[Altair Brando]
A golden pillar of mana shot toward the ceiling, blinding my vision. I raised my hand to shield my eyes from the intense light. The summoning system's reaction was similar to Artoria Alter's, but without that corrupted violet glow.
Strangely, Raikou frowned beside me. "My master, I think you're summoning someone annoying." She crossed her arms over her chest while staring at the golden light.
I opened my mouth to respond, but before a single syllable left my lips, I felt an aroma filling the air.
That aroma was... alcoholic, to be more precise, of fermented fruits.
The moment that thought crossed my mind, my gaze fell on Ritsuka, whose face was red. It wasn't embarrassment—it looked as if she had become intoxicated just from the fruity aroma. She took a few steps back, leaning on Mash.
While the sweet perfume of alcoholic fruits hung in the air, the golden pillar of light began to diminish, revealing the silhouette of the Servant I had summoned.
It was a small girl with short purple hair reaching her neck, her bangs falling over her forehead. Like her hair, her eyes were a beautiful bright purple, with red makeup painted just above them.
Her slender body was wrapped in a long, open bluish-purple kimono with curved red details on the extended sleeves and green ribbons. Underneath, she wore a minimalist metal piece covering her bust and groin, connected by thin lines to a choker. Small accessories of the same material adorned her wrists, fingers, heels, and feet.
Her appearance was delicate, her pale skin with a slight purple tone intensifying that impression. But a small detail on her head revealed that this woman was not human... that detail was the horn on her forehead projecting forward, possessing the pale tone of her skin that gradually became wine-red, not to mention the golden ornament with a green jewel on her forehead, between the horns.
As I observed the servant, her pale skin reminded me of camellia petals in the snow, and she opened her rosy lips.
"Ufufu~!" She let out a laugh, placing her hand over her lips. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Master. I am Assassin, Shuten Douji... thank you so much for summoning me." Staring at me with her beautiful purple eyes, she walked in my direction.
Wait a second... she said... Shuten Douji?
Wasn't that one of the three great monsters of Japan? Not only that, but also, if I'm not mistaken, the end of her life was caused when her head was severed by the woman beside me.
The exact second that thought passed through my mind, a sound echoed through the summoning room.
"Tsk!" Raikou clicked her tongue at the figure walking toward us.
Shuten's eyes fell on her, showing a provocative smile before returning to me again. "So you're my Master, aren't you?" Her purple eyes landed on the Command Seals on my hand as she walked toward me, swaying her hips and making the three gourds at her waist and over her hip follow the rhythm.
With the flashy movement, my eyes couldn't help but fall toward the three gourds at her waist: the first was a small brown gourd; the second, a white sake container; the third, and most prominent, was a huge blue glass gourd with golden ornaments.
From a layman's point of view, they didn't seem to be just normal gourds at all.
As I thought about this, I raised my gaze to her, who was almost in front of me, opening my lips. "Yes." I showed a slight smile, while Raikou continued staring at the servant with a look of hatred.
"Ufufu~! Even though you're my adorable master, I'm going to do what I want. You don't mind, do you?" She raised the sleeve of her kimono over her mouth.
"As long as it doesn't go against what I believe in, feel free." I moved my arms, shrugging.
She narrowed her eyes in amusement, directing them at me.
But before she could say a single word, our dear red-haired magus raised her finger, pointing at her.
"Wait a second... if you're Shuten Douji, does that mean you're an Oni?"
[She took a while to realize that]
Her gears worked a little slower. But she's not wrong—Shuten Dōji really is an Oni, man-eating monsters. In the simplest terms, they can be compared to demons.
As my thoughts wandered about this race, Assassin raised her gaze toward her. "Maybe~! I could just be a pretty fairy..."
"You're just a bothersome insect." Miyamoto-no-Raikou, with her arms crossed over her breasts, opened her lips, looking at Shuten as if she would tear her head off (again) at any moment.
"Oh my! Oh my! For an 'old' friend, you're quite mean." Shuten, showing a smile, put great emphasis on the word "old," making my berserker servant's expression distort even more in hatred.
"Why do I feel like it's getting a little colder?" Ritsuka hugged her own body, while Mash looked with trembling at the two servants who seemed like they would launch their Noble Phantasms at each other at any moment.
"Just a weak and useless buzzing coming from a monstrosity... fufufu~! Don't worry, when I crush you, I'll throw your pieces somewhere not even the vultures will find." Even though there was a smile on Raikou's lips, her eyes were cold as glaciers, not to mention her fingers were brushing over the hilt of her sword.
"How cute!" Shuten moved her hand, placing one over the other. "But... what's this smell of cow and old milk... it's so unbearable." Shuten covered her nose, looking at Raikou with slight disgust.
A vein popped on my servant's face, but Shuten's next words broke her entire line of reason.
"Honestly, I think middle-aged women should retire already..."
In the same instant, Raikou pulled her sword from its sheath and Shuten showed a smile, flexing her hand and making her claws grow. In unison, they both attacked each other with not-at-all friendly intent.
Letting out a sigh, I moved instantly, abruptly interrupting both attacks.
In an instant, I caught Raikou's blade, which tore the skin of my hand, and grabbed Shuten's thin arm—which, despite its delicate appearance, possessed great strength—creating a small impact wave.
"As a fan of a good fight, I don't oppose a bit of chaos, but this isn't the place for it." I moved my hand, releasing Shuten Dōji's arm and Raikou's katana. But when I opened my hand that had held the weapon, blood was dripping from the skin, dropping onto the ground.
"Son!?" Raikou exclaimed with a panicked look.
"..." I had no reaction. My eyes were on the red liquid trickling between my fingers, falling to the floor.
The wound wasn't deep, but upon seeing the blood, the sound of a bullet piercing a head echoed in my mind. But before I could have a small crisis, I felt the palm of a hand enveloping mine.
Coming out of my stupor, the first person who came to mind was Raikou, who should be holding my hand. However, the aroma of alcoholic fruits told another story.
Looking to the side, my eyes fell on Shuten Dōji, who was holding my hand delicately.
"Very well, I'll allow you to be my master, but..." Her purple eyes stared at me with interest, while her perfect face lowered toward my hand. "Remember: I'm going to do what I want."
Before I could have a reaction, suddenly she opened her lips, sticking out her small red tongue. Without the slightest explanation, her tongue licked the blood on my palm in an indecent manner.
[...]
I couldn't help but be surprised by such an action.
"Delicious..." she squeezed her thighs a little, while her gaze on me became a bit more intense. "With that, we can say our contract has been established." Shuten raised her head, running her finger over her blood-stained lips.
"I can't say I didn't like it, but that's a peculiar way to make a contract." I raised my hand, looking at the palm that had a perfumed trace of saliva, where there wasn't the slightest trace of blood—even the wound was closed.
"You..." Raikou clenched her fist hard.
"Me!?" Shuten licked her bloodied lips, provoking the berserker servant even more.
"Hmph!" Instead of falling for the provocation, Raikou just let out a snort, pulling my body toward her and moving me away from her.
"Well, that was intense." Da Vinci showed a smile, tapping the tip of her staff on the ground. "But summoning Shuten Dōji on your first summoning... you're quite lucky."
My luck is ranked "E," so I'm not sure if she's right, I thought, smiling to myself, as my body sank between two heavenly masses.
"Maybe not so much~!" Shuten put her arm behind her back. "My dear master summoned an assassin who has already devoured the bones of pure princesses and innocent children, so it shouldn't be very pleasant to have a monster by your side."
Looking at her, I tilted my head to the side, not understanding what she was trying to say. "That doesn't make sense... you're my Servant. I don't care if you killed hundreds or thousands—what matters to me is that you remain by my side." I innocently blinked my eyes at her.
"..."
A silence fell over the hall at the same time that Raikou hugged me tighter, until a voice sweet as wine broke the silence.
"You're really interesting." She brought her face close to mine, making her aroma permeate my senses. "What's your name, my master?"
"Altair Brando."
"That's a beautiful name." Her claw passed over my face, before Raikou slapped her hand away, making the servant show a smile.
Meanwhile, our Caster raised his hand, looking at my servant and then turning his gaze to the pale blonde-haired servant beside him. "Both breasts are small, but she has more curves and her thighs are more..." Caster was interrupted by an Excalibur punch to the stomach, which launched him straight against a wall.
"Fool." Artoria looked coldly at the Caster pressed against the wall.
At the same time, Ritsuka blinked in disbelief seeing her Servant being thrown.
But no one said anything, because he deserved the punch.
Ironically, the incident was ignored by my two servants, who seemed more interested in me.
"We're going to have a lot of fun, master~!" She turned, casting me a mischievous look, while Raikou's nails dug obsessively into my skin.
Why do I feel like I'm between a rose with countless thorns and a cup of deadly wine? Even so, I wouldn't trade my situation for anything.
With that thought, our little summoning festival came to an end... for now.
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Don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review or drop a comment to motivate me.
(Shuten Douji - Character Image)