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The Fox hole 90
🕑 Added 2025-05-03 22:41:43 +0000 UTCChapter 90:
I got a bunch of great suggestions last chapter, and I’ll definitely be keeping them all in mind for the future. I did really like one suggestion though…
– Haru –
I stood behind the bar counter, absently drumming my fingers on the wooden surface.
Slow days weren't usually my style, especially not at the Fox Hole, but they happened sometimes.
My mom and Kunou probably wouldn't show today, busy as they were with our new royal houseguest, Princess Myrcella Baratheon—or whatever her real last name actually was?
None of us were really eager to actually find out…
The sound of the restaurant door slowly creaking open grabbed my attention. I glanced up to see a teenage boy standing hesitantly in the doorway.
Japanese, probably around high school age, with bright red hair and a uniform I'd never seen before—at least not from any school here in Kyoto.
Something about him was... unusual. I narrowed my eyes slightly, peering deeper at him. There was something powerful hidden beneath the surface, locked deep inside his soul. A sheath? Holy magic?
The boy scanned the restaurant curiously, eyes widening slightly at the cozy, empty interior, and then his gaze landed directly on me.
His jaw dropped, visibly shocked as he stared openly. "W–What are you?" he asked bluntly, voice slightly shaky with disbelief.
I rolled my eyes and leaned casually against the counter, my ten tails flicking lazily behind me. "I'm a kitsune," I answered dryly. "What the hell are you?"
"I'm... I'm a human," he stuttered uncertainly, as if that wasn't painfully obvious.
I snorted, not bothering to hide my amusement. "No shit, Sherlock," I drawled sarcastically, gesturing to the empty tables around us. "Well, welcome anyway. This is my restaurant, the Fox Hole. It's usually busier than this, but I guess it's a slow day. Most of my friends and regulars haven't heard I'm back from vacation yet."
His eyes went wide again, surprise quickly turning into skepticism as he stepped cautiously closer. "Wait—this place is a restaurant? Yokai can cook? Yokai are real???"
I straightened up slightly, my pride immediately bristling. I gave him a pointed stare with arms crossing over my chest challengingly. "Damn right I can cook! In fact, I guarantee you I can cook better than any human!"
My words seemed to strike a nerve with him. "Is that so?" he asked slowly, challengingly.
I tilted my head slightly. Now, wasn't this interesting?
"Oh? Do I suddenly sense the presence of another chef in my midst? A new challenger?"
He smirked slightly, a confident look crossing his face. "Maybe you did…”
I let out a low chuckle, stepping forward from behind the bar and sizing him up. He seemed young, sure, but there was clear experience behind his confident stance. He felt focused, disciplined even—just like someone who spent countless hours perfecting their craft.
Cooking was serious business to this kid.
That was good.
"Why don't you show me what you've got?" I told him.
He grinned sharply. His initial shyness vanished completely now, replaced by a focused, fiery enthusiasm. "You're on."
– Shirou Emiya –
Shirou Emiya stared skeptically at the ten-tailed fox standing casually in front of him. Didn’t the legends always say kitsune had nine tails? He frowned slightly, but quickly decided that he didn’t give a damn about mythical accuracy right now. He had bigger issues.
The fox—who called himself Haru—looked completely relaxed, leaning back with his arms crossed, those golden eyes calmly watching Shirou's every move. Shirou took a deep breath, irritated. Yokai being real was one thing. But implying that a fox yokai was a better cook than he was—that really pissed him off. Shirou might not have been a professional chef, but he took serious pride in his cooking. He’d be damned if he let some arrogant fox talk down to him.
"So," Haru said with a faint smirk, his voice casually taunting. "How do you wanna do this, Shirou Emiya? I’ve got plenty of free time right now, so I’ll let you pick. We can do it right here in my restaurant, or we can do this cook-off somewhere else. You can even pick somewhere you think gives you an advantage."
Shirou grit his teeth, a spike of irritation going through him. The smugness of this fox really got under his skin. Well, fine then. He'd show this yokai exactly who he was messing with.
"Then we can cook at my house!" Shirou declared fiercely, pointing a finger aggressively at the fox’s chest. "I’m familiar with all the equipment there!"
It was only a second after the words came out of his mouth that he realized he’d literally just invited a potentially dangerous supernatural creature right into his home. Well, too late to back down now. Besides, pride wouldn’t let him.
Haru tilted his head, that same confident smirk fixed on his face. "You’re on, kid."
Shirou snorted dismissively. "You’re calling me kid? You don’t look much older than me. Unless you're secretly some ancient being who’s thousands of years old or something."
Haru chuckled, amused. "Nope, I’m almost nineteen. Nothing more exciting than that."
"Then your cooking skills can’t be that much better than mine," Shirou said boldly. "You’ve only got two years on me."
Haru’s golden, slitted eyes narrowed slightly, the challenge clear in his expression. "Guess we’re going to find out."
"Yeah," Shirou agreed heatedly. "We definitely will."
Without waiting another second, Shirou turned sharply and marched towards the restaurant’s door. He felt Haru follow behind him at a leisurely pace, completely relaxed—as if he had nothing to worry about at all.
Shirou pushed open the restaurant door and froze. They stepped right out onto the familiar streets of Fuyuki. He blinked in surprise, glancing quickly around. It wasn’t even that far from his house or his school. Wait a second—how had he never noticed this Fox Hole place before?
"Did you just move into town or something?" Shirou asked warily, eyeing Haru suspiciously.
Haru laughed softly, shaking his head. "Not exactly. My restaurant has a habit of popping up in random places. I told you, I’m from Kyoto, remember?"
Shirou’s mouth fell open. "Hold on, are you saying I was just in Kyoto? Did I just get spirited away or something?"
Haru laughed again. "Yep. Though, probably not the Kyoto you’re thinking of exactly."
Before Shirou could demand a proper explanation of what the hell that meant, they reached the familiar gates of the Emiya compound. Shirou shook his head, annoyed. He didn’t have time to deal with whatever yokai nonsense this was. Right now, he had something far more important to worry about—defending his pride as a chef.
"Kitchen’s this way," he said shortly, opening the gate and leading Haru inside.
– Haru –
I glanced around Shirou’s cramped little kitchen and frowned slightly. It definitely wasn't going to work. The place was barely big enough for one person to cook, let alone two of us trying to compete.
Shirou seemed to realize this at the same time I did, rubbing the back of his neck and muttering awkwardly about figuring something else out.
"No worries," I said casually, lifting my hand.
Before Shirou could finish his sentence, I cast a quick teleportation spell. All of his cooking equipment—pans, stove, oven, cutting boards—smoothly appeared out in his yard. The tables and appliances settled neatly onto the grass, perfectly ready for us to use.
"What—wait, how?" Shirou stared dumbly out the open door, his eyes wide. He took a hesitant step outside, scratching his head as he looked over the arrangement. "I mean, how the hell are gas and electrical appliances going to work out here?"
I grinned lazily, shrugging. "Yokai secret," I answered smoothly, enjoying the annoyed way his eyebrows twitched.
He rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh. "Fine, whatever. You're really enjoying messing with me, aren't you?"
"More than I expected," I admitted openly. "Anyway, go pick out ingredients from your fridge. I want this to be fair, after all."
Shirou grimaced a little and gave me an apologetic look. "That's the thing—I don't really have any fancy ingredients. Just basics."
"No worries," I repeated, snapping my fingers this time. The outdoor table suddenly filled up with a wide variety of fresh, exotic ingredients. There was perfectly marbled beef, fresh seafood that shimmered slightly with magical preservation, tender pork cuts, and even a large wrapped bundle labeled "Kraken Meat."
Everything was arranged neatly, ready to be cooked.
Shirou's jaw dropped open in astonishment, eyes wide as he examined the impressive spread. "Did—did you—Do you just keep all that on you at all times…?"
"Yep," I replied casually. "Jealous of my awesome ability to have fresh ingredients ready wherever I go?"
"No," Shirou mumbled stubbornly, quickly looking away from me.
I could tell he was totally lying. “How do you want to do this?” I asked.
Shirou straightened immediately, eyes narrowing with determination. “Best out of three. We’ll start with beef dishes. 45 minutes to cook the best tasting thing we can make!”
I agreed to his terms. We’d make three different meat dishes, starting with beef.
Just as we were about to move toward our respective cooking stations, the sliding door to the house opened behind us, catching our attention.
"Shirou! I've come to play!" came an enthusiastic voice from the house. A young woman stepped out onto the porch. Her eyes widened comically when she noticed me standing there with all my tails swaying behind me.
Behind her, a quiet girl with soft purple hair stepped out as well. She smiled warmly at Shirou, clearly familiar with him. However, the second her eyes fell on me, she froze completely, her gentle smile slipping into shock.
Interesting—this girl had magic too, more power than Shirou did for sure, but still no threat to me.
The first woman immediately pointed directly at me, her eyes growing huge as she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Holy shit! Why is there a yokai in your yard!? Yokai are real!? Is he going to eat us!?"
I sighed deeply, rubbing my temples in annoyance.
Shirou flushed bright red in embarrassment. "Taiga, calm down! He's not dangerous! He's just here for a cooking contest!"
"A cooking contest!?" she shrieked, stepping closer with wide eyes. "With a yokai!? Am I dreaming? Did I get drunk and pass out again!?"
"No..." Shirou said, voice strained. "This is Haru. Haru, this is my guardian, Taiga Fujimura, and my friend Sakura Matou..."
We headed towards our outdoor stations.
Shirou had headed toward his oven, leaving me plenty of room at the outdoor grill. Forty-five minutes wasn’t much time to prepare anything extravagant, so I kept things straightforward. I went for some filet steaks, planning to top them with sautéed onions and greens.
I glanced over at the two girls. They’d taken seats off to the side, still looking bewildered by the scene in front of them.
Taiga, who was apparently Shirou’s teacher, was just staring at me, eyes wide and jaw slack, as if she still hadn’t quite convinced herself she wasn’t dreaming.
It was honestly kind of hilarious. I usually didn't mess with normal humans like this, but sometimes it was pretty fun.
Sakura, on the other hand, was subtly glaring at me with suspicion. Girlfriend, classmate, childhood friend, whatever she was to Shirou, she clearly didn’t like my presence here.
I could feel the faint hostility rolling off her, though it was too adorable to take seriously. Still, it amused me as I spread butter and spices generously across my pan, making sure everything melted smoothly together.
The flame under the grill was exactly where I wanted it, a perfect medium-high heat that I’d effortlessly set with a subtle wave of my finger.
I grabbed another pan, quickly adding a bit of oil before tossing in the freshly sliced vegetables and mushrooms. Their quiet sizzle blended pleasantly with the scent of searing beef.
I glanced over at Shirou’s setup. He was definitely taking a different approach—starting his steak in the oven. That was popular among some chefs lately, I supposed. They claimed it locked in juices or something like that. But honestly, with my complete mastery over fire and heat, I didn’t need tricks like that to keep the meat juicy and tender.
As Shirou pulled his steak from the oven, I caught him subtly touching it, eyes narrowed in concentration. My gaze sharpened slightly. He wasn’t just seasoning—he was definitely using some kind of magic, probably enhancing the flavor or tenderness with each careful touch. Sneaky bastard.
He thought he could subtly cheat and defeat me at my own game?
Kid, you’re ten thousand years too early to pull off something like that!
Grinning slightly to myself, I gently laid my filets into the hot pan. They hissed and crackled beautifully, instantly filling the backyard with a mouthwatering aroma.
That finally seemed to snap Taiga out of her daze. She jolted upright, pumping her fist enthusiastically into the air. “You’ve got this, Shirou! Kick that smug fox’s butt!”
Shirou’s cheeks reddened slightly, embarrassed but still smiling appreciatively. “Thanks, Fuji-nee.”
Sakura quickly chimed in, though her voice was quieter and noticeably more reserved. “You can do it too, Senpai. I believe in you.”
I chuckled softly under my breath. It was cute, honestly.
I watched Shirou carefully slice garlic and herbs, quickly preparing some kind of seasoned rub to put on his steak before finishing it on the stove.
He moved confidently and efficiently, clearly used to working in a kitchen. Not bad at all for a human his age. Still, there was a stiffness in his movements. Experience, yes, but not total mastery.
He still had plenty of room for growth, despite his clever magic cheats.
Meanwhile, I casually flipped my steaks, quickly adding the sautéed mushrooms and onions beside them in the pan. With another little flick of my wrist, I sprinkled in some salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Immediately, another burst of incredible aroma filled the air, making Taiga’s stomach audibly rumble from where she sat.
The woman blushed bright red, clutching her stomach sheepishly. “I-I’m not siding with the evil yokai!” she called out hastily. “It just smells really good, okay!?”
Shirou shot her an exasperated glance. “Seriously, Fuji-nee?”
I chuckled again, keeping my gaze on the steaks. “Don’t worry about it. Hunger is always honest. Her stomach already knows that you're going to lose this competition.”
Sakura’s eyes narrowed further at me, her hostility increasing slightly.
Protective, wasn’t she? She was an interesting one. But those things inside of her. I didn't like them. They were disgusting and revolting.
I should do something about them...
– Sakura Matou –
Sakura was very confused.
A yokai. A real, honest-to-goodness yokai—standing casually in her beloved senpai’s backyard, cooking steaks like everything was perfectly ordinary. This wasn’t right at all. Yokai belonged on the Reverse Side of the World, hidden away from normal people.
Not here. Not cooking dinner and smirking arrogantly at Senpai.
She felt a rush of irritation, her fingers gripping her skirt tightly. The audacity of that smug creature—claiming it was a better chef than Shirou Emiya, of all people!
Although… Sakura’s brow furrowed slightly. She couldn’t deny the mouth-watering aroma wafting from the yokai’s grill. Taiga’s stomach had already betrayed her loudly, but Sakura absolutely refused to believe that Shirou could lose to this creature. It wasn’t even possible.
Yet, her thoughts quickly darkened. What was a yokai doing in Fuyuki anyway? Could it be connected somehow to the upcoming Holy Grail War? Her heartbeat quickened, anxiety and hostility rising. If this creature was here to interfere with Senpai’s life, or worse—harm him…
She glared harder at the fox.
Suddenly, he turned around, and their eyes locked. Sakura froze completely, her breath catching in her throat. Those golden, slitted eyes seemed to pierce straight into her soul, his sharp-toothed smirk casually telling her he’d felt her hostility clearly—and found it amusing. She knew immediately, with chilling certainty, that she posed absolutely no threat to this yokai.
He was powerful. Ridiculously powerful. Her instincts as a mage were screaming at her. Zouken Matou—her disgusting, vile tormentor—would be utterly insignificant against a creature like this.
Her thoughts spiraled dangerously. Could this yokai… could he kill Zouken? Her heart quickened at the forbidden thought.
Immediately, her body convulsed, agony lancing sharply through her muscles as the worms squirmed violently within her. They always reacted violently when she thought about defying Zouken. She clenched her jaw hard, willing the pain away, refusing to let Senpai or Taiga see her suffering. Thankfully, they were both focused entirely on the steaks.
Shirou was plating his dish now, and the yokai finished moments earlier, both placing their steaks in front of Sakura and Taiga on the table. It seemed they were the unofficial judges of this bizarre cooking competition.
Taiga eagerly snatched up her fork, eyes sparkling greedily as she jabbed a piece of the fox’s steak and shoved it unceremoniously into her mouth. Instantly, the older woman’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushing, an embarrassingly loud moan slipping free.
“Oh my god, this is incredible!” Taiga gasped, already reaching eagerly for a second bite.
Sakura rolled her eyes at Taiga’s predictable antics, but inside, her curiosity was burning. Her loyalty already decided her vote, of course—Shirou would always win in her heart—but she supposed it wouldn’t hurt to try the yokai’s dish first, just to be fair.
She ran a few quick spell formulas across the plate, carefully checking for poisons or harmful enchantments. Nothing. It was simply a perfectly prepared piece of meat. With cautious hesitation, she took a small bite.
Her eyes instantly flew wide open.
Flavor erupted spectacularly in her mouth, rich and savory and somehow indescribably perfect. It surged through her entire body, warmth blossoming from her chest outward in rippling waves. Without any warning, an intense, overwhelming sensation jolted through her, accompanied by a chorus of countless tiny shrieks echoing deep within her body.
Her mind reeled in shock.
The worms—the worms Zouken forced inside of her—they were being obliterated. She could feel them disintegrating, destroyed completely in the span of a heartbeat. She gasped out a tiny, startled moan—pleasure and disbelief colliding violently in her mind.
A single bite… had just annihilated Zouken’s monstrous parasites?
“Eh…?” Sakura murmured weakly.
XXX
As a proud chef, Haru cannot tolerate disgusting parasites of course...
Comments
CJ
Id recommended Unlimited blade works just for the amazing animation and fight scenes
WhatAFungi
I know nothing of FATE!!!!! I wanna see BOTW link having a cooking competition. Haru works really hard and Link throws a whole fish, a durian, some leaves, a fucking acorn, and a piece of meteor in a pot and makes a decent meal out of it. Thanks for the chapter!
Chase Garcia
Well the fate universe is going through a fun time
