. The rest could only choke back their tears and scour Chaldea’s emergency rations to stave off their hunger. And then... Mash Kyrielight walked out, shoulders slumped in defeat. "The hut is finished. The water source is set up. We really thought we’d made a lot of progress... but this may have been the biggest oversight of Mash Kyrielight’s life." Under the stunned stares of the Servants, Mash delivered grim news: "We’ve run out of food." In Chaldea, food wasn’t exactly necessary for Servants. Strictly speaking, it functioned more as a morale booster, a spiritual comfort. But for the Master—and for people like Illya—it wasn’t nearly so optional. "We’ve been careful with supplies... but it looks like we can’t hold out any longer." Ritsuka wiped the oil from the corner of her mouth, trying her best to keep a straight face. "That being the case, we only have one option left: we’ll have to live off the land. Food security is survival security—and it’s directly tied to morale." "Let’s pull ourselves together, everyone. First thing’s first—move out and look for something edible!" Now that shelter had been built, storing and preserving game wasn’t an issue. Inspired by Ritsuka’s rallying cry, the whole crew mobilized—even the magical girls had no choice but to wield their wands and join the food hunt. And then, not long after— "I’m sorry, Master... I really should’ve studied more about survival in the wild..." Parvati stood with her head lowered, her cheeks red enough to burn through her armor. "I barely found anything... I mean barely. All I managed was bringing back Fou, who just happened to be strolling nearby..." "...? Fou, Fou!?" "Fou started struggling like crazy once he realized what was happening," Sakatsuki chuckled. Mash immediately caught the implication in his words and panicked: "Ah, no! Not like that! Fou was just... you know, for company! Or to cheer people up! We’re definitely not saying you’re food, Fou!" Unfortunately, Fou had already leapt from Mash’s arms and hopped straight into Sakatsuki’s lap at his beckoning. "Aww, what a good boy~" With practiced ease, Sakatsuki scooped up the white little creature, gently stroking its fur. The soothing texture made him narrow his eyes in contentment. "Man... it’s been a while since I petted a cat. Not that Fou’s a cat, really." As they spoke, Sakatsuki casually pulled a snack bar from his coat, tore open the wrapper, and offered it to Fou. "...." Wait. Something wasn’t right here. "Mr. Sakatsuki?!" Mash’s eyes widened in shock. "Why do you have food?!" "Hm? I didn’t say?" Sakatsuki blinked innocently as he opened another pack for himself. He even tilted his head, looking all too innocent. "Want one, Mash?" "Y-Yes please... no wait, that’s not the point here, is it?!" "I just went back to get some. Unlike you all, who got stranded on a deserted island, I came here willingly, remember?" He tossed a pack of biscuits to Mash with a smile. "Still, doesn’t it feel more rewarding to build everything from scratch, instead of dragging supplies here like you’re going on a picnic?" "Well... when you put it that way..." Mash found herself momentarily swayed by his words, even if she still looked a little confused. But Ritsuka wasn’t buying it. As a righteous and ever-observant Master, she had already seen through Sakatsuki’s whole deal. "Let’s be real here. You just didn’t want to play delivery boy and keep making supply runs for us, did you? Besides, watching all the Heroic Spirits struggling just to eat probably makes for good entertainment... I mean, it’s heartbreaking, right?" "And yet you don’t call me out for it. Why do you think that is?" "Because you’re right. Hehe. Now quick, Sakatsuki, get me a bottle of vodka!" "No alcohol for minors. Don’t even look at me like that. Not even orange juice. Go join the hunting party like everyone else." "Wha—?! That’s unfair! No way, you’re coming with us!" "As if! I’m on vacation, not—wait, wait, what are you doing—!?" With a loud yelp, Sakatsuki was seized by the collar—dragged out of the courtyard single-handedly by Ritsuka, who was clearly not taking no for an answer. Mash could only stare, utterly speechless. "When did Senpai and Mr. Sakatsuki... get so close?" "Maybe they’re just two of a kind." Draco’s voice drifted in, her tone cool and sharp as ever. At some point, she had appeared beside them unnoticed. "Anyway!" Ritsuka clapped her hands together and gave the gathered Servants a bright, mischievous smile. "Mr. Sakatsuki’s joining the hunting team! Please take care of him!" "Suddenly our headcount’s gone up by... five?" Cú Chulainn raised an eyebrow but didn’t look the least bit concerned. With a fishing rod slung over his shoulder like it was a spear, he grinned. "Eh, it’s fine. Fishing at the riverside’s always more fun with a crowd." Next to him were Ritsuka, Sakatsuki, Tamamo-no-Mae... and Miyu. "Huh? Miyu’s fishing too?" Sakatsuki brightened up immediately. He squatted down, reaching out to tease her—only to get smacked away without mercy. "I’m only here to help gather food." "In fact," Tamamo chimed in, "none of the three fruits Miyu picked earlier were edible. Illya couldn’t take it anymore, so..." "S-Sapphire!" Miyu’s ears turned red in embarrassment. "I do apologize, Lady Miyu," said Sapphire, her voice as calm and elegant as ever. "But I felt this information needed to be shared. For example, the fact that not all fruits are safe for consumption..." No doubt Illya had suffered greatly—Miyu, with her serious and quiet nature, would’ve made her eat all the fruit first as a taste-tester. And as for Sapphire... for all her refined demeanor, her dark sense of humor really wasn’t all that different from her more outrageous "sister," Ruby. *** Hey readers! Want to read ahead? ???? Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance Chapters! 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Chapter 348: [348] The Difference Between Coming Willingly and Being Dragged In

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