Beta read by Shigiya, Paragon of Awesomeness and FabledLife
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-Tenjōin Private island-
(A few hours later)
Things at the beach ended more peacefully than Emiya had imagined after the trial. He did not know what conversation occurred between mother and daughter, but for some reason, he could see that Momo was looking at him far more frequently than before. As for Sephie, she continued to enjoy herself around the bonfire, dancing, eating, and swimming, all while still wearing the veil she put back on her face after returning. One that apparently was designed to remain on her face no matter what.
He wondered why she did not have it on from the beginning.
"Are you sure you want to keep that thing, Yami?"
As for his sister and Yami's group, it seemed the latter had been reading too much of that detective manga, Detective Calvin, lately. She had taken it upon herself to conduct her own investigation during the test, trying to find the main path while wielding a magnifying glass, a monocle, and a detective's hat.
All of which he had projected for her upon request.
The sight was admittedly adorable, but as long as she was having fun, he saw no harm in indulging her whims. Unfortunately, the girl was not particularly skilled in such matters and ended up getting lost, only emerging an hour after he, Rin, Momo, Sephie, and the others had returned.
Which, unfortunately, put them in last.
His attention was brought to Saki, who got on a wooden stage with several lights focused on her. "All right, guys! The winner of this bravery challenge has been decided! Please come up to the stage; Emiya and Sephie!"
At the end of the event, the prize-giving ceremony commenced, with him and Sephie standing as the first-place winners. In second place is none other than Rito and Rin.
As for the third place, surprisingly, it turned out to be Saruyama, who got paired with another boy from class. The latter did not look happy in the least. The moment he stepped forward, he noticed Saki applying lip gloss while Rin and Ayako worked on her makeup. He could also see a few secret—or perhaps not-so-secret—whispers being exchanged.
"Oh my, another one!" The empress of Deviluke whispered with amusement as she took in the scene before giving him a knowing look. "You truly are a sinful man."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he responded dryly, only to be met with an amused grin from the woman.
"And that's exactly the issue. Sometimes, not doing anything is the problem. Or perhaps, in your case, it only entices others to act more boldly to catch their prey. But let's put that aside, I can't wait to see what kind of award I get! I'll hang it in the main throne room!"
A bit of an exaggeration, but somehow it made perfect sense for her to do something like that. Looking down at the gathered students, he noticed several boys glaring daggers at him, whispers spreading rapidly through the crowd. Some were questioning Sephie's identity, while others theorized, despite clear explanations—that she was actually Lala's sister rather than her mother.
"On a side note," he muttered, "if you see a group of boys suddenly holding up a banner that says 'Anti-Emiya Alliance,' just be sure to keep your distance. They'll most likely go violent and try to attack me."
Sephie looked at him and back at the crowd, humming until she snapped her fingers. "Oh, the same group that you fought as a woman? I see now that you even have to deal with usurpers. As expected from a soon-to-be emperor, it's best to get used to such things on a daily basis. Just last week, I had to deal with a former general who tried to organize a mutiny. Good thing I caught him early on and execu—uh, imprisoned him."
What a scary woman. Also, he preferred to forget about that point in his life.
She pouted upon noticing his wary stare. "What? At least my method is better than having Gid get infuriated and destroy every single planet owned by the general. That's just a waste of life and resources."
He wanted to say something, but instead chose to keep his silence. "If it worked for you, then who am I to say otherwise? I am no ruler, so such things do not make sense to me."
"Hehehe, don't worry, you'll get the hang of it soon enough. Lala is too kind-hearted, so make sure to keep her that way even when she's an empress."
"Or stop trying to make me marry your daughter already."
Once again, she answered him with a simple, knowing smile. "All right then, I will not say anything more, but you have to promise me that from now on, you will keep my daughters safe and happy. Do we have a deal?" She extended her pinky finger, looking at him directly in the eyes, her expression oddly serious.
He raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? A pinky promise?"
"I heard from Mikan that this is how your world's politicians and officials make agreements. Though I can always revert to how my people seal deals."
The way that Sephie licked her lips told him that it would be better if he didn't ask and move on. And should make a note on asking Mikado about Deviluke and Charmian customs.
Immediately, he glanced at his sister, only to find her holding her phone up, already taking several pictures of the moment, with Yami in the background holding a spotlight to illuminate his face dramatically. That brat, she was getting more and more versed in these kinds of pranks. But before he could say anything, Saki announced the prize ceremony, her voice carrying through the crowd.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, ladies and gentlemen! Now that we have our winners here, I will first present them with their prizes for winning this challenge!"
With a clap of her hands, several butlers stepped forward, each holding different items. The most noticeable was a human-sized check with enough zeros on it to make a few students in the crowd faint in disbelief… even Haruna almost fainted on the spot.
"We also have a limited-edition Santoku knife forged by a master blacksmith, with only five copies existing in the entire world. Each one bears his signature and is perfect for cooking and handling!"
Another box was presented to him, and inside lay the exquisite knife. He didn't even need to analyze it to know it was of superior quality, the mere act of holding it sent a feeling of comfort through his hands, something he had rarely experienced with other knives. He could already guess it cost a fortune.
"You didn't have to go this far with the prizes, Saki," he said, genuinely impressed.
The blonde huffed, crossing her arms with pride.
"You are underestimating the Tenjoin family! This is merely a consolation prize. The main prize has yet to arrive!"
Another mirror was brought next to her, and she checked her face, dress, and makeup, with Rin and Ayako whispering words of encouragement to her. Their hushed excitement did not escape his ears. 'She is going to make the Emiya Alliance boys act up again, isn't she…'
He could already predict that this was not going to end well. He resisted the urge to sigh but was still curious about what she was planning.
"All right, ladies and gentlemen! The moment you've all been waiting for has arrived! The grand prize, the most sought-after reward on the entire island! The team leader who has won this challenge will receive a kiss from the most beautiful maiden here!"
As soon as she said that, a loud commotion erupted from the crowd. Several boys shouted in protest, "Wait, this wasn't mentioned before!"
"Why didn't you tell us before!?"
"I knew I should have left you rotting in the pond, I could have gotten that reward!"
"I'm your girlfriend, you jackass!"
More wailing about the unfairness of it all, while many girls sobbed dramatically. A few, on the other hand, remained completely silent, their faces turning a deep shade of red.
He could already feel the waves of hostility emanating from the male students as Saki confidently approached him.
While this occurred, Sephie was completely in her own world, pondering about something seriously until she came to a conclusion. "The most beautiful maiden? Oh well, if I have to... I am, after all, the empress, and it is my duty to reward my hardworking son-in-law! Stand still, Emiya!"
Much to everyone's surprise, before the blonde heiress could reach him, the pink-haired empress next to him suddenly grabbed his face, pressing her lips onto his cheek—though it landed a little too close to his mouth.
"M-Mama!?"
He was pretty sure that those were Momo's and Nana's voices.
Around them, chaos immediately ensued. The boys looked like they were ready to riot, the girls' excitement-filled cheers rang out as if they had witnessed a twisted scene from a soap opera, and Saki stood frozen, her outstretched hand trembling slightly, robbed of her own prize. Meanwhile, Sephie simply smiled, her gaze filled with amusement as she pulled away, her expression utterly serene.
The empress of Deviluke chuckled, tilting her head slightly. "Ah, sorry, got a bit of lipstick on you. Did I surprise you? Well, I did say I wanted to give a reward fitting of the moment. Besides... You can see this as us sealing the deal with protecting my daughters using charming ways."
As she spoke, her teasing tone only fanned the flames of chaos. And amidst it all, Emiya could only sigh, already anticipating the headache this was going to bring him later.
"Just like those fairy tales about a princess rewarding her knight," she whispered near his ear, her warm breath sending an involuntary shiver down his spine, "consider this a blessing from your future mother-in-law." The previous playful peck she planted on his cheek left him frozen in place, his eyes wide with shock, mirroring the stunned silence that had fallen over the entire crowd. The auditorium was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"No fair, Mama!" Lala's high-pitched protest shattered the tense atmosphere as the pink-haired princess vaulted onto the stage with surprising agility, her normally cheerful face twisted into an adorable pout. "Saki-chan obviously meant me!" Before anyone could react, she launched herself forward with all the grace of a lovesick missile, her small hands gripping his collar as she pressed her lips firmly against his in front of the entire gaping audience. The resulting uproar made the previous chaos seem tame by comparison.
"LALA SATALIN DEVILUKE!" The blonde heiress's roar shook the room, her face flushed crimson with outrage as she pointed an accusatory finger. "THIS BEHAVIOR IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!" Her fury was echoed by dozens of voices from the crowd, their angry shouts rising in volume as familiar banners emblazoned with the "Anti-Emiya Alliance" crest began waving aggressively near the front rows.
"Not this again..." he groaned, planting a firm hand on Lala's face to prevent another kiss as she leaned in for a second attempt. The princess squirmed against his palm, her emerald green eyes sparkling with mischief rather than remorse.
Despite hundreds of shocked witnesses, she showed no trace of embarrassment — if anything, she seemed energized by the scandalized gasps surrounding them. "This is so fun!" she chirped, bouncing on her toes. "Are we going to play another war battle game? I call dibs on being general!"
He shot a withering glare at the smirking woman who had started this mess. "This," he hissed through clenched teeth, "is entirely your fault."
She just tilted her head with an innocent expression. "Is it? I don't think I did anything wrong~!"
He did not believe that for a second.
Nevertheless, he needed to control these idiots first. "Yami! Help me control this crowd!" The golden-haired girl, who was hanging out near Mikan, nodded, pulling up the monocle with deliberate slowness. "You will address me as Holmes," she intoned calmly, getting a nod of approval from his sister.
"This is not the time for your schtick!"
Safe to say, the night did not end peacefully, with another battle ensuing, but this time not nearly as chaotic as before, given they were only students from his year and those above. With Rin and Yami around to aid him, they barely lasted five minutes before all of them were defeated.
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(The next day)
"It's time for me to go back," Sephie whispered early on in the morning at the edge of the beach, looking up to see a spaceship head their way.
On the second day after the chaotic events of the previous night, Emiya, the princesses, his siblings, and even Mikado had gathered in a more private area of the island, away from the eyes of others. They were here to see Sephie off as she prepared to return to her homeworld and say her farewells. The woman looked upwards as a ship descended, landing near the water. The hatch opened, and Zastin stepped out, followed by several of his henchmen, all of whom knelt and greeted their empress.
"We hope you had a wonderful time on Earth, Sephie-sama. The emperor is eagerly awaiting your return."
"Oh, Gid, I reckon it's mostly because he's getting tired of dealing with paperwork and got bored. But yes, I had a wonderful time here and hope to return in the near future," she replied while massaging her temples. The woman then stepped forward and hugged her daughters, kissing each of them on the forehead. Nana was the only one crying, struggling to say goodbye to her mother. Momo and Lala shared similar emotions, but their sadness was not to the point of having tears streaming down their faces.
"Will all three of you stay safe while you're here? Look after each other and try not to cause too much trouble for everyone. I know it's easy to get lost in the fun atmosphere here but remember, you are also princesses of Planet Deviluke. You need to maintain your image."
"We will!" they replied in unison.
A few more words were exchanged between the groups before Sephie turned her attention to Mikado.
"I had a lot of fun here; it's rare to find someone who can keep me company like you, dear. Please visit Planet Deviluke one day. I'll be sure to accommodate you like an empress."
Mikado chuckled, grabbing her newly made friend's hands and giving them a gentle squeeze. "What an honor. I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Hopefully, in the near future."
Both women shared a laugh and embraced each other. Mia could tell that, despite having spent only a few days together, they had formed a strong bond. As an empress, it seemed that Sephie didn't have the luxury of forming such connections with others often. Finally, she turned to Emiya and his siblings, giving them a graceful bow, along with Mikan and Rito.
"All three of you have no idea how grateful I am for keeping my daughters safe in your home and treating them like family. They may be gifted in their own ways, but they are still very young and naïve about the ways of the galaxy. It's easy for someone to take advantage of them, and I was afraid that might happen when they came to Earth. But now, I can go back completely relieved, knowing they are in safe hands. It's a shame I couldn't meet your parents and thank them properly."
"You don't need to worry. Both Ringo and Saibai are aware of Lala's presence and that of her sisters. They are completely fine with them staying over," Emiya reassured her, still not entirely accustomed to how laid-back Ringo and Saibai were with their children having strangers staying in their home. "When you go back, try to convince your husband to let go of this whole wedding thing."
"I don't know," Sephie responded, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Even I'm starting to be swayed by Lala's choice for a fiancé, and I'm beginning to believe that perhaps this is for the best. But sure, as a favor for the warm welcome I received and for having such a wonderful time here, I'll see what I can do."
Then, she walked over and gently grabbed Celine, who was, as usual, attached to Emiya's head. Even Mikan had jokingly mentioned that Celine had become his permanent accessory, and a few students had started calling him "flower boy" as a result.
"Ma-u!" Celine exclaimed happily as Sephie hugged her, rubbing her face affectionately against the young girl.
"Grandma has to leave for now, but I'll be sure to keep in touch and talk to you regularly. Don't forget about me, okay?"
"Mau!" Celine exclaimed as if understanding the woman. She nodded before jumping out of her embrace and climbing onto Emiya's shirt, making her way back to his head, crawling upwards like a koala before making herself comfortable in his hair. Her actions amused a few people around him, not that the redhead minded her actions.
Except when she started to munch on his hair.
"All right then, I'll be off. Take care, everybody!" Sephie waved at them before stepping back into the shuttle. The hatch closed, and the aircraft soon lifted off, ascending into the sky until it disappeared over the horizon.
Emiya couldn't help but reflect on Sephie. She wasn't quite what he'd expected, yet somehow, she was exactly like her daughters—just all three of them crammed into one person. The chaotic, the naïve, the childlike, and even the logical. Despite some of her actions causing him a bit of trouble, it was clear she meant no harm and was just messing with him to some degree.
Hard to believe that Gid forced Lala into marrying someone with her around; she did not seem to be the kind to allow such things and holding her husband by a leash. How short or long it was depended on her. Then again, he knew nothing of the full story of that man's decision.
"I suppose it makes sense for her not to be completely normal with a husband like Gid," he muttered, shaking his head as the group returned to the main area where Saki and the others were boarding the boats to head back to the mainland.
As he got on the boat, he noticed Saki sulking near the rail of the boat at the edge, away from her usual group, with Rin and Ayako nowhere in sight. Strange to say the least, she was usually one to be cheerful around people.
"Not happy with the outcome?" he asked, leaning against the rails. The girl looked at him, almost caught off guard by his presence.
"Ah, Emiya?"
"You look kind of down. Even though you're the one who organized this, I must say that things went rather well for you to be this down and upset. Everyone had fun, even the ones that had caused trouble last night." He glanced at the others, many of them sharing pictures and talking about what had happened on the island, laughing and smiling together. No one seemed particularly sad or upset about anything. Overall, it was clear everyone had a great time.
"But of course, it is my duty to make sure that a family like the Tenjōin's do not disappoint their guests." A bit of pride appeared on Saki's face, but it was quickly replaced by disappointment. "But unfortunately, I was not able to accomplish what I set out to do."
"Is that so? Honestly, I beg to differ, but if you personally believe so, then there's nothing I can say," Emiya said with a shrug, standing next to her for a few more minutes, watching as the island grew smaller in the distance until it was just a dot on the horizon. Saki remained silent until she finally broke the silence with a single question.
"Um… hey… E-Emiya, do you… do you perhaps think I am a troublesome person by chance?" she asked, her tone uncertain, even afraid as she asked that question.
Emiya was a bit confused by what she meant and waited for her to elaborate. "Do you think that being around me is a waste of time or that I'm not worth the time to keep company with?"
The question was a bit sensitive, to say the least, but looking at her face, he could tell she was completely serious.
"Not particularly," he answered honestly. "I do think you tend to be a bit extreme and out of pocket with some of your actions, but I don't find you personally to be troublesome or a pain in the ass. I only reserve such an evaluation for a very few types of people. You are nowhere near close to reaching that level in my eyes."
"Is that so?"
She did not seem convinced by his words.
"Then why does it feel like every time I try to get close to you, either you push me back or something else just gets in between?" Saki's voice wavered slightly. "I've tried so hard for the last few years, and it doesn't feel like I've made any progress. Even Rin seems to be closer to you than me, and I don't know if I should be jealous or happy for her."
"I believe there is some kind of misunderstanding," Emiya said before she went any further and tried to ease her mind. "The relationship between Rin and I is in no way romantic, as far as I can tell. She sees me more as a rival, and that's about it. I know her, and her main goal is to bring me closer to you than anything else. She wouldn't try to jeopardize anything for you or make our lives harder."
Rin was loyal to an extreme degree to Saki, almost like a samurai who would fight for her to the death. It made sense when he recalled that she came from a family descended from a line of samurai who had served the Tenjoin for decades if not centuries.
"So?" Saki asked, her expression still troubled. "It doesn't matter. In the end, from the beginning of the year until now, I haven't made any progress with you. Even the last time when I tried to call you over for tea, it ended in disaster. And this time, nothing has changed."
His face scrunched up a bit, feeling a bit guilty since it was not her fault that things went awry. She couldn't have known about Celine and her pollen's effect on them.
"Perhaps rather than trying so hard, why don't we just start simple? I think I already told you this, but you tend to take things a bit too far and hope for spectacular results. Instead, just be normal, be yourself, and talk to me when we're in school. I never pushed you away or refused to talk to you before. You're the one who's not coming over to talk to me."
Her face went a bit red as she turned her head away, refusing to look him in the eyes.
"It's because I tried, it's because, well... it's hard to talk to you."
"Because you're shy?" he said with a grin on his face, poking her forehead teasingly. "Would you look at that? The confident heiress, who is so proud of her heritage and so loud most of the day, is too shy to talk to a random boy at school. What will the others think about it?"
"It's more complicated than that!" she exclaimed, pouting and gently hitting his shoulders in return. "You are no maiden, it's hard for you to understand how difficult it can be for someone like me to approach someone like you! Let alone start a conversation!"
"Trust me, I know," Emiya said, starting to look toward two people in particular. Following his line of sight, Saki found herself looking at Rito, who was sending glances at Haruna every so often but not going over to talk to her. He was struggling to even approach her and hesitating.
"I see that almost every day. It's no secret that he has a crush on her, yet he struggles so much to get near her before stammering or stuttering, doing something foolish, and ending up with his hand in her clothes before getting punched in the face. He has done so many times that I have lost count. You'd expect someone like him to at least learn from his mistakes with time, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Haruna herself doesn't hate him. She is more than happy to have a conversation with him, yet Rito still seems to have trouble understanding that. In a way, I want to think you too are very similar in that way."
"Nonsense! I am not a pervert."
"Debatable," he said dryly, getting a shocked and angry glare from the blonde, which he ignored. "At the end of the day, the solution to both of your problems is very simple: try to push back against your fears, be a bit bolder, and just talk. Forget who I am for a second and just treat me as another student in school; then, you'll see how easy it is to have a simple conversation."
"I never had a conversation with a boy at school."
He gave her a side-eye look. "There's a first time for everything. Guess I'll be your coach in that regard. So stop hesitating and just do it. Maybe when we can communicate with one another like normal people, we can start truly pursuing our goals. However, there's a highlight: I won't reciprocate your feelings. I am not looking for a relationship right now."
Saki was visibly taken aback by his response at first, but rather than being depressed or saddened by his words, she instead showed a smile.
"Haha, you are a bit weird at times, Emiya."
"You don't say." He answered back with a monotone voice and a hint of sarcasm.
"I'm being serious! Most of the time, it's hard to get a read on you. You act like you don't care, that you aren't affected by most things around you, but still, you come here to motivate the very person who has caused you a lot of trouble in the past while also telling her that you won't reciprocate her feelings. Isn't it a little bit contradictory? Wouldn't it be easier for you to just ignore me and hope for things to smooth out with time?"
He gave her words a bit of thought. She was not wrong. He could do so—ignore Saki and hope that she would just move on and go for someone else. If he kept ignoring her, then she would get the hint and finally get over her one-sided crush.
"First, would you have truly given up if I just ignored you? After I saved you from the car accident, you would not stop hounding me."
He got no answer to that other than silence.
"Secondly, well… I guess I'm just trying to be a bit more different than I used to be," he answered, the response being different from what she expected to hear.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I don't know how to explain it. A long time ago I heard from a fool that it's not wrong to help someone. I have nothing to lose by doing so, and in the long run, I prefer to avoid any more regrets than I already have. I'm not lazy; I can afford to put in a bit more effort in such things rather than staying quiet the entire time. Plus, my siblings would not approve of such a method. I am their role model, and it's best I show them I set a good example for them. That's my priority right now. More important than you. You're not just some random stranger I can ignore. Despite what you may think, you are still someone who is a very active presence in my life."
Her eyes widened at the last point. That was the best way he could formulate the phrase, though awkward and cheesy—something that would make Rin and Veto laugh. But it was the best way to convey his meaning to the young girl without causing any misunderstanding.
"Rin was right. You are very soft on the inside."
"What did she say?"
The next moment, his words were caught in his throat when he felt the soft sensation of her lips on his cheek. Taken aback by her actions, he looked at the blushing girl, whose gaze grew hazy and unfocused as she had a much harder time keeping her emotions stable.
"T-That—that was the prize I promised yesterday! I am the main heiress of the Tenjoin Clan! It is my obligation to keep my word no matter what!" she said before heading back with quickened steps, going beneath the boat to her room, most likely leaving him all by himself at the edge of the boat. Emiya wasn't sure what to think about that. Was she still going to try even though he said he wouldn't reciprocate her feelings? What an odd girl. She would just end up hurting herself in the end.
"Jiiiiiiiii~!"
Unfortunately for him, someone else must have been eavesdropping on their conversation the entire time. Looking back, he found Momo glaring at him from the corner, her eyes fully focused on him. Was she still angry about the kiss from Sephie? Perhaps. He just ignored her and went back to viewing the ocean waves and clouds above, enjoying the moment of peace until they reached the main port of Sainan.
{Break}
(A few days later)
After that event, life went on and returned to a rather normal pace. Every day life seemed to settle back into a state of normality that Emiya hadn't experienced for a long while. No alien invasions, no emperor wandering around town with the ability to destroy the entire world, no fiancée candidates here to challenge him, and no assassins after his throat—or his friends who were actually aliens in disguise. Now, he found himself back on the rooftop of the school, eating his lunch with a familiar leech stealing his food every so often.
"Holy shit, you actually got a kiss from Lala's mother, the freaking empress, and I wasn't there to see it!?"
He had company, with Risa having recovered from her fever and looking better, now more nosy than ever.
"It wasn't much of a sight; she just gave me a bit of a peck on the cheek, but that's about it. I don't see why you're reacting like this," he said to the brunette sleeping on his lap. Every so often, she would open her mouth, prompting him to pick up a piece of food from his bento box and feed it to her like he was some sort of servant. "You know, I won't be your butler forever. You can only use the excuse of your illness for so long."
Risa grinned, not budging from her spot at all and making herself even more comfortable while stretching like a cat. "Uuuuuh, what a tragic week it has been for me. Forced to stay in my bed with no one to look after me, barely able to feed myself with the fridge completely empty, and barely able to survive all by myself with no one by my side—AH!" She let out a dramatic sigh, but her antics were cut short when she received a swift chop to the head, with Emilia giving her a disappointed head shake.
"Maybe the fever gave you a minor case of amnesia because I'm pretty sure someone was regularly visiting you and making sure you were fed and cleaned. Two people, in fact. Perhaps you want me to show you some of the pictures of you being too lazy to go to the bath and having someone else clean you like a—"
Whatever he was about to say was halted when Risa pushed her hands against his mouth.
"Alright, alright, alright, I admit defeat. I was just joking. Can't you hear the sarcasm in my tone?"
"No."
"Tch," the brunette muttered as he brought another piece of pork cutlet to her mouth, which she ate immediately, her face lighting up with a giant smile. "Wait, don't think you'll be able to make me forget about the conversation just by feeding me food!" she teased, still munching away.
"I wasn't trying to do so," he replied flatly.
"But yeah, how did it feel to receive a kiss from a woman who's apparently so beautiful that it makes people around her go crazy just by seeing her face?"
"Like I said, it wasn't a big deal—just a simple kiss on the cheek. Also, it's not that she's so beautiful it makes people go insane; it's just her pheromones. She can't control it, and that's what drives people wild. She looks very similar to Lala, but a bit more mature physically." Sephie had her charm, but he doubted it put her at the very top so easily.
"Are you telling me that Lala is the most beautiful girl you've ever met?"
Emiya didn't answer immediately. Faces from his past life, and even a few Heroic Spirits, crossed his mind — some holding the title of Goddess. Yet, he didn't need to look far; even here, someone like Mikado could be considered conventionally just as beautiful—if not more—than Sephie, depending on someone's taste. "The world is vast. It shouldn't be a surprise that out there, people may exist who are more beautiful than Lala." That was all he said, not hinting at anything further nor willing to elaborate.
"Am I one of those people?"
"No."
"Aww…" Risa let out a disappointed sound, sulking slightly, which made him roll his eyes before feeding her another piece of his food. She smiled again like a puppy easily swayed by food.
"This isn't a competition to see who's the most beautiful, you know?"
"Yeah, but it would still give me a big confidence boost to hear you say I'm as beautiful, if not more beautiful than Lala."
"I can tell you that, but it would be a lie."
"Come on, at least try to pretend like you care."
Their conversation continued, with Emiya telling her about other events from the vacation at the beach. Risa happily listened, showing varying reactions to each part. It was clear that being sick and unable to attend had really bummed her out. She tried not to show it, but Emiya could see through it.
Once the bento box was emptied, Risa stretched like a satisfied cat after the last bite, her uniform straining over her full stomach as she purred, "Mmm, you've stuffed me so thoroughly with essences... I can feel your love pulsing inside me with every breath, flooding my very being." Her fingers crept up her trembling thigh, skirt riding higher, showing off smooth skin, as she bit her lip. "Though... if you wanted to force one more bite past my limits... watch me take it all... I wouldn't stop you even if I begged for mercy." The wet click of her tongue cleaned imaginary leftovers.
He rolled his eyes at her obvious attempt to get a rise out of him with her choice of words. Seeing his lack of reaction, she just huffed and let go of the matter.
"Next time I fall sick, you better take me with you—even if you have to attach me to your back. I missed too much, and I feel extremely left out."
This girl… "Focus on your recovery. You would've been sleeping inside the manor even if we brought you along. Now get off me, time's up."
"Five more minutes."
"I already gave you five minutes before. Now get up before I push you off myself."
With a lazy sigh, Risa forced herself to sit up and gave him room to get up as well. She followed him downstairs, her hands behind her head as she whistled a tune.
"Oh wow, I almost forgot—it's almost Christmas. Do you have any plans?"
"Not particularly," Emiya admitted. "I guess I'll just be spending time at home, cooking some new dishes and pastries with Mikan. Why?"
With her arms crossed, she gave him a knowing look. "You know, during such events, high school students usually tend to go on dates with their crushes."
Emiya paused, realizing he had almost forgotten that Christmas was considered a romantic season. He remembered shopping with Rito, encountering plenty of couples on the streets buying chocolates and other gifts for one another. "Are you asking me on a date?"
Risa froze, her gaze shifting as she muttered under her breath, "I know better than to do that, knowing you wouldn't even agree to go out with me. If someone like Yui or Saki can't do it, then what chance do I have?"
He chuckled at her answer. "You don't have to say it like that. By the way, you're invited to my place for Christmas. I'm sure Lala will be happy to see you there."
"Eh, really?" Risa was caught off guard by his words, glancing at him to check whether or not he was serious. "You aren't just messing with me, are you?"
"Now, why would I do that? I'm being completely serious here," Emiya responded with a calm smile.
She narrowed her eyes. "And what would be the reason for such a nice gesture on your part, Emiya? Am I getting kidnapped?"
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Not everything I do has to have a secret meaning or intention behind it. It's just an invitation to my home so you can have a good time and enjoy Christmas. What could I possibly plan with that?"
Truthfully, there was some hidden meaning behind his offer. After learning about Risa's situation with her parents from Mio and other sources, he knew she would likely be alone during Christmas. Her parents, always busy with work like his own, hardly had the time to spend time with their only daughter. Ringo and Saibai, on the other hand, would stop by for a day or two — though he would drag them home if they failed to do so… Risa did not have that luxury. The girl was always positive and cheerful, despite her home life, so inviting her to spend Christmas with him seemed like a good idea—and it wouldn't cost him anything. He truly believed that Lala would be happy to have her join them, too.
"... Thanks," Risa said, her voice soft but sincere. "Don't chicken out on the offer at the last second… I mean it… I'll burst through your door for sure."
Emiya smiled, "Make sure to at least bring something to eat or drink if you're going to make such an entrance." He was glad to see that she had accepted his offer. As they walked down the hallway together, they heard a commotion coming from the front of the class. He was surprised to see Yui being pestered by Saruyama, who was shouting loudly for everyone to hear.
"Please! Please, just ask him! I'll give you anything! I'll even pay you money! It's just a simple request, and I'll be indebted to you forever!"
"Tell him yourself! And for the last time, why are you coming to me for this!? It's weird if I were to ask him such a thing!" Yui exclaimed, her face flushed with embarrassment from all the attention she was receiving. "Let go of my foot, you weirdo!"
"Not until you talk to him! He'll be more easily convinced if a hot, busty chick talks to him instead of a boy!" Saruyama refused to budge, even after Yui kicked him several times. Despite the black-and-blue bruises covering his face, he clung on, undeterred. The Counter Guardian felt an eerie chill as the boy suddenly turned his head toward him with a look of pure joy. Goosebumps crawled over his spine at that moment.
"He's here! Right over there!" Saruyama shouted, pointing at him excitedly. "Please, go talk to him, Kotegawa! I'll be forever grateful to you, and you'll have my most devoted followership! I'll lick your shoes clean!"
"Ew! Ew! Ew! Get away from me! I don't need a follower, you pervert!" Yui shot back, visibly starting to consider murdering the boy.
"I'll stop participating in the Anti-Emiya Alliance!" Saruyama's words immediately made Yui falter as she was about to go for a kick to his neck. The offer sounded too good to refuse, considering that the club often created chaos that she despised dealing with.
"Are you serious?"
"I swear on my mother's grave!"
"Your mother is still alive!"
"...Oh… I swear on my dignity as a man!"
Yui scoffed. "Do you even have any in the first place?" She watched him stand there, mouth agape, hurt by her words. Emiya chuckled; it seemed the girl was getting better with her comebacks.
"Fine, fine," Yui sighed, "but if you don't get the answer you want, don't come crying to me. Got it?"
Saruyama crossed his heart, a gesture of promise. "Cross my heart."
With another sigh, she shot the redhead a sorry glance before walking over to him, Saruyama trailing eagerly behind. Risa gave a Cheshire cat grin, fully prepared to capture the entire scene on her phone. "This is going to be good. I'm standing back to film the whole thing." Even Rito and Lala were watching the commotion with curious expressions.
"Emiya…" Yui called out his name hesitantly. "You see, Saruyama has something he wanted me to ask you."
"Me? I'm curious," he responded, leaning in slightly and wondering what the boy would want so much to have caused this much of a scene.
The Head of the Disciplinary Committee scratched the back of her head, growing more uncomfortable by the second. Saruyama tugged at her sleeve lightly, urging her to hurry up, so she took a deep breath and spoke. "Alright! Saruyama asked me if you can get in touch with some relative of yours he saw recently, so he can go on a date with her for Christmas!"
"..."
The entire hallway went silent as soon as Yui finished asking her question, and several gazes immediately focused on them, especially the boys who had initially shown interest in the girl who had appeared during the parade event and laid waste to everyone. It was a time he refused to talk with anyone, and who would have thought it would come back to haunt him in this way?
"Please, aniki! I have changed!" Saruyama's voice broke through the stillness as he desperately pleaded. "I am no longer the Saruyama you knew in the past! I've prayed at a local shrine for days and achieved enlightenment! You will find no other suitable man in all of Sainan than myself, and I swear I'll become the best brother-in-law in the—eh, where are you going?"
The weather outside was clear, the sun shining brightly without a cloud in the sky, making it the perfect opportunity for a walk. Emiya, feeling particularly unmotivated by the school day, remembered that his next class was canceled due to the teacher being sick. With that, he thought about skipping the rest of the day. It would be easy to leave without anyone noticing; after all, the principal would likely mark him as absent.
"Wait! What about what I said?" Saruyama's voice interrupted his thoughts, being persistent with his attempts. "At least show her my picture! Maybe she'll be interested!" The boy rushed up to him, pulling several photos from his pockets and thrusting them into Emiya's face. Each photo was a different pose of the boy: one with a rose in his mouth, another in a full suit, and a few more where he was lying on a bed, trying to strike a seductive pose while staring at the camera.
Emiya resisted the urge to burn these into ashes. He had to ignore it.
"I even went to one of Sainan's most expensive hairdressers to style myself properly! And I managed to book a spot at one of the most luxurious restaurants. You can see it for yourself, it's called the Golden Goose, one of the best places to go out as a couple. I assure you, your cousin will have the best day of her life!" Saruyama continued his excitement mounting.
"I don't have a cousin. Also, I don't know what you're talking about, so let it go."
"I refuse! My heart was stolen by the beautiful maiden that day, and I won't forget her! I can't!"
As Emiya considered this, he realized he hadn't visited the park in quite a while. It was one of his favorite spots to sit, relax, and watch the clouds. A peaceful place to clear his mind, especially with all the stressful things that had been piling up lately. Maybe that was where he needed to go right now, as a migraine started to creep into his head.
Meanwhile, Risa, of all people, was doing nothing to help. She was laughing her ass off and filming the entire interaction, clearly enjoying every moment of it.
Rito acted clueless about the whole thing while Lala was searching for something in her pockets, retrieving her D-Dial and scrolling through its content.
"..."
Wait… she was what?
'She wouldn't… no, I can't take the risk.'
His footsteps hastened, this time trying to get away from the Princess rather than Saruyama. Fearing the former would take out a gender-changing gun or something along those lines!
"Aniki! Please, give me a chance, Nii-san!" Saruyama continued, desperation filling his voice. "I promise I'll stay loyal! Like a priceless gem, I'll even get top spots amongst the students just to prove my determination to gain your appro—"
Whatever he was about to say was cut short when a footprint appeared on his face, sending him flying backward. His body hit the floor, and the entire hallway watched in stunned silence, their mouths wide open.
"I've told you before," Emiya said, his expression serious as he stood over Saruyama, "I have no idea what you're talking about, and I'd prefer if you dropped this matter forever."
With that, he quickly walked away from the school, but his peace was short-lived. As he neared the exit, he heard Saruyama's voice screaming from the upper floors of the building.
Having miraculously recovered from that previous attack.
"It's okay! I understand why, as a cousin or brother, you must be so protective of her! I'll prove myself worthy in your eyes and win her heart over, aniki!"
Great, another Ren.
The urge to shoot Caladbolg out of sheer frustration had never been greater.
.
.
.
(Half an hour later)
"Ha, this is much better," Emiya thought as he made his way to the park. The walk took about half an hour, and he took his time, enjoying the solitude. "The place hasn't changed much," he mused, glancing around. The memories of his battles with Zastin's henchmen and his conflicts with Gid and Solgam still lingered, but they seemed far away now. The destruction that once marred this peaceful park had been repaired so perfectly that it was hard to believe anything had ever happened in the first place.
He guessed it was either Zastin doing or some other hidden entity ensuring that the alien battles stayed out of the public eye. With a sigh, he settled onto a bench and closed his eyes, letting the gentle breeze cool his face and the chirping of birds relax his mind. For once, he could forget about school and the frustration that weighed on him.
At that moment, he could truly forget about everything.
And then, suddenly, he heard shouting.
"—You won't get away from this, General Mojack! Give back Ikemen-senpai's hair and those of everyone you've changed!"
"Hahaha! You're too late, Magical Girl Kyouko! With the Infinite Crystal in my hand, I have enough power to turn everyone in this city into afro-haired people! Nothing will stop me— not even you!"
"No!" came the defiant shout. "I won't let you succeed! The fate of the world rests on my shoulders! Magical Kyouko will never lose as long as there is hope!"
Emiya blinked in confusion. "Eh?"
His curiosity piqued, Emiya cracked open one eye, only to find a bizarre scene unfolding right behind him. There was a man in a blue cape and a tight gray costume, holding a strange staff with a crystal on top, standing opposite a young lady with an unusual getup.
Magical Girl… Kyouko?
"Wait, what?" Emiya muttered to himself. This wasn't real. He could have sworn he had heard this dialogue a dozen times when Lala and his sister would watch their favorite magical girl show on TV. The conversation felt so out of place, yet so familiar, and there they were, a full-on film crew surrounding the action. How had he not noticed them a minute ago? And what the hell was going on?
He turned his head slowly, dread filling his chest. The scene before him was too surreal. He had somehow stumbled into a film set. And he hadn't seen any warning signs about filming in progress.
"Just... why?" Emiya sighed under his breath, already knowing that no good answer would come.
Trying to stay unnoticed, he stood up from the bench, hands in his pockets, hoping to sneak away without drawing attention. He had no intention of getting involved, not in this mess. Just a few steps into his escape, the bald man with the staff screamed once more.
"You are too late! Witness the power of the Infinite Crystal as I turn everyone into afro-haired models!"
Without warning, smoke pellets exploded at his feet, filling the air with a dense fog. Emiya coughed, squinting through the haze, only to hear hurried footsteps approaching. A member of the crew appeared, holding an afro wig in his hand, and he ran up to Emiya without missing a beat.
"Oy, extra! You should be walking in the other direction! We told you to wear casual outfits, not a uniform, dammit! Never mind—just wear this wig and follow the part. I don't want the director firing me over your mistakes!"
"What? I'm not part of this—"
Before he could protest, the crew member slapped the wig onto his head and rushed off, leaving him standing there, stunned, with an afro wig awkwardly perched atop his hair. The smoke started to clear, and he found himself frozen in place, the weight of the wig a painful reminder that he was now part of a ridiculous situation he never asked for.
"Ha, hahaha!" the bald man cackled, examining his handiwork. "Look at that! My power can even turn an unassuming old man. Eh? Um, ah, I mean, a-a student into a widely sought-after afro-haired man! Next, I shall aim for the school!" The actor shouted, most likely having expected someone else to appear rather than him. Yet, he did not break character and continued the scene with a slightly modified script.
"..."
"Hmm? Magical Kyouko? I said, Next, I shall aim for the school! Hahahahaha!" The actor repeated his line after not getting a response from the girl. Unfortunately, the same thing occurred again, and Kyouko just stood there in complete silence.
"What is going on? Why isn't she saying her lines?" A few of the crew members asked out loud, one even holding up a large panel with the girl's dialogue. She did not read them, nor did she even notice the noise around her. Emiya found Kyouko staring at him with widened eyes and a finger slowly pointing at him.
"It's you again… the chef guy."
She forgot his name… again."
…
"Sorry about the confusion back there. The director is usually the one to check if the area is well contained with plenty of signs, but he got lazy today."
Back on the bench, now no longer wearing the ridiculous afro hairstyle, both Emiya, and Kyouko sat together while the film crew ran all over the place to reshoot the scene and find the missing extra actor who should have been present there earlier.
"It's fine; mistakes happen. I'm just surprised about how I didn't notice any of you early on." He said, not taking what happened before to heart. "You look like you're doing well for yourself, a big difference from the last time I saw you."
She laughed awkwardly. "Well, we were in a game that time, and I was still trying to figure out how to play. Also, it's not my fault that the Princess went rogue."
It was a crazy moment, to say the least. Even what happened at the end, after Lala deleted the world, remained stuck in his mind, and he felt uncomfortable trying to understand why he saw that version of himself there and what that installed of the kind of contraption that girl was able to unknowingly create meant.
"Just what happened back there when we all stormed the castle? I remembered everyone attacking the gods, and then boom, everything turned white, and the headset brought me back to the real world with the game overwritten on the screen. Even when I tried to log back in, it wouldn't work."
"You wanted to go back?" He said, having believed that she would have grown weary of such a thing. "After all that happened?"
The Flamian nodded enthusiastically. "The game wasn't bad, quite the opposite. I had fun in the beginning, and at the end, I wouldn't mind doing it again."
He couldn't say the same for himself.
"You will have to ask either Lala or Momo for the details. In the meantime, shouldn't you be at school right now? I just left because our teacher is absent, and the principal wouldn't even bother with my absence."
The girl pointed at a middle-aged man in the distance, sitting on the director's chair. "He is a good friend of my school's principal. Whenever we are having an important shoot, I can skip classes and catch up later."
"Very convenient."
"Yep! And it's also quite fun!" Kyouko snapped her fingers as an idea came to mind. "Wait, since we haven't found the other actor yet. Why don't you just play the character instead? We can end the shoot early and get back home before sunset!"
Had he been drinking something, he would have choked at that moment. "Me? Acting? You can't be serious."
She did not back down; quite the opposite, in fact.
"You can do it! It's an easy role. Normally it should have been Ikemen filming, but he got sick and couldn't perform, which is why we replaced his role with an old man. But it doesn't fit the script given Ikemen was supposed to fall victim to the afro hair magic, which also mind-controls him to attack Magical Kyouko, and this is what pushes me into a well of despair! But then I remember the promise made in the past and push back against all odds and fight Ikemen till he and General Miojack all lose!"
It was clear to anyone to figure out that this person was quite passionate about the story and the show she was acting in. Without even realizing it, she grew more and more enthusiastic with her storytelling to the point that she even showcased a bit of fire coming out of her palm in the last part.
"Oi, you're doing this in public?" He asked, worriedly looking around but discovering that no one even seemed to care. "Huh?" He had a pretty low opinion of the people in this town, but for them not to even notice such a blatant display of supernatural ability was just ridiculous. Unless he was missing something.
Kyouko waved her hand, "Oh, don't worry about that. Everyone here knows that I'm a Flamian. Many of them are actually aliens like me!"
That… was indeed an interesting revelation. Technology to change one's appearance to resemble a human was not rare, according to Mikado. Seeing how many people would visit her clinic daily made it clear that there was indeed a large population of aliens living in this town in secret. But he never imagined many of them would actually be running such a popular show in the first place.
"No wonder, that's quite nice."
"Isn't it? So, what do you say? You don't have to play a big role; just pretend like you are having a mental fight going on as the general attempts to take over your mind. Fall down on the ground and limp for a couple of seconds before getting back up and fighting me a bit. Don't worry, I won't use my flames on you, and you will get a prop weapon. It will be fun! If you have any skills with kendo, then we even have a prompt sword for you to use.'
It sounded genuinely like an enticing offer, but he was still hesitant.
"We'll even pay you."
Kyouko grabbed the piece of paper, writing the amount on it before showing it to him.
"..."
Was she being serious?
'With that kind of amount, I can make that snow crab dish Rito has been asking about lately and even buy a few kilograms of bluefin tuna Mikan always wanted to taste. And I'll still have some leftovers to buy half a year's worth of cleaning supplies and stock up.'
Ringo and Saibai were not cheap when it came to giving him money to take care of the house and when planning their monthly budget — but even those two did not give him this much. The prize money he got from Saki was saved up for both Mikan and Rito's future studies… a bit of it used to touch up his shed.
A true conundrum…
In the end, the offer was too good to pass up. "Fine, I'll do it."
"Great choice! I'll let the director know! We should be starting shooting again in half an hour." She said excitedly, running over to the person in question, who seemed happy at the news.
Emiya already imagined the reaction of Lala and Mikan if they saw him on TV. In the meantime, he went ahead and walked over to a vending machine to buy himself a couple of drinks. He decided to get Kyouko something as well, as he figured she would prefer something sweet.
He pressed the buttons on the vending machine, and with a mechanical clunk, one can dropped into the pickup slot. He reached in to grab it, only to hear another thud—then another. Two additional bottles tumbled out, one of which he definitely hadn't paid for.
"Oooh! Is that the limited edition Ballmon strawberry ramune!?" A young voice spoke beside him with joy. Turning around, he found an unknown girl with very long braided red hair with a strange looking violet colored hair clip on top standing beside him, gazing at the contents in his hands with interest. "I've been looking for that all over town, but they were emptying every single vending machine I could find! Can't believe you got the last two!"
Ballmon? He was pretty sure that was another show Mikan would watch as a kid. No wonder the cartoon characters on the bottle looked so familiar.
He saw the dark blue-eyed girl's mouth water at the sight of the drink he held, following them with the slightest move he made like a cat eyeing its food.
Even as he took a step back, she would take one forward.
"... Do you perhaps want one?"
The machine did accidentally give him one more than he needed, so giving it away was better than keeping this around until it turned warm.
"Eh, really!? Yes!" She snatched the bottle as he handed it over. Opened it and emptied the ramune in record time. "Puah! That was the best!"
An odd person, perhaps a bit too cheerful… maybe she was just happy to find that drink. He did not feel anything weird from her or any hostile intent for that matter. "Thanks, I'll pay the favor soon, I promise!" She said while handing him the empty bottle, weirdly enough.
Taking it off her hand, he went ahead and threw it inside a recycling bin. "It's nothing. Though perhaps next time you can just throw it yourself, the trash bin was just here… hm?"
As soon as he turned around, the girl was gone from sight.
"..."
His brows furrowed, he looked around carefully for any signs but once again found nothing to attack him or even observe him. Nothing but the sound of the film crew in the distance, calling for everyone to gather in place to start shooting.
Just who was that girl…
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.