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"Hah… hah…"
On the chilly rooftop, the girl's hurried breathing broke the silence of the night.
"Peach juice… tastes sooo good…"
Yamada Elf's eyes were hazy, her words slurred. She was obviously nowhere near fully conscious.
"Servant… I want more…"
More?!
Give me a break already!
I rushed all the way here to save you, and you repay me with dirty tactics and surprise attacks? Doesn't your conscience hurt at all?!
Blake raised a hand and wiped the silver strand from the corner of his lips. Looking at the dazed blonde girl in his arms, he let out a helpless sigh.
Once this fairy came back to her senses, she'd probably be so embarrassed she'd want to dig a hole and bury herself, right?
A few moments later, the magic purification was complete.
Blake tightened his grip slightly, decisively picked up the blonde girl in a princess carry, and headed off the rooftop.
"S-Servant, let me drink one more sip… I'm dying of thirst…"
"You still have enough energy to sneak attack people, so you're obviously fine."
"My throat hurts so much… it's seriously gonna break…"
"Humans can go at least three days without water, so your throat won't break," Blake replied while walking downstairs. "Just wait until you're sober. Let's see how much you regret this then."
"I won't regret it…"
Yamada Elf muttered softly.
After spending half the night freezing on the rooftop, she really had developed a slight fever. Her whole body ached, her head felt foggy, and her thoughts were fuzzy.
But pretending she didn't know what she'd just done? That would be a lie.
To keep herself from "dying of thirst," plus the temptation of that peach juice flavor, she'd impulsively kissed him. But her memory of it was perfectly clear.
And regret…?
She didn't feel any at all.
Trapped alone on the rooftop with a dead phone, unable to call for help, Yamada Elf had honestly started to think she might die there all by herself.
So when Blake descended from the sky to rescue her, he looked exactly like the hero from a fairy tale saving the princess.
And when a hero fought through hardships to save a princess, wasn't rewarding him with a kiss perfectly normal?
Besides, not only had the kiss eased the painful dryness in her throat, the process itself had also felt really nice…
Anyway, absolutely no losses here!
Naturally, Blake had no idea what the blonde loli was thinking. Carrying her, he quickly left the school building and stopped in front of a vending machine. After inserting some coins, he bought a bottle of juice.
"Here. Drink as much as you want."
"Thank you, Servant."
Yamada Elf's eyes lit up. She eagerly grabbed the drink and tilted her head back, gulping it down.
While the blonde girl replenished her fluids, Blake took out his phone and sent messages to Kuroneko, Angel, and Sagiri.
"Found Elf already. She's okay for now, so don't worry."
The messages were marked as read almost immediately.
The girls all replied, telling them to hurry home.
"I survived…"
Yamada Elf let out a long breath. Her eyes curved into crescents, and her little face was overflowing with happiness.
"So apple juice actually tastes amazing."
"You're just too thirsty. It's not that apple juice is amazing." Blake put away his phone and looked at her curiously. "So why were you even on the school rooftop? And why couldn't anyone reach your phone?"
"My phone died, so I couldn't message you, Servant. Otherwise I would've summoned you to rescue me way earlier." Yamada Elf bit her lip pitifully, even her usually proud ahoge drooping weakly. "I went out today to gather inspiration. I happened to pass by your school, and then I remembered how you're always telling me I should keep studying, saying school life is an irreplaceable part of youth… so I wanted to see the environment where you study…"
Blake replied expressionlessly, "I told you to stop going out to play every day."
"Gathering inspiration isn't playing…"
Yamada Elf quietly protested before continuing.
"After I got inside, I found the classroom where you study and even left a surprise inside your desk…"
"Thanks," Blake deadpanned. "I already received your terrifying gift."
"Hmph." Yamada Elf puffed lightly. "There weren't many people at school, and wandering around alone got boring. I was about to leave when I suddenly saw two girls walking through the hallway. One was a blonde gyaru, and the other was a cold-looking girl with long black hair. I thought it might be bullying, so I turned invisible and followed them."
She looked up at him, her face full of juicy gossip.
"Servant, guess what they were doing on the rooftop?"
Blake's expression didn't change. "Did they fuse together and evolve into Super Saiyans?"
"How is that even possible?!" Yamada Elf puffed out her cheeks and planted her hands on her hips. "They were kissing!"
"That black-haired girl pinned the blonde gyaru against the wall, and they started kissing on the rooftop. It was amazing. I didn't know girls could do that too."
Wait.
Two girls kissing?
That information load was way too massive, okay?!
Blake suddenly felt like he could smell citrus perfume lingering in the air. Who knew there were hidden dragons and crouching tigers among the girls at school?
"I see." Blake had already guessed the rest. "Those two girls didn't know you were on the rooftop, so when they left, they locked the door behind them?"
"Exactly." Yamada Elf sounded aggrieved. "My phone died while I was playing games, so I didn't even get the chance to message you. So annoying."
The school building had five floors. There was no way a normal person could jump down safely. Her phone was dead, and since it was Golden Week, the campus was practically deserted.
Yamada Elf could scream all she wanted, but nobody would hear her. And while invisibility was useful, it definitely didn't let her phase through walls.
She genuinely had no way out.
Thankfully, Blake had rushed over in time. If they'd gone through the police instead, they'd probably still be stuck at the station explaining things.
"Good thing you came to save me, Servant." Yamada Elf clutched her chest, a trace of lingering fear finally showing on her face. "Otherwise I might've ended up like the Little Match Girl and never seen tomorrow's sun."
"Humans are sturdier than you think." Seeing how shaken the blonde girl still was, Blake reached out and gently rubbed her head before turning to leave. "Let's go home. Everyone's waiting for you."
"Carry me," Yamada Elf requested, looking up at him pitifully. "I don't have any strength left. I can't walk."
Considering she'd spent the entire night terrified and trapped, Blake didn't refuse. He crouched down slightly.
"Hop on."
"Thank you, Servant~"
Yamada Elf happily thanked him, then suddenly gasped.
"Wait, I'm not wearing clothes yet!"
"It's fine. Just turn invisible."
"Can't. I already hit my limit earlier. My ability's on cooldown right now."
Blake: "..."
You really choose the worst possible times to fail.
It was already past nine at night. The school grounds were cold, quiet, and completely empty. There was nobody around to borrow clothes from.
Left with no choice, Blake took off his own shirt and handed it to her.
"Here."
"Thank you, Servant."
Yamada Elf happily accepted the shirt. Then her gaze drifted toward Blake's body, staring openly without the slightest embarrassment.
"Servant, your body is seriously amazing."
"Use my name."
"Nope~" Yamada Elf quickly shook her head. "You're my one and only servant. Calling you 'Blake' wouldn't feel special anymore. And if I lose my individuality, I might as well just die."
Chuunibyou girls really could say the craziest things with a straight face.
After drinking juice, Yamada Elf's condition had improved noticeably. Before long, she finished putting on Blake's shirt.
"Servant, your shirt is huge." She raised both hands, only her pale fingertips peeking out from the sleeves. The hem completely covered her thighs. "I could wear this as a dress."
"Hurry up and get on." Blake crouched down again. "At this rate the sun's gonna come up before we leave."
"Heave-ho~"
Yamada Elf spread her arms and flopped softly onto the boy's back. Her cheeks reddened as she leaned close to his ear and whispered softly:
"Don't worry, Servant. I'll take responsibility."
"…What?"
"Back on the rooftop, I kissed you…" Her face grew hotter, her voice turning shy. "So… why don't you marry into my family?"
What the hell?!
That's your version of taking responsibility?!
"....."