Emiya didn't give Menchi another hamburger.
Instead, he placed a plate of stir-fried cabbage in front of her.
"No matter how good something tastes, you'll get tired of it if you eat too much. Try this instead." It was a special cabbage that would fly away once it ripened.
Its flavor was outstanding.
"Cabbage?" Menchi picked up her chopsticks, took a bite, and her eyes immediately lit up.
"What kind of cabbage is this? It's amazing."
"It's a special variety," Emiya explained.
"When it's ready to be harvested, it migrates to an unknown location to avoid being eaten. The flavor stays extremely pure."
Menchi froze for a moment.
Then she sighed.
"The world really is full of wonders. Where did you find something like this?"
"I found it in a city called Axel," Emiya said.
"Axel?"
Menchi shook her head. She'd never heard of it.
She glanced at Satotz and Buhara. They shook their heads as well.
None of them recognized the place.
Robin subtly rolled her eyes.
A city called Axel sounded like it came from another world.
Of course they wouldn't know it.
After Emiya fed Menchi a few more good dishes, she quickly forgot about the earlier unpleasantness.
The atmosphere relaxed.
Before long, they became familiar with each other.
Menchi grabbed Emiya, patted him on the shoulder, and spoke with enthusiasm.
"I can tell you're someone who truly pursues good food. If you pass the Hunter Exam, how about becoming a Gourmet Hunter with me?"
"Sounds good," Emiya replied, nodding.
He didn't have a strong preference for any specific hunter type. Since Menchi invited him, he accepted without hesitation.
And compared to Bounty Hunters, Treasure Hunters, Private Hunters, or Mythical Beast Hunters, Gourmet Hunter actually felt like a good fit.
After all, he was part of the great "foodie empire."
Menchi was even more impressed by how readily he agreed.
But she didn't ignore Robin.
She turned to her and asked, "How about you? Want to become a Gourmet Hunter with Emiya?"
Robin shook her head.
"Thank you, but I'm not interested in becoming a Gourmet Hunter."
Menchi blinked. "Then what kind of hunter do you want to be?"
"I'm not interested in becoming a hunter at all," Robin replied calmly.
"I'm only taking the exam to accompany my companion. Whether I pass or not doesn't matter to me."
Menchi frowned.
She had always assumed that anyone who took the Hunter Exam wanted to become a hunter.
She hadn't expected an answer like that.
Thinking about it, though, while hunters were respected and enjoyed many privileges, there were still people who didn't care about such things.
She'd met them before.
Menchi had never liked that type.
Out of consideration for Emiya, she didn't say anything rude.
But for the rest of the meal, she treated Robin as if she didn't exist.
Robin didn't mind.
She quietly enjoyed the food.
Emiya noticed and smiled faintly.
He said nothing.
Relationships were like that.
Some people became friends the moment they met.
Others became enemies just as quickly.
As long as Menchi and Robin didn't fight, Emiya would pretend not to notice.
After dinner, Emiya and Robin stood up to find somewhere to rest.
Menchi offered to arrange a room for Emiya.
He didn't refuse.
With an available room, there was no reason to sleep on the floor.
Menchi led Emiya to the examiner's quarters, opened a door, and said, "This is your room. As for you..."
She looked at Robin, pursed her lips, and added, "Come with me. Your room is on the other side."
If not for Emiya, she wouldn't have bothered at all.
Robin understood.
She said good night to Emiya, then followed Menchi and disappeared around the corner.
Emiya entered the room and closed the door.
It was simple.
A bed. A table. A private bathroom.
Nothing else. No TV. No air conditioning.
But considering it was an airship, Emiya felt it was acceptable.
After washing up, he lay down and quickly fell asleep.
He had crossed dimensions more than ninety times today.
He was exhausted.
Emiya slept deeply.
-
"Everyone, thank you for waiting! We have arrived at our destination!"
The next morning, the broadcast woke him up.
Emiya washed his face, left the room, and went to the main hall.
Hayato Fūrinji, Issho, Sakaki Shio, Robin, and Shigure Kōzaka were already there.
He was a little late.
"Morning," Emiya said, yawning as he walked over.
They greeted him.
Then everyone followed the crowd off the airship.
The third exam location stood before them.
A towering structure that pierced the clouds.
-
The Trap Tower.
Netero's secretary, Beanish, gathered the examinees and announced the rules for the third phase.
They had seventy-two hours to reach the ground.
Once the explanation ended, Beanish and Netero boarded the airship and left.
The tower was so tall its top vanished into the clouds.
There were no stairs or windows on its sides.
Only sheer cliffs.
Jumping down would be suicide.
Hayato Fūrinji stood at the edge and looked down.
He couldn't see the bottom.
Issho released his Observation Haki, scanned the area, and said with certainty, "There are traps here."
Robin looked at Emiya.
"Why don't we just fly down?" She knew Emiya could carry all of them if he wanted.
Emiya shook his head.
"That would be boring."
He came to the Hunter Exam to experience it.
Skipping the process held no appeal.
Sakaki Shio ran a hand through his hair.
"Then let's find the traps."
"Here," Shigure Kōzaka said.
He knelt and pressed lightly on the ground.
The floor sank, revealing an entrance.
Sakaki Shio was surprised.
He hadn't even started searching yet.
Shigure Kōzaka didn't linger.
"Let's go."
He jumped in.
The entrance closed instantly.
Sakaki Shio stepped forward and knocked on the ground.
He shook his head.
"It's locked."
Issho spoke. "It seems each entrance only allows one person."
"That's troublesome," Hayato Fūrinji said, stroking his beard.
"It looks like we'll have to split up."
"I'll see you at the bottom," Emiya said.
He took a few steps, pressed the ground, and found another entrance.
"Don't make me wait too long."
Then he jumped in.
-
Emiya landed inside a room.
There was already someone there.
Shigure Kōzaka.
"Hey, Shigure," Emiya said.
Shigure nodded. "You're here."
Emiya stood up and scanned the room.
In the center stood a pillar.
Five timers were mounted on it.
Each timer had two buttons.
'X' and 'O'.
Shigure noticed it as well.
"We still need three more people," he said calmly.
Emiya nodded.
"Then we wait."
A minute later, someone dropped in from above.
A familiar figure.
"Hey, Robin," Emiya said.
Robin looked around and noticed the timers.
"So we're missing two more."
"Since we're waiting," Emiya said, "why don't we guess who they'll be?"
Robin smiled. "What do I get if I guess right?"
"I'll grant you one wish," Emiya replied without hesitation.
"Deal."
She smiled wider. "If you guess correctly, I'll grant you one wish too."
"No problem."
Emiya turned to Shigure. "Want to play?"
Shigure nodded, expression unchanged.
"I'll go first," Emiya said.
"I think it'll be Sakaki Shio."
"I think it'll be Issho," Robin said.
"Elder," Shigure said.
The moment he spoke, the ceiling opened.
A man landed gracefully on the floor.
Emiya sighed.
"Looks like we were all wrong."
The man was neither Sakaki Shio, nor Issho, nor Hayato Fūrinji.
It was Hisoka.
The same psychopath Emiya had dealt with during the second phase.
Hisoka glanced around, then smiled as he understood the situation.
"Mind if I join?" he said lightly.
"I'll guess the next one will be Gittarackur."
Emiya snorted.
"Why don't you just say Illumi?"
A flicker of surprise passed through Hisoka's eyes.
"You saw through the Zoldyck disguise?" Hisoka said softly.
Illumi's disguise techniques were flawless.
Even Killua couldn't recognize him.
Emiya's insight genuinely shocked him.
"I'm becoming more and more interested in you."
"If you want another beating, feel free to try," Emiya replied coldly.
At that moment, the final person dropped from above.
It was Illumi.
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