To Love a Sword Chapter 26 (Patreon)

Partially beta read by Paragon of Awesomeness and Fabled Life

Edit 1: Added second part, total word count is 16k!

Important: So, this chapter is nearly 9k words and guess what... It's only half of what I had initially prepared T-T.

This part was supposed to be written AFTER the Saki incident, I completely forgot about it until a beta reader reminded me. So, I'll write it as a special additional series above this chapter and the following one. Yes, it did happen and is not just an omake, I'm still bashing my head for this mistake.

As for where the story left off last chapter, that part isn't done yet I'm afraid so I had to cut it. BUT, I won't make y'all wait another month to see it, after I update Hound of the Dead, I'll also finalize the FULL chapter for Toloveru a day or two later.

So basically double update, yay...? So I'm unsure if I should add it here at the end or just make a different post entirely with the title chapter 26.2 and this being 26.1.

Tell me what y'all think is the best/convenient. Both method work for me.

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-Yuuki Residence-


"Quite the ruckus," Emiya remarked, sitting comfortably in the living room while watching the news. The latest reports about a series of accidents and roots suddenly appearing out of nowhere in many parts of the city had taken the front seat on every news station. 


Thankfully, there was no recorded footage of Celine or the twins taken by anyone. Emiya suspected that Zastin may have had a hand in it, or other aliens whose primary job was to stay hidden and keep such affairs out of the public eye.


"You would think that this place would be swarming with secret agents sent by the government to capture possible aliens or young girls with magical powers to conduct various tests on them. Yet nothing of the sort has happened. I'm starting to believe that the mayor of this town is also an alien," a secondary voice spoke, watching the news together with him with equal interest. She plopped down on the couch, her messy, wet hair tied up in a towel. She made herself comfortable, using his thighs as a pillow while also playing with her handheld console.


He let out a resigned sigh, noticing his younger sister's carefree demeanor that she always had on the weekends. "I could have helped you dry and comb your hair if you were worried about it getting frizzy and tangled. Now, my pants are wet," he said, before starting to work on her hair."


"It's not that wet, and at most, it's just some droplets of water. Can we change the channel? I'm sick of hearing the same thing on repeat," she stated simply before returning her attention to her online game with friends.  


He peeked downwards to see exactly what game she was so invested in. Raising an eyebrow, he found his sister controlling a character using dual blades alongside another character holding a ridiculously large greatsword made of bones, both of them in the middle of hunting some kind of dragon-like monster.


"Damn it, I should have healed,” she whispered after dying in the game.


He was pretty certain that Rito was the one who bought her this game in the first place. Unfortunately, he wasn't much of a video game player himself, and so lacked the interest he’d have needed to truly try it out. 


"As you wish." Grabbing onto the remote, the redhead lazily switched between the channels, going from one news channel to another, then weird game shows, and animal documentaries, before momentarily stopping at a channel showing a live-action movie about some kind of magical girl throwing fireballs from her palms.


"Ah, it's Magical Kyouko!" From behind, he heard Rito's voice exclaim loudly. "Shit, I forgot there was a new episode released this week. I've got to go tell Lala!" He said before quickly rushing up the stairs, leaving Emiya curious about his reaction.


"Rito actually likes to watch this kind of series?" It wasn't his place to judge, but this was the first time he saw his brother show any interest in anything other than sports-related shows. 


"You seriously don't know Magical Kyouko?"


"What's with that look, Mikan? You know I’ve never really had much interest in such things in the first place."


The eye roll from the cheeky little girl involuntarily made his eyelids twitch. Behaving as if he did not know about this magical girl was an oddity somehow.


"Right, now listen up, old man—"


"Oi."


"—Magical Kyouko is perhaps the most popular TV show currently airing in all of Japan. The show's popularity has skyrocketed recently, thanks to its stunningly realistic CGI battles that some claim outdo even the million-dollar productions of Western films today. But it's not just the action that captivates audiences - the story is equally riveting and delves into darker themes rarely seen in magical girl shows. Lala absolutely loves it, and both Rito and I watch it with her from time to time. I tried to invite you once, but you didn't seem interested and just went to your shed to work on your swords."


"Did you now…" Emiya had to honestly say that he didn't even remember Mikan inviting him to watch such a show. Perhaps this could be attributed to him having a lot on his mind these days with everything that was going on; it made sense. So he curiously watched a few more seconds of the battle going on in front of him. 


"I will admit, the clothes are indeed a bit ridiculous, but the fire effects look pretty amazing." 


Just like she said, it resembled something one would find in a high-budget movie made by a gigantic studio. For a local show from a small town like Sainan to have such quality was impressive, to say the least.


"You should watch it together with Lala; I'm sure she'll be very happy to know that she managed to capture another soul and turn them into a fan of Magical Kyouko. She’s already ensnared both Rito and me, after all."


He doubted he would be that into the show to begin with; the combat special effects certainly looked quite good, but the battle overall felt rather lacking. He assumed this was due to the many dangerous situations he had experienced in his past, which would naturally cause him to become desensitized over time. Unless the story itself was good, then perhaps the show might still be worth him giving it a try.


Yet, as he was in the middle of watching Magical Kyoko prepare her ultimate attack against an alien invader that suspiciously looked a lot similar to the alien prince he killed right after he met and fought Golden Darkness, two people suddenly blocked his view and presented to him a rather suspicious-looking helmet.


"What is this?" He asked, unsure how to feel about the large smiles on both Momo and Nana's faces. 


"Well, you see we were thinking about a way to thank you for letting us stay. So we came up with this!” Truthfully, he still asked himself every day why he let them stay. Most likely to keep an eye on them and prevent some other incident from taking place in the city.


“This is a virtual reality game helmet. Nana and I have had it with us for a while, but we never got around to using it in the past. Our sister made this long ago before she ran away from home. Want to give it a try?"


The former Counter Guardian was confused, refraining from analyzing the object in particular given it was one of Lala's creations. It looked rather simple from the outside, similar to the helmets worn by soldiers operating various aircraft, though mixed with a bit of pink and Lala's own swirly ‘logo’ of sorts.


"What kind of game are we talking about?" Surprisingly, he didn't instantly reject it, feeling more curious than anything else. This wasn't an invention made to teleport around, create large ruptures in space, black holes, or even summon various mechs from a separate space entirely.


And since the sisters insinuated they had used it before, then perhaps it wasn't anything bad — a very small chance that it was something rather harmless… he hoped.


"Eh? He's actually curious?" His reaction took even Nana by surprise, the young girl looking back at her sister who showed a large smile on her face. "Great! Allow me to guide you through the specifics!" Acting like a child filled with energy, Momo ran away from the living room before returning with a giant whiteboard that Emiya didn't remember ever buying or projecting. 


Her hands now holding onto a marker, it blurred across the surface, and in a matter of seconds showing a detailed and beautifully made drawing of a castle and a map, followed by a bunch of text at the side.


"These are the basics. We took inspiration from Earthlings' fascination with medieval fantasy, with all the mages, knights, and heroes going on an adventure to slay the evil Demon King! With this helmet, it allows every player to enter this world and be assigned a specific class suited to their personality, taste, and physical state. I'm a green Mage, by the way."


"And I'm a purple Mage!" Nana exclaimed enthusiastically.


Emiya's lips twitched upwards as he watched the pair of young girls begin their explanation with so much enthusiasm. He had noticed how quiet they had become ever since the incident with Celine, who somehow got drunk and caused mayhem across the city. He did not blame the twins for that event; it was clear that the fault lay with him for trusting Zastin to be responsible when he should have known better. 


He thought he had made that point clear from the beginning, but it was obvious that these two did not perceive it and misunderstood that he was still angry with them. Seeing them now in a better mood than their previous selves was certainly an improvement.


"Eh, a virtual fantasy game?" Hearing her explanation, Mikan also got curious enough to make her drop her portable console as she managed to capture her prey on the screen. "Wait a minute, it just sounds like one of those massively multiplayer online role-playing games."


"Exactly!" Momo exclaimed, out of nowhere retrieving a second helmet and passing it to Nana. "The game was inspired by many similar games on Earth. But it simulates everything from real life; when you put it on, you'll be able to feel, taste, smell, and even hear whatever your character experiences as if you were in the game itself! It basically transports your body into a virtual world.”


The young girl suddenly squinted her eyes and looked at the twins with suspicion. "It won't suddenly prevent me from logging out and trap me inside the game forever, where if I die in the game, I die in real life?"


Her question caught all three people in the living room off guard, forcing Momo to look back at Nana, hoping she would answer it instead. "Why are you looking at me!? Eh, I-I mean, of course, something like this wouldn't happen! What kind of twisted individual would make such a thing in the first place? I wouldn't even call it a game if something like that was going to happen."


"Then it’s all good."


The oldest brother couldn't help but wonder if Mikan had been watching too much anime lately, given her sudden interest in unconventional ideas. But he was glad that she wasn't always focused on household chores at such a young age. "Let's give it a shot, Shirou."


"What, you actually want to do it?" He was taken aback, expecting his sister to back out and say that she was unwilling to take such a risk. “I thought you wouldn't want to use another one of Lala's inventions.” 


To that, she shrugged. “Well, Lala wasn’t the only one to make it, they said that they worked on it as well to make the game. Isn't it true?” the twins enthusiastically nodded at her question, their tails flailing around like excited puppies.


"And besides, not all of Lala's inventions malfunction. Have you seen the new dryer and washing machine we're using? Those things clean and dry every single piece of clothing you toss into them in a matter of seconds!" Her statement made him raise an eyebrow, having seen the two new additions in the laundry room and guessing that they had Lala's touch in them. 


"And besides, Rito and I will finally get to see you playing an actual game. You never tried anything that we played before, maybe once or twice but you never got interested in it."


"A virtual fantasy game…" he repeated, mulling over everything Momo said with a particular look in his eyes. "You said you were working on this for a while. How certain are you that it will go without a hitch?"


"Oh come on, you can put some trust in me," Momo replied with a mock hurt expression. "I may not be as gifted as my sister when it comes to such things, but we do know our way around them. Don't underestimate us! Now stop being so doubtful and give it a try!"


He didn't see any harm in it, and given that there wasn't much to do today in terms of chores—since he had already dealt with most of them—Emiya was slowly becoming more and more convinced. 'Celine is sleeping, I've already cooked today's food and only need to reheat it for dinner, Mikan has already taken care of the laundry, and Rito has cleaned up the rooms as well. No homework, no dealing with alien soldiers, and no potential fiancée candidates coming to cause trouble with said alien soldiers and/or assassins.'


When looking at it like that, it was a good opportunity to spend some time doing an activity his siblings enjoyed. They deserved it from the stressful month both had to go through, which he felt partially responsible for.


Momo continued with her explanation, "And it's not just you two, we've invited a bunch of other people to join us as well! Also, the one who gets to slay the Demon King and save the beautiful princess at the end will get a special prize as well!"


"Eh, a special prize!?" 


As he continued to observe the helmet, another presence sneaked up behind him. A pair of large, soft bosoms pressed firmly against the back of his head as they leaned over the couch, her long pink hair cascading down to tickle his cheeks as a certain Devilukean Princess’s face zoomed in on the device he held. 


At this point, he had gotten far too used to her rather intimate approach and invasion of his private space. Most frustrating was that she wasn't doing it intentionally just to get a reaction out of him, but merely because ‘it felt nice’ according to her words. The girl was stubborn to a fault, and when she set her mind on something, changing it was nearly impossible. Though she would get even closer the longer she stayed in her room working on some project. 


"Oh! I remember this! I made that for Mama’s birthday ten years ago!" Lala with her usual amount of energy said, the words making him want to sigh. Of course, she would have made an invention so advanced compared to even the most bleeding-edge human technology when she was still a young child. "I even once recreated an entire digital planet filled with every kind of plant and monster for my sisters to have fun with."


"An entire planet? You're serious?" As for the comment about recreating an entire digital planet filled with various kinds of plants and animals just to entertain her sisters, well, compared to creating a black hole and a teleportation device, it certainly sounded much more plausible at a young age.


"Yep! Nana and Momo were both very interested in all kinds of plants and various creatures spread across the entire galaxy from an earlier age. Papa was always busy with his stupid wars and conquering other planets to bring us along to visit such places, so I decided to take it upon myself and make one for them. I had to make the world a bit bigger than Planet Deviluke in order to accommodate most of the recorded plant species, and creatures, along with the different climates.”


"That sounds amazing," Mikan commented, to which the elder princess just waved her hand with a silly smile on her face. 


"It wasn't that impressive; it only took two days and I did it in my spare time."


Of course, she did. This girl was perhaps the single biggest anomaly he had encountered in his life. 


Lala then turned her attention to him, still holding onto his neck rather closely. Her closeness elicited Nana to look away with a blush on her face and Momo to marvel with obvious awe. "We should give it a try, Shirou! I guarantee that you will like it! Just tell me whatever you have in mind, and I will create that world for you!" she said proudly, her words and expression for a moment genuinely making him chuckle out of amusement.


"A world to my liking, huh? Don't bother. It would be boring to live the same life I have now," he whispered quietly, causing Lala to look at him with confusion marring her face.


"Did you say something?"


"Nothing. Going back to what you said before, Momo, who did you call exactly?"


In response, the pink-haired princess smirked, a mischievous light flashing in her eyes as she pressed her fingers to her lips. "It's a secret~!"


Well, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.

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[Welcome new player!]


[Please input your name]


It was an odd sensation, almost familiar in a way he didn't like to imagine. His senses found themselves suspended in what felt like a nonexistent world, surrounded by nothing but a dark backdrop with countless circuit-like patterns embedded within the space itself. His limbs and body were now transparent, floating in the middle of nowhere, facing a floating keyboard where he was asked to input a name of his choosing.


It wasn't until a few seconds later that he realized he had already halfway written a name without even realizing it, an awkward smile appearing on his face as he realized what he was about to write. "It has been a long time, yet it still feels as if it were yesterday. Then again, it's just a game, there's no harm in this," he mused to himself, deciding to proceed. He completed the six-lettered name before tapping 'confirm'. 


"—!"


Instantly, the blue backdrop flashed white, the intense color making him squint involuntarily. 

It disappeared in a fraction of a second, and the next moment he opened his eyes to a beautiful sky filled with clouds. The gentle cold breeze ruffled his hair as he felt the soft presence of grass beneath him. Above, a flock of bright red feathered birds flew overhead, chirping before disappearing beyond the sea of clouds.


"This…" He pushed himself to sit up, hands resting on his knees before surveying his surroundings, growing almost awestruck at the beautiful backdrop that could only be described as a scene straight out of a dream. Bathed in the golden light of dawn, lush emerald-green mountains pierced a canvas of clear blue sky — their snow-capped peaks caught the first rays of the rising sun.


A crystal-clear lake, smooth as glass, reflected the mountains perfectly, its surface undisturbed except for the gentle ripple of a strange horned fish leaping. In the foreground, a meadow of impossibly green grass stretched out, dotted with fantastical wildflowers in shades of violet, blue, and yellow that shimmered with an otherworldly glow.


"She wasn't kidding, this place is beautiful." He remained there, sitting for a few more minutes to fully take in the breathtaking view. His time as a Counter Guardian had been… endless, and in his innumerable deployments, he had witnessed the worst of the worst — fields often bathed in blood or scorched by his own weapons. Rarely did he get to catch even a glimpse of a land untouched by conflict or human presence.


Everything around him felt real. 


He pulled a blade of grass, able to feel its texture and even smell its scent. True to the sisters’ claims, the experience was unimaginably vivid and immersive, unlike anything he had encountered, and it was from an alien video game of all things.


The closest memory he could associate with this view was a time when he was deployed in early medieval Anglo-Saxon England. For a moment, the fact that he was in an artificially created world, a virtual space made of nothing but ones and zeros, was pushed to the very back of his mind as he sat there in silence.


"It would have been better if I had a cup of coffee with me," he mused, not wanting to leave this spot anytime soon. “Maybe even have a picnic, that sounds like it’s be nice.” 


Schriii!!!


Unfortunately, his moment of peace only lasted a brief moment before being broken by an annoying screech nearby. Forcing him to glance at the tall blades of grass and notice a strange sight.


"A… blue blob?"


The creature had no identifiable facial features, resembling a deflated balloon as it rolled towards him with what seemed like hostile intent. It left behind a disgusting trail of slime in its wake, while being only as big as his palm.


"Aren't you an ugly one," he remarked aloud, curious to know which creature this even was. 


As if understanding his words, the creature screeched even louder and lunged at him, attempting to attack without giving him time to react. However, its movements were sluggish, akin to a snail in his eyes. With a casual flick of his wrist, Emiya swatted it away effortlessly.


The slime was instantly squashed against the ground, its blue remains spreading across the small patch of grass before disappearing in a glitter of lights.


[ -1 HP! ]


[ +2 EXP ]


[ Level 1 Slime defeated! ]


[ Item found: 1 gold coin and 1 slime jelly ]


The sudden apparition of multiple floating screens appearing before his vision surprised Emiya, This scene finally reminded him where he was in the first place. “Right, I'm inside a game. I should go search for the others, Momo mentioned it’d be advisable to search for a nearby town.”


That was the instruction given to him by the pink-haired girl, with her having mentioned that such places were called starter towns for beginner adventures and how every player first had to register with an emporium to be assigned a class at random. 


That honestly sounded like a bad idea in his opinion.


Schriii!!!


Unfortunately, he couldn't take even a couple of steps before he heard the same annoying screech again. This time, it sounded like there were more of them, a lot more than he thought.


"So he had friends."


A handful of these blobs—no, these slimes—were now appearing before him. He also noticed that one of them in particular had a strange gem submerged within its body. Each one of them slid closer with clear hostile intent, some even trying to cut off his route by circling around.


"So not completely mindless and able to work in a group, then so be it."


These creatures were easily defeated with just a slap of his wrist, so he grabbed a random stick from the ground before standing in place, waiting for them to attack.


[ -1 HP! ]


[ +2 EXP ]


[ Level 1 Slime defeated! ]



[ -2 HP! ]


[ +2 EXP ]


[ Level 1 Slime defeated! ]



[ Critical! -5 HP! ]


[ +2 EXP ]


[ Level 2 Red Slime defeated! ]




[Break]


(A few minutes later)


“That should be the starter town.”


A few minutes had passed since he engaged in combat against the group of slimes. As expected, they proved to be as much of a threat as a handful of ants. A single knockback using a random stick proved to be just as effective as using his own hands, if not more. He had accumulated a large number of gold coins, though was unsure how to use them since the prompt would say he had gained a certain amount but he was unable to find them on his body anywhere — there was no pouch. He didn't pay much attention to it and decided that it was better to ask Momo for more details. 


Thus, he continued to wander around the fields until he saw, on the horizon, the upper parts of a building that resembled a church with a dry pathway soon appearing before him. 


Wasting no time and encountering no other hostile mobs, he managed to make it to the small village where he hoped to find the others along with seeing if there were any familiar faces around. The place was inhabited by individuals wearing clothes from the Middle Ages. 


“Well, it suits the theme. I'm not sure if they are actual people or characters though,” he mused. Momo did mention that she invited multiple people.


His approach began with him attempting to gather some basic information first from these people, searching for the closest person, who happened to be an elderly woman sitting peacefully near her house, rocking on her chair while singing a lovely tune. 


“Eh, hello?” he greeted hesitantly, unsure whether this person was real or not. 


“Oh, hello there, dearie,” the elderly woman replied with a warm smile. “You don't look to be from around here. Must be a visitor from one of the nearby villages?”


Emiya shrugged. “Sure, let's go with that.”


"Hohoho, it's not often we get visitors in our little town. Give me the honor of introducing you to this little paradise over here, it may not look like much but it's home. Welcome to Hoef Village. You'll mostly find farmers, merchants from other villages, and artisans here. We have a local tavern for anyone searching for a place to rest and eat. Unfortunately, that place has been abandoned recently because its owner is sick and unable to continue the business."


He listened carefully, nodding his head and analyzing the information he received. "So, do you know where I can find this emporium?”


"Oh, I forgot to mention that there is a newly opened guild nearby, it is a branch of the emporium. A place where you can select your class and register as an official adventurer. Sorry, sunny, I wish I could tell you more, but this old lady has been feeling a bit weak lately. My back keeps killing me."


"Do you need any help?" he asked without thinking, half of his mind occupied by the thought of why it was an emporium rather than a guild.


"Oh, I forgot to mention that there is a newly opened guild nearby, it is a branch of the emporium. A place where you can select your class and register as an official adventurer. Sorry, sunny, I wish I could tell you more, but this old lady has been feeling a bit weak lately. My back keeps killing me."


"Hm? I heard you the first time—"


"Oh, I forgot to mention that there is a newly opened guild nearby, it is a branch of the emporium. A place where you can select your class and register as an official adventurer. Sorry, sunny, I wish I could tell you more, but this old lady has been feeling a bit weak lately. My back keeps killing me."


“…”


The old lady repeated the same line before continuing to sway gently on her rocking chair. Emiya raised an eyebrow at what he had just experienced, "Seems that despite how advanced this game is, the characters in this place have very limited dialogue. A provider of information for new players who are just joining the game. Hoef Village, huh… didn't Momo talk about Scott Village?"


Seeing that there was no use in trying to continue this conversation, he continued on his path deeper into the village, as the old lady mentioned most of the people were just farmers as they held their farming tools or were carrying around large sacks of grain and vegetables. No one seemed to pay any attention to his arrival, going about their day with a smile on their faces. “I doubt any of them are actual players, then how should I recognize the ones who are?”


Not like there was an indicator on top of people's heads to help him distinguish between them. Also, for such a small village, the place was certainly bustling with a ton of merchants and vendors.


"Buy the freshest vegetables and fruit from around the land here! You won't find anything better, even in the big city!"


"Hear me, hear me! Get fresh hornbuck meat for sale for only five gold coins per animal! Get them while I still have them in stock! Just got them fresh from our local hunters! Come on up! You won't get a fresh game until next season!"


"Thinking about adventuring? Then you obviously need some potions to bring along on your journey! Health recovery, fire resistance, and damage resistance—made by a certified Grandmaster Alchemist. You know I'm telling the truth!"


They all screamed and advertised so loudly that even his own thoughts kept getting drowned. For a so-called small village, it certainly had quite a lot of different kinds of merchants and vendors selling their wares of all kinds. However, his interest was instantly drawn to the vegetable store, where he spotted fruits and other kinds of food he didn't even recognize.


His curiosity grew by the second as his eyes landed on fruits and vegetables he did not recognize.


"What is this?" he asked the middle-aged lady saleswoman, having grabbed a spiral-shaped fruit of some sort, filled with spikes and colored purple.


"Oh, welcome, dear customer! These are Splumfruit! Sweet and spicy if you eat them raw, and an excellent ingredient for any kind of dish you may want to make. Here, have a taste, it's on the house." Answered the middle-aged lady, giving him a small piece to taste.


Taken aback by the rather generous offer and thought to not turn it down immediately. Growing ever more curious, he decided to test just how lifelike and real this virtual game truly was. The texture felt like a banana, and as he bit down, his eyes widened.


"Wait, it actually tastes good."


It actually had a taste…


The woman smiled. "Of course it does! I harvested it from my own backyard. Here's another deal: you can buy another one for only two gold coins!”


Before he could even reply, another screen presented itself before him with the options 'buy' and 'cancel'.


'I have a couple of gold coins from those slimes I killed,' he thought. With that knowledge in mind, he pressed 'buy', and right before his eyes, another prompt showed the system deducting two coins from somewhere before mentioning that the food was added to his inventory. “Convenient, though a bit annoying. Can't I just take it from here in my hand?"


It wasn't like he had never played a game even in his earlier life; it had just been so long that some details were a bit fuzzy.


"Let me see, this doesn't work," he muttered on his first attempt to gesture in the air, trying to bring out some kind of menu, yet nothing happened. "Maybe if I say it out loud? Parameter… nope, character sheet? That's not it as well… Property… should have known. Hm, Inventory — ah!"


Right before his eyes, another screen popped up showing multiple blank squares, with four of them filled with the objects he had gathered recently; "Fifty gold coins, twenty-five slime jelly vials, that mysterious gem, and the fruit I just got. So that's how it works."


Now certain he had enough funds to splurge on other things, he turned his attention back to the lady. "How about this fruit and this vegetable?"


One by one, buying and tasting every single produce from the stand, noticing that even those specifically made to recover his health had a sweet taste, with some even being unexpectedly spicy. Other foods make his tongue numb and much more — all of these sensations were putting the claim of it being all virtual and fake more and more into doubt. 


“Don't tell me that device actually teleported my real body inside a separate space?” An idea that died down as soon as the realization of how ridiculous Lala's inventions came back. But he still kept it at the back of his mind rather than completely disregarding it.


"So hungry, spare some food or coins for this old man," a beggar pleaded near the stores, stopping him in his tracks to observe the unfortunate individual.


"Oh, sure, you can have some of these." He offered some of the fruits, there were plenty and he wasn't going to consume everything.


Then, he found a young girl crying near a well, instantly rushing up to him and showing what could only be described as puppy dog eyes. "Ah, I lost my doll in the woods. Can you help me, mister?"


"In the woods? I mean, it's nearby, so I guess I can help you get it back.”


That place only had more slimes, nothing dangerous.


“Yay!”


“Help! I need help!! Someone or something stole my precious family heirloom! Come on, any brave adventurer willing to help this old woman get it back? I will repay them with something more valuable than gold!”


A screen appeared showing the object in question for the quest, instantly making him turn his attention to the inventory where sat a similar-looking object. 


“This thing?” He showed the gem he got from the slime and presented it to the villagers.


“Praise the heavens! Come to the inn; you'll be rewarded handsomely!”


Well, that was an interesting interaction. He could retrieve whatever reward it was later.


“Oh no, we are out of bread! If we don't make some soon or gather another batch of wheat, our business will fail!”


What a strange quest, how was it related to adventuring and combat?


“Bake ten pieces of bread, huh? I can use the oven inside for that, so sure. Oh, I've never seen this kind of flour before; it's most likely from another planet. I wonder what it tastes like.” He was impressed by how even the items in the background were all usable and things he could interact with, even the kitchen.


“New ingredients added to the recipe book? So does that mean I can cook in this game as well? But the utility page is restricted until I unlock a class. Hmmm, maybe I should go to that emporium after all. Then again, I can just use the kitchen here.”


Oooh, so different dishes could grant a multitude of buffs and temporary perks when consumed. That was good to know and possibly very handy, the redhead hoped to try and make some of them.


“Hah… another batch of slimes are terrorizing the fields. Hey you, an adventurer? If you can get rid of them, then I'll reward you with my secret stash of Novaflora!”


Another exclamation mark popped up on his menu. Pressing it showed him an image of a blue plant of some sort. “Grown on the distant planet of Novac, ideal for warm environments… used to flavor traditional alcoholic beverages in Flamian and Novakian drinks. Substitute for thyme and rosemary? Now I'm curious. ‘Accept quest.’


“My sister is sick and needs these herbs to brew—"


“Accept.”


“Uuuuh, I can't clean my house because of these stupid—”


“Accept.”


“Man, what a day. Can you lend me a hand to transport this year's harvest to the grana—”


“Accept… where can I even get a cart and a horse?”


“My leg—”


“Accept.”


“I need a hero of jus—”


“Reject.”


One character after another, as Emiya continued to walk around the village and explore the area, he kept getting approached by multiple individuals. All the while looking around for any familiar faces—whether it be Mikan, Lala, Rito, or even the twin sisters—he found none of them and would occasionally speak to random characters in hopes of gathering more useful information about both the game mechanics and the world.


"This village is bound to be reduced to a barren wasteland filled with incompetent people with how often they are asking for help," he complained out loud while pressing the "accept quest" option for the nth time. All the while, he munched on some of the fruits he had gathered and even noticed the small pop-ups that kept appearing whenever he tried something new.


His pockets now completely empty of any coins, he left the village and headed towards the nearby forest with the stick he had picked up earlier in hand.


"I wonder if I can still use my Magecraft here," he mumbled, contemplating the use of his abilities. Though he doubted they would work in this unfamiliar world, he felt compelled to try. It might save time instead of searching for a cart, though finding a horse would pose another challenge.


"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! Someone help me!” 


"Hm?"


From the very depths of the forest, a shout of pure terror resounded followed by the whistling sound of a sharp object cutting through the air. 


{Break}


"On your left!" 


“Don't forget about its tail!” 


Within the forest, a group of proper adventurers found themselves facing a monster that could only be described as a fusion between a titanic anaconda from the Paleocene Epoch, its length stretching for dozens of meters and its width many times thicker than an average human. Having two legs on its front, clawing at its opponents, barely missing its target, and instantly crushing through trees with little issue.


"Great, now attack it with your full power!" one of the people dressed in a form-hugging white robe, that still showed off her front with a tight corset, commanded loudly. Following their words, a young girl dressed in something similar which consisted of a dark shirt that showed off her belly button, shorts tightened by two crisscrossing belts, and a white cape. Holding a large magical tome with gloved hands, swinging her hand around to cast a ball of fire which hit the monster squarely in its face.


Pushed back and severely burned with its scales completely shattered, it started to slither away hastily.


"Follow me through the forest, don't let the lindwyrm escape!" The creature tried to dodge initially but failed to do so, now thrashing in place from its injuries.


The one who initially shouted, revealing herself to be none other than Momo, brought out a staff similar to the one used for the fireball spell. A single magic circle formed at the tip before a large vine emerged from the ground, surrounded with spikes, and shot out as projectiles against the half-dead snake, hitting it successfully in its weak point.


Hissss!


It hissed menacingly, trying to resist one last time with its meager strength. “I'll finish it!” 


This time, a third person jumped on its head with clear fear written on his face, holding onto a trowel for a weapon and plunging straight into its eyes. The blow barely did a single health point of damage, but it was enough to kill the lindwyrm. The monster fell lifeless, and its body started to disintegrate into light particles.


[ Level 5 Less Lindwyrm defeated! ]


[ +100 Exp ]


[ Level up! ]


Seeing the multitude of announcements present themselves before them, the group cheered out loud without reservation. Rito gasped on the side, having barely gathered enough courage to attack the snake at the very last second with the opening given to him.


"You did nicely, Rito. A couple more of those and you can probably level up again," mentioned the little mage, Mikan going through the list of materials they had acquired with an excited expression on her face.


"It… hah… it didn't drop the qu-quest item yet… hah, so it's not like we have any ch-choice…hah." His stamina was completely depleted from just a handful of attacks, whereas the others weren't even sweating! “Why did I have to be a florist of all things!?” 


“Blame your luck. I, on the other hand, think it suits you. I don't exactly think the class of a swordmaster or any class that holds something would have been a good choice, for either you or those around you. The last thing I want to deal with is a teammate accidentally backstabbing me just cause he tripped.” 


"You all are gonna be the death of me!" The young boy muttered with tears streaming down his eyes, looking hatefully at the only tool/weapon he was allowed to hold. "But still, why a florist!? I would have gladly been a cleric or healer if you're afraid of me falling!"


The brunette waved her hand, “Nah, florist still suits you more.”


“I would argue that it suits Nii-san more than me.” 


“I'm not arguing against that.” 


"A florist can be a powerful class!" Momo interjected, placing her hands on Rito's shoulders and giving him a stern look. "It will be difficult in the beginning, but as you continue down this path, you will unlock more perks and advanced classes to become a legendary herbalist! Just look at me—did you see how I created that vine monster at the end? Well, you can do that too if you try hard enough in the future."


Rather than being impressed or even happy about those words, he just gave her a stink eye. "Then why is your class a green mage rather than a herbalist or even a florist? Change it now!"


"Hehehe, the classes are chosen randomly. There's nothing I can do about that. I believe the florist class was added later on. But it's basically the same thing; you have more impressive perks that I don't have."


"The only advantage I have is that everything I plant has a one hundred percent chance of germinating any kind of seeds and growing twice as fast. That's about it! I don't see how that can reach anything you have shown today!"


From the moment they appeared in the virtual world, the group gathered around, including him, Mikan, Momo, and Nana. Both his older brother and Lala were nowhere to be seen, so before they embarked on a journey to find them, Momo suggested leveling up a few times after getting their assigned classes. 


“Anyways, shouldn't we go find Nii-san and Lala? Where even are they?”


“Well I think I have an idea where Onee-sama might be, but as for Emiya, he should have appeared along with us. I don't know what went wrong.” Taking a map from her inventory, Momo searched for the icon she mapped to keep track of everyone in her group, including Emiya before they entered the game. “Eh, Heof village? I don't remember there being such a village around, and it makes even less sense for him to be sent there instead of here. Hmm, they should also be nearby…”


“Who is where?”


“Nothing~! Onward, my faithful companions! To Heof Village!” With that passion and a bit over-the-top declaration, the group soon left the area, not forgetting to complete their previous quest and collect their reward. Rito looked back at Scott village as it drew ever so further the farther they walked through the west. 


“So what is the end goal in this game? You said there were other people who were also invited to play but we haven't seen any familiar faces." Truth be told, he was rather looking forward to having a moment with Haruna, this being the ideal scenario to show off and spend some time with her. However, now he was more hesitant to do so as his class wasn't exactly something to be proud of. 


“Actually I don't really know who exactly is present here.” The pink-haired princess said with a sheepish smile. “We just randomly gave out flyers with some of onee-sama’s helmets next to them, where when they pick the yes I accept box on the pamphlet it will automatically transport them around the world. So, we'll see!” 


Rito had a bad feeling about this, recalling his brother's warning about staying vigilant around these two, especially Momo, whom Emiya mentioned was particularly cunning. "I don't think Nii-san will like your meth—woah!" Before he could finish, Rito's foot got stuck in a hole, causing him to yelp and tumble forward, crashing straight into Nana.


"What do you think you're touching?! Kya!" Nana couldn't finish her words as Rito's hand gripped her clothes tightly, pulling her into his embrace as they tumbled down a slope, eventually splashing into a small pond in the middle of the forest. "What is your problem?!" Nana shouted with fury, noting Rito's hands, which had somehow made their way within her armor, his fingers sinking into her flesh with each twitch, sending an uncomfortable sensation across her body. "Don't touch me there!"


"I'm sorry!!" he exclaimed, trying to get away, but his movements only made it worse as he nearly sank further into the pond, forced to hold onto Nana with a tighter grip. Her face turned completely crimson, reaching her boiling point as her hands swirled around, a giant magic circle forming above them. "Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait! I'm not doing this on purpose! You'll kill us both!"


"Summon; skeletal lizard!"


Rito's screams were drowned out by a large figure descending from the portal into the pond, a neat spell used by beginner summoning mages.


Meanwhile, neither noticed the white flash of light coming from above. Momo now had a giant grin on her face, holding her D-dial with its camera pointed straight at them. Mikan, on the other hand, just shook her head with a wry smile. She had wondered if her brother had managed to get his habit of falling from nowhere under control. It seems his clumsiness was still a problem. 


"So, should we give them their space or try to send help?"


"No, no, just five more minutes. Your brother always knows how to push Nana's buttons and it's perfect ammunition for blackmail when she starts to annoy me."


Mikan gave her a dry stare. "Remind me to never get on your bad side."


"Of course, I wouldn't do such things to you~! I can't risk your brother growing up to hate me for taking advantage of his siblings. Though, I do plan on having you help me out with some matters that involve him," Momo said with a mischievous grin, her answer leading the young brunette to be more wary of her than ever.


.


.


.


"You said he's around here? It doesn't seem like it, this place is filled with monsters." A few hours had passed since the small incident. The group ventured deeper into the woods, nearing Hoef Village. 


Nana now stayed a few feet away from Rito and the main group, holding onto a map. The place was similar to what they had experienced in Scott Village, with the same kind of NPCs, village layout, and terrain. 


"I'll admit this place is better than Scott Village. At least we aren't being attacked by dangerous monsters popping up out of nowhere. I've only seen those blue slimes around here," Rito said, half of his face red from a giant slap mark. Behind him were Mikan, Momo, and an infuriated Nana. He decided to keep his distance from the girl, as there was a high likelihood that if he got even ten meters near her, she would summon another skeletal soldier to maul him.


“Eh, I thought for sure there would be someone to greet u—”


"Get out of my way, younglings!” The group was pushed aside by an old lady running through holding a large basket of vegetables and other assortments of food.


“That's… unusual,” Momo noted, suddenly getting a weird feeling about the NPCs in this village, the fact that it looked a bit barren certainly raised a few red flags.


“I hope he didn't wander off into the forest or somewhere else without proper gear or being assigned a Class," Nana commented as they entered the building, scanning the area in search of their missing team member. However, they were met with a constant stream of people hurrying past them as they made their way forward. 


“Quick! He'll leave if we don't hurry!” An old man who looked like a beggar shouted out loud, also holding a shredded bag filled with small creatures and mushrooms.


“Don’t hog everything you old coot!” 


The villagers’ reactions became more and more strange to the group.


"Did we stumble upon some kind of event? I don't remember these characters acting like… this."


"They are all running towards the other end of the village, we can follow them and see what's going on," Mikan answered. "I mean, just look around. This place is as big as Scott Village, yet so far we haven't met a single character that hands out a quest. So there should be something going on."


"Now that you mention it, it does seem odd. Though it's probably not a big deal. It's very possible that since this is another small village, we weren't meant to stop by and receive any quests," Rito replied.


"No, that's not how it works. In every kind of settlement, there will always be people asking for help. In a place like this, there should be at least half a hundred villagers handing out quests. Yet none of them are acting like they're supposed to," Momo insisted.


"It could be because Nii-san has already completed them?" Rito suggested.


"Impossible!" Momo exclaimed without hesitation, her loud tone making Rito and the others flinch. "Even beginner areas hand out missions from killing a few slimes, gathering herbs, going into the woods, and confronting powerful mini-bosses! That's not something even a level ten adventurer can accomplish without playing the game for at least a few days." 


The more she looked at it, the more obvious it became that something wasn't right. She was grateful to see that Rito and Mikan, who were familiar with games in general, started to get her point, while Nana continued to interact with other NPCs to ask what was going on… or at least tried to.


“Stop wasting my time, woman! This old grandma's back never felt so youthful, I'm not going to let this opportunity slip by!” Another old lady pushed her away forcefully and ran inside the inn with greedy eyes. 


“…”


“…”


“…”


Now everyone was stunned, that wasn't normal regardless of how they looked at it. Pretty certain that there wasn't even a raid from demonic forces happening to make the crowd act like this. The fact that there were also multiple villagers outside the inn resting on the ground with large bellies and a satisfied face. 


“Archer's Emerald Inn? A strange name.” 


“What the…” Rito hesitatingly pushed the door to the inn open, getting instantly blasted by a sound of loud cheers, an intense scent of mouth-watering food, and ear-splitting music. Yet immediately everyone's jaws hung open due to sheer confusion at the sight before them.


“Table order six, two large feathered hogs, aniki!” A certain alien boy wrote down on his notepad before reading it out loud for a certain redhead who could be seen in the kitchen handling several pans with an apron on. “They say they'll be paying with coins instead!” 


“Two more beers, little lady” 


“I'm a boy! No–Wait, I mean, I’m a man! And keep your hands to yourself!” 


“Then why the hell are you wearing high heels and a bunny girl outfit!?” 


“It's complicated! I didn’t choose to be in this Class!” 


“Hahahahaha!”


“You wanna fight!?”


“Nah! I don’t want you breaking a nail! Now bring me my damn beer!”


Ren held back tears, crushing the pen in his hand and gazing bloody murder at the laughing customers. Only for him to get smacked on the ass by a large hand made entirely of blonde hair, Yami walked out in a similar outfit as Ren’s, though her appearance made her far more eye-catching, as she was in her adult form, while she easily held a tray filled with drinks along with her blank face silencing both parties. 


“Start any trouble, I'll cut you.” Her hair turned into numerous blades, making sure that none of them would be able to talk back or look her in the eyes even after she served the beers. Heading back to the kitchen, she looked up at the counter with expectant eyes. “Mission complete, awaiting further orders, Master.” 


“Don’t call me master and go tend to the other patrons. Also please don't threaten to kill anyone who refuses to pay or starts trouble, just throw them out and ban them from ever coming back.” 


“Affirmative. What about the otokonoko?” She said with a straight face. 


“Stop calling me that, Yami-san!” Ren's frustrated face punched another drunk customer whose hands were trying to reach somewhere they shouldn't. “I want to reset my class, damn it!” 


Emiya's audible sigh was heard, “Just don't attack him like you did before just because you thought he was a pervert dressing up in girls' clothes.” 


“Affirmative… the princess's sisters and your siblings have arrived.”


“What?” Popping him out of the kitchen, Emiya turned his attention to the still speechless group who were watching everything with pure disbelief. “Oh hey! Certainly took you a while to get here, if you have time then help me fulfill these quests. I think I'm about to level up, though I still haven’t received the notification for that yet.” He showed the paper filled with orders for specific dishes rather than quests. 


Momo was pretty certain those didn't give any kind of experience.


What the hell happened in this town!?


(Bonus part 1 done.)


-Sainan-


There were many times in the past, and even current moments, when Emiya continued to ponder his current circumstances related to Lala and their so-called union. For him to take up the role as her fiancé candidate until her father would finally see reason and stop this disaster from continuing. In his mind, this relationship was in no way official; he had no plans of marrying anyone or becoming a member of an alien royal family anytime soon. 


Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Lala, who had made it very evident that she was willing and even set on making this relationship official by having him fall in love with her. Now, another alien girl appeared out of nowhere with a solution to his problem. Safe to say, he wasn't completely willing to trust this individual's words yet, especially when this exact individual, who claimed to be Ren's sister, happened to talk to him multiple times so far, her intentions being very uncertain.


"Before I agree with any of you, I will need to hear the details first."


"Of course!" she answered quickly. But before going there, she looked at him pleadingly, her pupils looking downwards at a certain reflective blade held a mere hair's breadth away from her neck. "B-but before that… can you please tell your little assassin friend not to kill me, I thought he told you that I'm trustworthy!"


“He didn't.” 


From the beginning, Yami remained by his side and vigilantly watched over the entire situation even after he told her to let the latter go. He was amused at how seriously she took her role as a bodyguard, even though he didn't require it.


“...please help.” 


“I don't know, she can be stubborn at times.”


The girl's face turned pale as Yami pressed the edge of the blade against her skin. The weapon was blunt enough not to cut through her flesh, but in her state, she was far too afraid and panicking to notice such a detail.


"Alright, you can stop scaring her. I don't believe she is stupid enough to try something against us." Without any hesitation or further questioning, picking her by the scruff of the shirt and forcing Run to stand up.


“Ouch! Can't you be a bit more gentle, Yami-chan!?” 


“No." A quick and straight answer came out of her mouth, the same unchanging expression looking down at the white leaning towards the light green-haired girl before she went back to sit on the bench and happily munch on what little remained of her snack. “—!” However, soon tragedy followed, as the snack she had left behind fell onto the ground and got covered with dirt.


“...” A moment of silence followed with both Emiya and the newly arrived Run looking at her, the latter with confusion and curiosity,the former with a sigh. 


Yami looked back at him, even when having the same blank face, in the former Counter Guardian's view, it resembled that of someone trying to put on a pitiful expression in order to get what she wanted. 


“I'll buy you another one.” 


Those same eyes now glittered with joy despite there being no smile on her face. 


“I want five.” 


“Three, I don't have enough money on me.” 


“I can work with that.” 


With the blonde assassin now satisfied, it was to listen to what the other one had to say. "I believe you had something to say to me, didn't you? About having the solution to ending my little problem here."


"Eh?" Brought back to reality and turning her attention back to the redhead standing in front, she finally gathered her wits and got up from the ground, dusting off any dirt and trying to fix her hair.


"R-Right! Before that, it is only normal that I introduce myself!"


"You already did."


"I present myself as Run Elsie Jewelria, Princess of the planet Memorze and a long-time… rival of Lala." Despite his prior words, she still chose to present herself with a light bow and holding onto the edge of her skirt, a kind of greeting one would see from royalty or high status during the MIddle Age A practiced grace thatwas visibly already second nature to the girl.


"And you heard me right, I do, in fact, have a solution for your problems which can not only save you from this wedding but also keep your family safe!"


That was certainly a very interesting offer the more Emiya heard. Though a part of him thought it was too perfect, rather than say anything, he just let her talk—


Not even a second later, the next thing he knew, Run suddenly dropped onto the ground like a puppet having its strings cut, her breathing shallow and now facing the sky with a pale face. He raised an eyebrow at her reaction, unsure what was happening with her.


"It's always something with these aliens," he muttered to himself. Still pretty sure she did not die, he went to her side and pressed his fingers against her neck.


"Still breathing, the temperature is alright, so it's not like a fever. Then again, I wouldn't know about alien biology and how their bodies would react." Mikado's house was nearby; maybe he could take her there.


"Is she dead?" Yami asked from the background, now holding onto the previously dropped piece of the snack she bought and looking at it with what appeared to be traces of sorrow. "I can dispose of the body without any clue left behind."


"You certainly got your priorities set. But, unfortunately for you, our little friend here is not dead or even sick for all I know." As if on cue, her stomach made a loud rumbling noise, like a monster roaring from the depths of an abyss, sounding louder than a car engine. Even before he heard the girl mumble something in her unconscious state, which also made him sigh in exasperation.


"She's just famished."


"Oh, so we can get more snacks."


Best he didn't start getting into the habit of projecting money just out of convenience. “I don't have enough money and left my wallet at home… I have an idea.”


It was a sound idea, killing two birds with one stone.


.


.


.


(An hour later)


"I must say, I get the strange feeling that every time you come to my place for a visit, it always ends up with you being accompanied by a girl. Should I be jealous?"


"You should be happy that I am makingfood for you instead."


In the dimly lighted room situated beneath a certain nurse's abode, Emiya answered with a dry tone as he walked down the stairs, holding two cups of steaming hot coffee. Carefully placing the mug on the table where the buxom alien nurse was busy typing away at a keyboard with a screen showing alien writing he could not make heads or tails of.


Humming in the light from the taste coating his tongue—not so bitter and with a hint of sweetness. Noting that she had really improved and bought better quality ingredients than he remembered from the past. His attention shifted to the space near Mikado, where on the table was a plate filled with a large steak, some fries, and a salad he had prepared in a hurry for two very hungry individuals. 


As for Mikado, she had barely taken a single bite.


"Speaking of which, you haven't touched the meal I left for you," he said, taking another sip of his coffee. "It's probably already cold." 


"Sorry about that, I just have a few reports and work to be done, and had handle another wave of patients in a bit," she explained. “With the current climate, many of the resident alien creatures need some help to continue living normally. Their bodies aren't used to handling the same environment as humans, as for others… same old cycle of coming over for the slightest scratch.” 


“It’s not hard to imagine why the same is happening at school with the male students.” 


“Fufufufy, I can't blame those boys but I do prefer to have moments where they genuinely need my help. You would the ideal patient with how frequently there seems to be chaos following your every step.” 


“Maybe someday I will, for now, my body is able to handle healing from their wounds on its own.” 


After that, the atmosphere went quiet afterward, “Hah… I'm really hungry.” The woman whispered, turning her head ever so slightly and sending him random gazes between him and the food. Doing so often enough that it became clear what she was trying to hint at.


"I should be nearly done, but this task I'm currently doing is important. The slightest mistake could force me to restart everything. I can't take my attention off of it for long. What a pain." Her fingers continued to tap on a couple of keys, the only series of sounds in the room. 


“...”


“It is so nice to have guests around, I am sorry for not having the time to welcome all of you. If only I had someone who could help me with some of the mundane stuff while I quickly finished my report. That will make little old me very happy~!” 


“... I'll do it once and never again.” 


“Deal.”


Emiya did not say anything else afterward, merely placing the second cup of coffee next to her on top of a coaster before grabbing a fork near the plate.


"For someone as old as you, you certainly do have the tendency of a child at times." 



"That may be so, but I do enjoy being pampered from time to time. It does get a bit tiring to always be the mature adult to every single person around me. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be on the other end from time to time.”


“You forgot who you're talking to?” 


“Perhaps physically you are younger than me, but that can't be said with everything else. Especially that time on Solgam’s spaceship, I didn't feel like I was being saved by a teenager. Sometimes I genuinely think you are an old soul who got stuck in the body of a child.”


“...”


How ironic.


Having grabbed a couple of fries and a piece of steak, he fed them to Mikado, who happily accepted the food without taking her attention off of the screen. “How is it?”


"Oh my, I haven't tasted something as good as this since… ever. You should consider opening a restaurant, I'll be your most loyal customer.”


“Thank you for the compliment, also, can't you just put your task on hold? Wait, don't answer that. Something tells me you're just doing this deliberately."


"You wound me with your words, I wouldn't do such a thing," she said, though her mischievous chuckles certainly said otherwise. "But still..." Without hesitation, she leaned forward and took a second bite, humming happily and munching the food he fed her with a giant smile on her face. "I appreciate it.”


He didn't know how to react to that with anything else but a head shake.


"Oh wow, even the salad tastes amazing! I can't believe you only used the ingredients in my fridge. I'm pretty sure I haven't stocked it up with anything fancy, and there wasn't much. You truly are a magician with these skills."


The conversation continued, in a matter of minutes both of their cups and the plate itself being emptied.


“It would be best if we continue with important matters."


"But of course~!" Mikado beckoned him to come closer while she continued to focus, her notion accepted with slight hesitation. All of his reactions that Mikado honestly found kind of cute and adorable.


"Your friend over there is from a family of royals, which you already know. Planet Memorze… if I had to describe that planet it would be; a sand-filled wasteland. The conditions of their home are inhuman, mostly because of its two suns, making it mostly uninhabitable for even humans.”


The more she spoke about her planet, the more he understood, yet it still escaped him how a species could have evolved to survive such a harsh environment by developing the trait of having two distinct people with their own personalities living as one body.


“Her health?” 


"Well, you don't need to worry, just a simple hunger from the lack of nutrition." With her analysis done, Mikado pushed herself away from the keyboard and stretched her arms, letting out a small sigh of satisfaction before taking one last sip of the coffee Emiya made.


"You can forget what I said before; I am more than glad you keep bringing more girls to my doorstep if it means I get to try food as good as this." After that was said, the woman turned around to face him. "Still, it's a bit strange that she can change herself to Ren just by sneezing. That shouldn't be the case with their species. If I had to guess, I'd say it's the very Earth itself and its environment that is causing this sort of allergic reaction, which is messing with their biology to some degree and causing this uncontrollable change just through sneezing. I'd argue that if they continue to stay here for a long period and allow their bodies to become accustomed to Earth's environment, then it is bound to go away sooner or later."


A strange kind of phenomenon indeed. Emiya was genuinely trying to understand how this worked, as even if a planet were to suffer a severe lack of resources, it wouldn't lead one to develop basically two people with distinct personalities inhabiting a single body. Then again, he had seen plenty of similar anomalies in his own world, so he'd rather not question it too much.


"I see, well, that is good news."


"Now that this is done, I still feel I should act like a proper host and make up for the previous times you didn't get much. I have a wonderful garden at the back with a recently built pool, Yami mentioned you are a fan of gardening. I have two deck chairs and a bottle of sunscreen." she said teasingly, looking at him with a small smile on her face. Emiya raised an eyebrow before realizing what she meant.


"Not today."


“Oh, does that mean next time? Since we are on that matter, are you perhaps willing to let me study you for a bit?"


"Excuse me?" That came out of nowhere. He was expecting some light teasing from the older woman; the last thing he expected was to hear her suggest him being on the table and being experimented on.


"I'm pretty sure you've already established that I am well and indeed human by every sense of the word, unless you're trying to find something else."


She looked at him, her eyes not betraying a single emotion and retaining a calm exterior outlook. "Humans are a fascinating species. They are not the strongest nor the smartest when compared to other civilizations across the galaxy, but they do have their charm. It's still a mystery how all of you have remained hidden from every major power for so long and haven't been invaded by slavers or warlords wanting to conquer everything."


That he couldn't answer.


"Your luck does indeed surpass anything I have seen so far." 


Luck—to think she would make such a comment that it nearly caused him to chuckle at the mere notion of such an idea. In this world, humans were considered to be a rather weak civilization, not possessing any particularly strange abilities or other kinds of qualities seen by many different civilizations. To be called lucky was a new thing for him. 


“I guess I can agree with you to some extent.”


"In all my years working with different organizations, one of them being Solgam, I have never encountered an entity quite like you."


"I believe we have already talked about this."


"So we have, but that's never truly answered my question on how you could develop magic in the first place, and more specifically one so specifically related towards bladed weapons of all things, it definitely isn't a spatial storage ability as it doesn't explain where you get those weapons in the first place. One would expect something more universally known, like a fireball spell, something of that nature. Yet you cannot use a fireball spell as far as I know, right?"


"It's complicated," Emiya said with his arms crossed, taking a moment to genuinely think about how he could answer her question. “While I do not have the capabilities of performing such a spell, it does not matter as my weapons are more than enough.”


If he were to give a more serious answer, then Emiya would say that he could technically perform a spell like that, but only by using a Mystic Code or Noble Phantasm that had the ability to shoot out a ball of fire. However, it was not something he was going to share, as it did not matter and was not important to reveal.


"So you should not be worried if I want to study you a bit more. Don't tell me you are afraid that I will do something you regret?"


"I don't. I just know that all you will accomplish is just a waste. It's not worth the time and effort you are willing to put in, so it's best to just think of something else."


"That only makes me more curious. You're bringing out the mad scientist in me, Emiya. Such a naughty boy for doing this," she chuckled, her laugh echoing across the room, to which he just smirked in response.


"I would argue the opposite. You're a bad influence on me, woman," he joked, not meaning any of those words and genuinely enjoying her presence and speaking with perhaps the only person inalmost equal standing.


“Is this the part where we hug?” 


“You've been watching too many romance movies lately.” 


“Guilty as charged~!”


"Ahem!” Another voice sounded loudly within the room, “I would very much appreciate not being treated like I'm not even here!" 


From the bed situated right in front of the office, an annoyed Run’s interruption brought both the nurse and the Counter Guardian back to their senses. Both now looking to the side, finding Run looking at them with a stretched smile that twitched at the corners. Her eyes were closed in an attempt to appear calm, but that facade quickly crumbled as she kept clenching her hands.


"Oh, my bad. I momentarily forgot about my surroundings. Fufufufufu," Mikado got up from her chair and walked towards Run, starting to remove all the wires and sensors she had added to the young girl's body for testing. This allowed her to visibly examine her patient and see what was wrong with her.


“...”


"Ara, no need to make such an angry face when you're this cute. We were just messing with each other like we always do, right Emiya?" Mikado said, one by one removing the sensors and wires from her body, glancing at the boy still seated near her office who decided to speak up as well.


"You may not believe us now, but if you get to know Mikado well, you'll realize that she's like that with everyone."


"Come on now, that's a bit far. I'm not like that with anyone, only with you and your funny little reactions."


"See what I mean!?" Run wasn't buying it, looking between the two older people in the room with a hint of disbelief and jealousy. “Stop trying to flirt with one another! That should be m—cough! Ignore that…”


A weird girl indeed, far more than Ren. “So, we'll discuss what happened to you later, but back to what you mentioned before about knowing a way to break this fiancé arrangement with Lala. What did you have in mind?"


The chances of it working were low. Emiya wasn't certain what Run would possibly come up with, but he was still willing to listen.


"Great! You may not believe me right now, but I guarantee you that this will not only work, but Lala herself will back out of the arrangement herself! It's totally a foolproof plan!"


For some reason, he highly doubted that.


But couldn't hurt to try or hear her out.


{Break}


(A few days later)


“You're leaving so early?" 


The days passed quickly, with the weekend approaching fast. With no school or homework left, Rito was more than happy to spend his day in the living room, playing some games he hadn't touched in a month. Yet before he could even get started, he spotted his red-headed brother near the doorway, dressed in fashionable clothes their mother kept sending after all of her fashion events. Near him was a small plastic bag with something inside, he couldn't see what it was.


This made him wonder what was going on, as it was unusual for him to venture out like this.


"It's nothing, just going to handle some affairs and then I'll be back before evening. Take care of Celine for me, and make sure she doesn't break into my shed again for the tenth time!" 


With that said,, the younger brother couldn't help but chuckle. Given their little plant guest, now basically his brother's adopted daughter as jokingly mentioned by Mikan, Celine apparently had a rather strange fascination with the shed.


Always walking over to that place and attempting to get inside in any way possible, she once even accidentally broke the handle with a multitude of vines bursting from the ground. Spending as much time inside as she used to on the porch, going so far as to even take a nap inside whenever Shirou worked on some of his hobbies or projects for a couple of hours. 


This happened so often that his brother actually handcrafted her a small bed and placed it inside the shed, clearing out some of his stuff to make space for it.


It looked very out of place among all the blacksmithing and forging equipment, as it had little to no stains or soot anywhere on its sheets. It was pristinely clean, while Celine would sleep comfortably or just sit there and watch him work for the rest of the day.


"You've been going out a lot lately. Even Mikan noticed it, and so did Lala. Is it another one of those fiancée candidates who is about to cause trouble?"


"Thankfully, no, so far I haven't been targeted by any of those individuals. It's just someone I'm helping out with some things."


That answer left his head slightly confused. "A friend from school?"


"I guess you could say that."


"What a strange way to answer that question," 

This honestly left him with more questions than answers. Though before he could say anything, the man left, the sound of the doors closing reaching his ears.


"Don't think he'll be back by noon. Mikan’s probably taking a nap right now, I'll just reheat some of the leftovers from yesterday for lunch today." It was better not to disturb her for such a small thing. They had plenty of food saved up now due to the increasing number of people living in the house, so much so that they now had another fridge modified with Lala's technology that could store ten times its volume without any issues. With that in mind, he shrugged and went back to focus on his game.


Or so he hoped to do.


"Suspicious..."


"Woah, wha—!" The unexpected voice came out of nowhere, startling the brown-haired boy and nearly making him drop his portable console. Holding his head due to the dull pain, he resisted the urge to curse before looking to see who was speaking.


"M-Momo, Nana" The twins were now dressed in regular clothing, both wearing the same design but with different colors. Nana had on a pink hoodie and white shorts, while Momo wore a red hoodie with black shorts. However, for the latter, the front part was a bit too tight for obvious reasons.


"W-What do you mean by suspicious?" He asked Momo, wondering just what was so suspicious about his brother going out outside now of all times. 


"I'm talking about Emiya! Surely you must have noticed how he's been going out these past few days with the same old excuse—to handle some things, affairs, and so on. He's never said anything like that before. Don't you find that suspicious?" Momo said, standing there with her arms crossed and looking at him.


"Not really. It's not that unusual for him to venture outside and be vague about things. Besides, you've only been here for like, what, a week? You wouldn't know that he does this rather often."


"Wrong! I have observed his pattern for about a month before we even met him! Whenever he uses that kind of excuse to go out, it always happens in the evening. He just walks around town, goes to the farmer's market, and does some window shopping. And during those times, he wears his regular clothes instead of dressing nicely."


"... That sounds like you're stalking him," something he was pretty certain the very person they stalked wouldn't be happy about such a piece of news. "He could have just easily gone to meet some friends. It's the weekend, so it's perfectly normal."


"Friends? Even that is debatable. I'm pretty certain he does not hang out with Yui, Risa, Saki, or Rin during such occasions — and those are his only friends at school! He always does so at school. For someone like him to do so now of all times, that certainly raises a lot of questions. But I don't believe he's hanging out with any of them."


"Hah… so, who do you think is going on then?”


This wasn't an issue in his opinion. Clearly, these two were overthinking such a mundane aspect into something completely dramatic without much reason. He would have been worried if it were Mikan who went outside, for she was still very young and both of the Yuki brothers were not comfortable having her step outside alone for long. Sometimes they called neighbors or store owners they were friends with to ask if they had seen their sister visit them and keep tabs. But that was a completely different situation.


"Seriously, I understand you trust him, but you are far too naive for your own good. This is not good; you shouldn't just go with the flow without questioning anything." Momo grabbed his shoulders and shook him back and forth. "Since you're not understanding what I'm trying to say, I'll say it straight up: I believe Emiya is going on a date with someone!"


"A-a what!? It came out of nowhere, an idea or an activity he had never previously imagined his brother doing. Given his complete lack of interest concerning anything romantic, along with seeing his interactions with Risa and how he always kept it under check. 'That can't be true, the very last person I'd believe going on a date is him of all people.'


Rather than answering his question, Momo just sighed. “I didn't want to do this because I don't have the full context, but it's the only way I can show you that something is afoot.” Grabbing her phone, she showed him a picture that made Rito's heart skip a beat.


“T-This is…”


At first, jr was a simple picture of the garden, with lush flowers in the background — until Momo started to zoom in. An action that caused him to see a clear view of the shed where his brother liked to spend time. But what caught his eye was through the shed's windows, inside, a certain blue-haired girl leaned against the table, her face crimson red, seemingly having said something to his brother, who had a shocked expression.


"S-Sairenji?"


Momo nodded her head, “I was just going downstairs to grab a cup of water and saw that the door to the porch was left open. I got curious, and then I heard talking coming from the shed. I couldn't see what was going on, so I used my phone to get a better view and found this. And guess what, it's after this that he suddenly started going out in nice clothes early in the morning multiple times a week. This is suspicious!”


It was indeed odd!


"N-N-No, that couldn't be!” Despite his mind screaming at him that the chances of what he feared were nearly zero, his heart unfortunately continued to beat faster and faster. He knew his brother had no interest in Haruna, having said so multiple times when encouraging him to talk to the girl. 


“You honestly think that Emiya is cheating when he's with Onee-sama?” Even Nana was caught off guard by the picture, her face showing shock similar to Rito's. “It can't be, he's not that kind of person!”


Right… she was right!


"And Haruna is not that kind of girl as well!" So he said, yet Rito had to remember one single detail: his brother certainly did not have any interest in the girl, as far as he knew, but he wasn't certain of the opposite. Whether or not Sairenji held any feelings for his brother was not something he could answer confidently. ‘What if, what if she saw him as something more than a friend this entire time?’


The more he thought about this idea, the more he could recall other moments between those two. From an outsider's perspective, they were clearly perfect for each other with how they interacted at school—friendly, trading jokes, and sharing hobbies. Haruna, known to be rather shy, was seen multiple times speaking with him so comfortably, without anything holding her back.


"And I would like to believe both of you and think that's the case, but can we be hundred percent certain? If you're both sure, then I have nothing to worry about, and I'll forget about this." She shrugged, preparing to delete the picture until Rito grabbed her hand.


"There has to be an explanation!" An awkward expression flushed his face before he let go and gulped. "We can always make sure it's just a misunderstanding, you know..."


"Check for ourselves who he's going out to meet," Nana finished his sentence, standing up with a determined huff. "I refuse to believe he's going after other women when our sister is engaged to him. He's not that kind of person, and I will prove his innocence."


Momo raised an eyebrow with a knowing look. "My, my. So eager to prove his innocence, or are you just hoping he doesn't get taken by a second girl who isn't you?"


"Momo!"


"That's what it looks like you're thinking!"


The two continue to quarrel with one another, one side purposefully teasing the other who goes completely red and even starts to incoherently speak her sentences. All the while Rito started brainstorming any kind of excuse or scenario or what could have happened that night which led to Haruna showing such a face which into his eyes deferred from the time he would accidentally fall on her and she would punch him. 


"Alright, let's stop this right now and see for ourselves if this is truly the case. We have some spying to do!" Momo announced loudly, an idea to which neither Rito nor Nana voiced any objections.


.


.


.


“Oi, Where do you think you're touching!?”


“S-sorry! It's just very cramped in here andI couldn't see where my hand—”


“Shut up before I break your face!”


"Both of you, quiet down! He will spot us if you're any louder!"


Now, in the bustling city of Sainan, within a narrow alleyway with scant room to maneuver, three figures cautiously used the shadows to conceal themselves from public view. All three wore masks, sunglasses, and large cloaks. While these garments were initially meant to help them blend in, they now made them conspicuous among the ordinary pedestrians strolling along the streets, some casting curious glances their way as they passed by.


A few mothers even warily pulled their children away whilst contemplating calling the police.


"Are you sure he won't spot us?" Nana asked Momo, her foot pressing against Rito's face and pinning him against the wall as she attempted to keep him as far away from her as possible. Buttoning up her cloak, having felt his hands somehow manage to creep inside. And he dared to say he wasn't doing so intensionally! "Didn't he fight our father and THE Golden Darkness? Surely he must have enhanced senses!"


"I don't think so; he's still human. I think," Momo answered, being the one in front, carefully eyeing the walking figure of Emiya. The latter had his hands inside his pocket as he made his way through the city. “He is human right… Anyway! See? He just passed his favorite bookstore where he buys all those cookbooks, and the farmers market is on the other side of the city! He's going somewhere else. Besides, you don't have to worry about him finding us; I've brought a few items to ensure that does not happen." 


She opened her cloak to proudly present a multitude of gadgets she quietly borrowed from her sister's room, some of which Nana recognized. "It won't help us in any way!"


"Don't worry about it. If we do a good job and stay quiet, we won't need to use them. Now, shut up, and let's go."


For the past half an hour, they kept pace and made sure to stay at least a couple of dozen meters behind the man. Whenever he stopped or even showed signs of wanting to turn around, they would find the nearest alleyway or store before rushing inside to hide. Thankfully, it was clear that he wasn't aware of their presence and was just curiously browsing some of the items on display.


"Strange. This is the business district with no interesting restaurants or shops around. What would he want to do here?" Momo commented, getting more and more suspicious. Having long since memorized a clear map of Sainan, she knew this area only held offices, banks, and such, an area where there was nothing to do, really.


"See? I told you he wouldn't be cheating on our sister," Nana said, letting out a huge sigh of relief, coupled with a large smile blooming on her face. "He's probably here to sort out some work-related stuff."


"I'm pretty sure Emiya Is not a white-collar worker."


"You never know; he is a workaholic, according to his sister."


"That still does not make sense! And he's still a student!"


"Wait, he stopped!" This time it was Rito who shouted, seeing his brother stop in front of a large office building. Retrieving his phone before dialing a number and talking to someone, ending the call before taking a seat on the stairs, visibly waiting for someone.


"I don't think Haruna would be here of all plac—huh!?" His words got stuck in his mouth with the following scene, pure shock, and disbelief presenting themselves on everyone's faces as, in the next moment, a woman rushed out of the building and instantly hugged him without hesitation. The blue hair made Rito visibly panic, while the fact that there was actually a woman who looked suspiciously familiar struck the two twins with shock.


"No way, he's actually cheating on our sister!?" Nana fumed with anger and a hint of sadness in her tone. A second later, pure anger filled her eyes as she rolled up her sleeves and prepared to go over there. "Piece of shit, I'm going to teach him a lesson!"


"Wait!" Fortunately enough, Momo stopped her in time and pulled her back into the alleyway. "We need to observe before trying anything drastic. It could just be an overly affectionate friend for all we know!"


The girl in question who was hugging Emiya let him go after he gently pushed her away, laughing at his expression and even taking multiple pictures of his face, much to the latter's dismay. They continued to speak to each other for the better part of a handful of minutes before handing her a small box of some sort from his bag.


"He's proposing as well!?"


"That does not look like a ring box... A necklace? Oh, she's leaving!" Before more speculations could be made, the woman happily snatched the item from his palm, giving him a quick little kiss on the cheek before walking away. The gang quickly rushed deeper into the alleyway as the woman approached their direction, cheerfully humming a song and passing by without noticing them. 


"Weird, what just happened over there... Did you recognize her?" Momo asked Rito, the dumbfounded teen now coming to his senses as he clearly saw the woman was not Haruna.


"N-No... I don't know who she is."


"Quick, we must follow him, he's walking away!"


The group continued what they were doing previously, sneaking behind without letting themselves be discovered and slowly following the redhead boy to another strange location. "The library? Well, I can see him coming here from time to time; he does like to read after all." 


Unlike the previous location, this didn't set off any alarm bells in their heads. Yet, strangely enough, they suddenly went completely still as Emiya did the same routine as before: grabbing his phone and making a call before leaning against the wall, clearly waiting for someone. Rito's mouth hung open as he saw another figure hastily walk out of the library and head straight for his brother, though this one didn't go for a hug. It was a girl he instantly recognized, unlike the last one.


"Kujou Rin!?"


A girl who rarely spoke but her mere presence made many of the boys shudder with fear, especially those from the kendo club who held an equal amount of fear and admiration despite having gotten destroyed multiple times during a match! Now, the same scary girl wore a flowery dress that completely shattered the image of Rin in his mind, talking to her brother with a complicated expression on her face. 'What the hell is going on here?' 


Unlike last time, Emiya did not give her some kind of strange box or anything of that sort. Rather, it was Rin who bowed and extended her arms, giving him a small plastic bag whose contents they could not see once more.


One he accepted with some hesitation, but before he could even say anything, the girl bowed again and walked away, not even stopping after he tried to call her, her sudden action catching them off guard and making their attempts to hide even messier than before. 


“Oh no, careful!” In his haste, Rito accidentally pushed Momo, causing her to stagger to the ground, with Nana barely able to act as a cushion, leading to a dozen of the contents and inventions within Momo's coatsprawled across the ground. Funnily enough, none of them activated or exploded onto their faces. 


“Wow, I guess our sister was really serious when she said she wanted to prove herself.”


"Careful with those, you never know…”


"We'll talk about this later, quick, he's going to disappear if you don't follow him!" Momo said, noticing the man once again walking away. She hastily gathered everything on the ground and stuffed them into her coat. The group's sprawling and struggling to keep up without garnering dozens of weird stares from the passing pedestrians.


"Ah, he disappeared!" Unfortunately, their little incident seemed to have given Emiya enough time to disappear for a brief moment. The trio walked up a small bridge crossing the road, using the height advantage searched everywhere for him, fortunately catching a red hair near a coffee store. 


"Don't tell me he's going to meet another girl," Nana whispered, getting tired of this little excursion they were having. "I swear I'm going to punch him in the face when he gets back home."


"Hehehehe, I knew there was something special about him," Momo said, having a completely different reaction, one of admiration and even awe.


"Huh… wait, is that…"


The sudden change in her tone made Nana and Rito curious. Both of them looked towards the direction of the store and noticed a third girl suddenly walk out to meet him. This one did not seem to be a student, from what Rito could tell. She had light green hair and a cute face that he would have remembered if he had seen her before. She was wearing something similar to Rin though with a different pattern, also, this girl wasn't as shy, as she instantly linked her arm with his before snapping a picture of both of them in a matter of seconds.


“What is Run doing with him?”


“Good question.”


Strangely enough, it was clear that the sisters were familiar with this person. Before he could even ask who she was, both started to panic as they looked in the opposite direction and noted something alarming.


"Oh no, it's Lala and Mikan!" All three of them noticed the jovial princess crossing the overpass accompanied by a sleepy Mikan who visibly just woke up.


"Oh no, if they see us here, they'll notice Emiya cheating! They'll be heartbroken!" Nana whispered harshly.


"We don't even know what's going on with him and those girls yet!" Rito tried to defend his brother, only getting two glares from the twins.


"And you think she will care as soon as she sees him and that other one locking arms like that? We can't risk this! We have to leave." Both Nana and Momo's wings popped out, and they floated away, leaving Rito behind who started to panic.


"Wait, what about me? Take me with you!"


"No way," Nana instantly denied his request, while Momo hastily tried to find something inside her coat. "Don't worry, Rito, I've got you covered. I think I have one of my sister's inventions that will temporarily change your appearance to a random person or make you invisible. It's a 50-50 chance, either way, it's good."


"Then why don't you just use that on all three of us rather than flying away!?"


"It only has enough battery for one use!" 


What a surprisingly convenient yet faulty invention! 


“Where is it… why can't I find it!?” Unfortunately, seconds passed and Momo remained empty- handed while Lala and Mikan drew nearer. Reaching her limit, Nana’s cool broke first as she snatched one of the many devices held within Momo's grasp and aimed it straight for Rito. 


“W-wait! Read the label you idiot!” 


“We don't have time for that! And you said they're all safe!” 


Rito suddenly had a sense of dread watching the pistol in Momo's hand start to light up, creating far too much noise for something that would only just change physical appearance rather than shoot a hole straight through his chest. Instinctively, he backed away, his face going pure white as, for a brief moment, he saw Nana pull the trigger. 


"Wah!” The ground beneath his feet gave way. No, he felt like stepping onto something slippery and slimy, instantly losing his footing and just barely managing to evade the beam of light by pure chance. Yet, rather than being relieved, both sisters went pale as the beam continued its path, aiming straight at Run. A beam Emiya managed to spot at the very last second and pushed the girl away at the very last moment, leaving himself completely open.


“—!”


Rather than just changing his appearance or making him invisible, the moment it reached him, a powerful explosion ensued, rocking the very overpass where both Lala and Mikan were — both catching sight of the light.


"What!?”


This was not the reaction the twins were expecting. Both sisters and Rito, who had regained his footing, did not waste time and instantly rushed towards the smoke-filled area. Nana, especially panicking, beads of sweat trailing down her forehead at her own action made because of pure panic.


“Emiya!”


“Nii-san! Are you okay!?”


“Ah… What did I shoot!?” Nana exclaimed, with Momo snatching the weapon straight out of her hands and reading the label carefully. Her eyes widened until they turned into small dots. 


"You used the wrong gadget, this is… this… aaaaah, we're dead… he's going to kill us…”


“Huh!?”


As for Rito, he did not stop and without wasting a second jumped inside the smoke, his eyes stinging and lungs burning from inhaling it, calling out his brother's name. 


“Cough! A-an attack?” 


“Eurgh… I feel weird…” 


Two people coughing could be heard from within the smoke. 


“—!?”


As Rito made his way to ensure his brother was fine, he suddenly went completely still. The first thing his eyes caught was a large waterfall of glossy red hair with strands of white filling his vision along with a voice that sounded more feminine than anything close to his brother's.


What the hell did Nana shoot!?