Tetorō quivered. He'd done it. He'd found the answer. His heart was beating so fast he could barely breathe. He worked hard to breathe again, gasping in deeper breaths until his body started functioning a little more normally again.

He had testing to do, but he was sure this was the answer. It was staring him in the face telling him it was. He reached his hand out and touched the blue light he was looking at.

[Tetorō. Programmer of Theldesia. Holder of the key to the door. ...Acknowledged.]

He drew in a sharp breath. Nothing more happened. "Ah...um...," his brain was still having troubles connecting to rational thought. "Can we go back and forth now?"

[Do you wish to hear the rules of passage?]

"Yes! Yes, I do." He was glad Izanagi had put some prompts in to help him get started.

Tetorō listened, becoming very sober as he did so. When the instructions were done, he almost dropped his hand, but then decided he'd better make sure he'd heard everything he needed to.

He stayed there for a while coming up with new questions every now and again and getting them answered. When he was done, he pulled his hand out of the doorway and put his best shields around it, although it wouldn't matter really.

Dropping into his seat, Tetorō sat for just a bit to recover, then pulled up the file he'd been keeping his notes in. He entered the end results of what he'd just done and the instructions he'd been given. Shiroe wasn't going to be very happy when Tetorō reported at the meeting this afternoon.

-:-:-:-:-

Shiroe called on the quiet and unusually sober Tetorō for his part of the afternoon end-of-week status meeting. Tetorō stood, keeping a hand on the table. He didn't speak for a moment, then he took a deep breath and looked at Shiroe a very sympathetic and almost defeated look. "I found the door today."

There were a lot of intakes of breath around the table but Shiroe had been primed by the look. He waited, his heart beat increasing anyway.

"Those of us who selected the two-way door will return to Theldesia - upon natural death here on Earth. Those who didn't select it won't be going back at all - unless they belong to a special subset of 'requireds'. The 'requireds' aren't allowed to choose but are required by Theldesia into the future to head repairs again as they become necessary.

"No one else gets through the door. They won't be acknowledged by the programming of Theldesia - going either way. We were able to get Purrcy through to this side because the AIs required it so made it happen. This Purrcy won't return to Theldesia, however. When she dies, the psyche of Purrcy reverts to what's held in the Summon records of Theldesia."

Tetorō took another deep breath, still refusing to look at anyone other than Shiroe. "I asked why the requirement was death. The answer was because we'd all asked for the right to choose to live the lives we'd been born to initially as payment to give up our anger. That was true for all Adventurers.

"The door is open now, but probably not in the best place. We need to select a location that's safe to leave it in. I know how to do it again so we can move it. It will be closed by both worlds at their respective ends when the last Adventurer who's going back dies here. And ...you'll need to decide what to really tell people." Shiroe slumped and sighed as Tetorō sat down.

Shiroe sat back in his chair, his hands clasped in front of him with his elbows on the arms of his chair. He rubbed his thumbs together slowly as he processed the answer they'd been given. It really wasn't what he'd wanted to hear, but he'd had some warning.

He finally pursed his lips. "Purrcy and I will come down with you after the meeting and take a look. Perhaps between us we can think of a proper place to put it hidden away. It's definitely disappointing that it's a one-time limited use. I really was intending and hoping for more. ...I can certainly understand how they got to that compromise, though."

He sighed lightly. "Thank you Tetorō, for all your hard work. Please work on a proper statement you can make to the public and bring it to me. We'll work on how we'll face everyone together, and when. I need to review in a little more depth the timing of everything. We may not want to announce it so close to Purrcy's retrieval, when we've said technology needs to become more advanced to move forward on it."

Purrcy raised her hand. "I'd be in favor of waiting, and not telling anyone outside of this group what the results were. As for myself, since I'm rather stuck, please understand I understood that from the beginning. There's no sense being upset by it at this point."

Shiroe paused, took a breath, and made his heart go firm. "Should we at least tell Nyanta?"

"No," Purrcy said firmly. "He'll know what to do when it's time, and it's his to choose when he arrives there, regardless." She looked away. "To tell him won't be a good thing, I think, particularly right now while he's struggling with my arrival here."

Shiroe had to agree with her. "Very well, for now we'll keep it our corporate secret. Marie, when I'm ready to make the final public summary statement, I'll let you know." He looked up at her.

Marielle was looking at him sympathetically. She gave a nod. "Okay. I'll keep them in the dark until then with the usual."

"Thank you," he said and indicated the next person should begin their report.

-:-:-:-:-

"Stiletto, go fetch KR and Rieze," Michael ordered quietly as those who were magic-initiated headed for Tetorō's lab. Naotsugu, Marielle, and Henrietta had been excused to their final requirements for the day.

Michael reached out and pulled Purrcy back to walk with him, letting the others get ahead a bit. He stayed quiet. "Does that mean you and I get to just end this life as us and that's it?"

"Is that what you want?" she asked him back.

He pursed his lips at her. "I didn't select to go back. I know most of the boys did, but since we all thought we'd get to go play again, and I was expecting a Maryann on this side, that wasn't going to work for me. To have to see you again was going to be too painful for me at that point in time."

Purrcy gently took his hand and held it as they walked slowly down the hallway. "Then, I suppose the answer is 'yes' given what we know now." He frowned and looked away. She squeezed his hand slightly, but let him ponder it.

Everyone was going to have to rearrange their expectations, not just them. She moved to slip her arm around his waist and he put his arm around her shoulders, comforting her, too. To her, she really had given up Nyanta.

Michael kissed the side of Purrcy's head and sighed slightly. It was what they'd wanted for her, although perhaps it might not have been exactly in the way. They all wanted her to be free to die instead of being a Summon, but they also wanted her to be free to choose. It sounded like Theldesia hadn't removed her Summon data, and Earth's AI wasn't letting that goal happen yet either.

He hoped they could answer to whatever requirements Earth's AI had soon so she could be free at least here. It made him hate having the magic again and stirred his hatred of the AIs generally again, too, as it had blossomed again when she'd shown him the face of the owned Summon when she'd told him in her expression that she'd been made to come back to Earth.

Michael managed to make it into the lab Tetorō had unlocked for everyone before he had to take Purrcy in his arms and hold her closely, wishing again he could protect her from the things that they'd never been able to protect her from.

"Haah," he sighed. "This is so hard, to have you still owned, yet here on Earth with us - with me. Will you be free when we're done with the requirements set? Will you be mine and your own, ever?"

Purrcy held him warmly in return. "I must fulfill certain duties, Michael, but in the end on Theldesia I was for the most part my own person. Likely it will be the same here as well, or similar. I won't run games for the whole world, which will be nice, other than the ones I help Log Horizon to publish and sell. That's simpler, really, since there it's mostly just me. Here it's a large team.

"That and watching the general tenor and path of the world were all I was required to do after seeing that it finishes going in the right direction from the point we were brought in to help. I'm not Earth's Caretaker, although I have been brought in because of some of my other skills that Earth's AI has need of or finds useful.

"It isn't so different from anyone else who has a thing they can do and needs to do in their lives. We're all being directed at the moment. When it's done we'll all be allowed the freedom to choose again. That's the way Earth works."

"Purrcy," Tetorō said tentatively from farther in the room. "Do you really want to be here, to see it?" They turned to see everyone was looking at them with tender and sympathetic looks.

Purrcy shrugged. "Not really, but it's okay. If I had to watch all of you walk back through without me it would be worse, I suppose. Since I'm likely to die first, I won't have to worry about that. I am sorry it couldn't be a playground for all of you for this time, though." They walked over to stand with the others, keeping arms around each other.

Tetorō showed them the thin opening floating over the electric loop. It was about four feet in height roughly four feet off the floor. Blue light glowed through the opening. "I know it's not exactly to our concept of a door but it's sufficient. I'd already gotten everything done except the final step, that is: anchor it properly.

"Right now it's anchored here in the physical base realm of Earth. If we moved it into a different realm, it wouldn't be visible. I can also move where it's located, but I'll have to move the ring to that place." They discussed for about five to ten minutes the details of where to place it and how to protect it.

In the end they hid it in the spirit realm, since it would be their spirits - their psyche - that would return to Theldesia. Purrcy and Shiroe cast a joint protective spell over it to prevent anything else from seeing it, affecting it, or going through it accidentally - although that was already done to a large degree on the Theldesian side. They just felt better making sure it was done on the Earth side.

When they were done, and gathered in the lab again, the feeling in the room was almost as somber as if it were a funeral. It was an ending that was sad and they had buried it, or so it felt.

There was a build-up of pressure they all recognized and they looked at each other in surprise, wondering what was next. If they could be done - if that was the finale like the choice to return home had been - that would actually be rather relieving.

Purrcy shifted to stand upright and they gave her their attention, rather used to her being the Oracle. She turned to look at Shiroe. "At this point, the need for Log Horizon to have magic is ended. Those who are of Japanese descent may have the magic removed from their knowledge. You will choose for them, Shiroe of Log Horizon."

Shiroe's eyes went wide. "I would still like to help Purrcy," he said. He thought further, then sighed. "However, it isn't necessary for any of us to know of or have magic to do so. It would be better to have it gone again, although I would like to retain enough knowledge and information to be able to help her plan as needed."

He was stared at by his guild members, but he shook his head at them. "I know most of you would give it up, and really it is better. To be involved in that world while trying to stay afloat in the technological world would really be too much to continue, I think. Inari, would the blacksmiths also be part of that?"

"Yes. All of the ones who have been brought in of the Adventurers."

"That's sufficient, I think, although please be kind about it. If they're going to be sad to have lost it, it's best no one remembers they had it - like last time. And please, we won't know what to do if others with magic show up here. While it might be nice to have the legal coverage of the contract left in the file at the head magic office, it would be good if they all forgot we knew the same as we will forget."

"Understandable. It has been a pleasure working with you, Shiroe of Log Horizon. The selection to send you to Theldesia was proper and appropriate."

Shiroe blinked, then bowed. "Thank you for your praise."

There was a shift in the room and they were all standing around Tetorō's computer instead of in the center of the room. "...So, as you can see, even with technology advancing like it does, we won't ever be able to find the door properly," he was wrapping up his brief lecture. "I think you can leave it open ended as far as the press goes, if you want, since I suppose we can continue to try every couple of years or so, but it's not going to happen. I'm sorry, Shiroe."

Shiroe sighed, then patted Tetorō on the shoulder. "Thank you for working so hard, Tetorō. I'm sorry you've had to reach an end that's frustrating for you, too."

Tetorō looked back at his computer screen, then bit his lip and nodded. "I'd like to stick around as long as my father will let me, even so. I'll help work on the game programming once I've cleaned up here enough to leave it in a state we can reopen studies if we want. I'll get the final report to you no later than the end of next week."

"Very well," Shiroe said calmly. "I still may not announce it anytime soon, if ever. Probably they'll all forget we were ever working on it in another three years." He looked at Purrcy with a sad, wry look. "The memory of society."

Purrcy stepped to him and gave him a hug. He put an arm around her until he was ready to step out of the room and return to his own office. He walked down the hall with an arm around Akatsuki and they knew the two of them would sit and recover together for a while.

The rest of them put kind, comforting hands on Tetorō. Purrcy gave him a hug that he hid in for a while. "Thank you, Tetorō," she said. "You did marvelously and have at least one reward. ...I'm here, even if you want to throw me back at times."

"...Yeah," he finally said, letting it go. "Sometimes, it is what it is ...and really ...I can't call it a failure if you're here. We learned that in the last boss battle. If they didn't want something to happen it wasn't going to. We got to let everyone go home and that was the most important." Purrcy patted him a few more times, then let him go gently. The rest left him there for his clean up and report writing.

Purrcy slipped her hand into Michael's and started them walking to the back stairs, which wasn't too far from Tetorō's lab. They walked with the guards silently until they were in Michael's office and the door was closed. Purrcy put up an umbrella.

Stiletto looked at them all, eyes wide, until they all collapsed, Michael pulling Purrcy to sit in his lap so he could hold her. "Why, when I stepped, did I always return to this room? Did you lock me down, Hahaue?"

"No," she shook her head. "Things changed again. Interference from the AI this time - again. ...Only we remember magic and can do it out of all Log Horizon and the Japanese Adventurers from Theldesia. The rest won't be allowed, and I don't know how much longer we'll be allowed. I just know we have one final task to perform for the AI. At least I hope it's the final one."

Bowie and Gareth were both leaning against the wall on either side of the door, arms folded and scowls on their faces. Stiletto looked between them, then sighed. "We have to repeat all the stuff we did separately, don't we?"

"Yeah, most likely," Michael said unhappily. "We're not very many for doing it."

"We'll have help, I suspect," Purrcy said mildly, her eyes on Bowie. "It's partially what Shiroe meant about wanting to remember. He and I discussed earlier this week that we would have to play that part out as well, you all and I. We'll still have his brain if we need it. I'll just have to keep any references to magic out of the conversations.

"That might be difficult from the chatterbox standpoint, and the desire to share things, but overall it won't really be hard. I'd rather protect them all." She sighed and leaned on Michael. "Keep practicing. I've already started you on the path we need to take. We'll still meet regularly, but now Tetorō won't be coming."

Gareth glared at her. "And what am I supposed to do when I can't go to Tetorō as my ice?"

"You can and will. The AI understands, and just because we supposedly don't have magic doesn't make me any easier to deal with, does it? Just don't talk about that part when you spout off to him.

"Eventually we'll likely have it taken away as well and then it will just be that anyway - at least until you and I are healed enough I don't need icing and you don't need hand holding. ...I do hope you're properly considering that part of your future as well?"

He looked away. "Yes. And looking forward to being able to leave you behind, honestly."

"I understand," she bowed her head briefly. "Thank you, Gareth." He looked down and sighed.

They sat quietly for a while until Michael sighed and moved Purrcy to sitting on his desk, facing him. "I'm still going to have that security meeting, I think. I want them all on the same page before we go. Do you know when that will be?"

"The wedding is tomorrow and I wouldn't be surprised if the Colonel and perhaps the Doctor have been invited to come. That's one of their own goals." She looked down at her clasped hands. "I don't think they'd be rude enough to suggest it then - it would just be the opportunity for them to see if they think we're ready." Her thumbs rubbed against each other.

"...The Fourth of July is three days later and the phone call check-up on us is two days after that. Too many things say we'll find out this next week. The timing is right for the convenient press excuse. If there's more to come, it's likely to be when Shiroe can say we aren't around to be seen or heard from because we're on honeymoon."

She looked up through her eyelashes at Michael. "I expect it won't be the honeymoon we'd like to see at all. None of mine have ever been and that's an as-of-yet unfinished repeat this time around as well."

Michael took her fingers in his. "I'll have to make sure you get a proper one, then, even if it has to be postponed."

She was silent for a moment, then said quietly, "I'll be looking forward to it, then." He'd just felt the trembling in her fingers when she finally gave up and was suddenly fox, going small and leaping for his lap.

He caught her and held her tightly as she curled up in his arms and shivered, a faint whine coming from her that she tried to hide. He pet her slowly and sadly. "Please tell me, Purrcy, that we won't have to repeat the death?"

When Purrcy couldn't answer, and didn't, Michael had to close his eyes and swallow against the pain in his heart. "I will hope, pray, and intend with everything in me that I don't have to be the one to make the blow and that I'll be able to save you instead." She did give a faint nod at that.

He spent the next few minutes praying for exactly that. He would probably have to kill himself if he had to play himself from then. He'd not wished her here to only turn around and kill his one and only source of hope and healing. Only knowing that he'd not had to really do it on Theldesia helped him, though.

-:-:-:-:-

"Rehearsal time," Bowie said on the now Eagle's-only chat line. Michael had decided to take Purrcy up to their room and make her take a nap. Gareth had gone for a break as well, so he needed to know, too. The chat just let them all know at once.

"We're up," came from Michael. Gareth gave the acknowledgement click.

After another half-minute, Gareth said, "Shinkou and I will stand watch on the front step and I'll leave her to guard the interior while we're gone. I think she should do okay now. We trained a bit more for that since I knew we'd all be gone, but the lesser folks would still be going in and out."

He went to a bit of a whisper, "Since legally for fire hazard reasons we can't keep all the stairwell doors open, KR and I trained her how to use the elevator."

Stiletto snorted a laugh and Bowie felt a little horrified. "Seriously?" Michael and Purrcy asked together.

"Yeah, we had a good time with it," Gareth said. "She's got it pretty good, actually. I'm sure it's better for her to have a human companion, but once we're gone there may be other times it's necessary." There was silence for a bit, then he whined just a little, "We do get to keep her, don't we, Hahaue?"

"...My intention was yes, she would stay, particularly to guard Shiroe while we were gone. I would think she could stay even after we forget magic, except we won't remember she's a construct. She really will be a real dog to us then.

"I'll have to think about how that could work or be coded into her. I'd wanted her to stay an item that could be used on Theldesia but if she's real to us, she needs to be real and get old and all that. ...I'll work on it and see what I can do."

"Thank you," Gareth said very politely in relief.

The door to the bedroom opened and Michael held it for Purrcy to exit. She was dressed nicely. Her eyes kept going back to Michael, who was also dressed very nicely, for him. Bowie decided it must be one of the new outfits Tetorō had picked out for him. Gareth had told them about that shopping trip in his need to vent a bit.

Michael was being smug again. He liked to tweak Purrcy whenever he could, because he could. It was a bit annoying, but at the same time it was fun to watch them since it meant Purrcy could actually be tweaked into reacting - a thing the Eagles had never been able to do really, unless making her cry to her favorite songs counted (and that did as far as they were concerned).

They walked to the elevator and went down to the first floor where they were met by some of the rest of the group getting together. It was going to be a double car trip again. Contrary to usual procedures for the last several days, though, it went back to Tetorō being in the car with Naotsugu, Marielle, and Henrietta. KR wasn't going to be left out, so he went, too. Bowie did his job properly, making sure that any cameras and snoops were erased and out of commission so they weren't followed.

The rehearsal was a rehearsal. No one fell flat on their faces and everyone was relieved to know ahead of time what was going to happen the next day. No one tried to crash it, so Bowie's job was made that much easier, which he supposed was nice.

Then it was car protection duty again as they drove to a nice fancy place for dinner together in a banquet room off to the side of the main dining hall. That was nice, too, to only have one door to guard instead of a whole unprotected table in the open dining room.

"You know," Michael leaned forward at a lull where most could hear him, "We men have seen the play you ladies put on, but we have yet to see the actual thing it was made off of. I already know Purrcy's asked to have that binge watch as her party tonight. Could you stand to have us come and at least watch the first one with you? We're just doing the usual drinking party on the roof again since we're so boring and dull."

"I don't know...," Purrcy said and then gave him a teasing look, "you all might get caught up in it, too, and just stay."

"If we bribe Rieze and Nazuna with some of the alcohol we'll have with us, would that be such a problem?" He raised his eyebrows at her, then turned the look on those two. They looked very tempted, but looked at Henrietta and Marielle. "Sure, they can have some, too," he said easily. Those two went from looking slightly upset to suddenly intrigued, although they tried to hide it.

Bowie hid his smile. Michael was really too smooth for his own good. If he wasn't careful, he'd slip and get them all into trouble again. But before the four in charge's eyes went to the two brides, Michael was ahead of them. "I don't want to impose really," he said humbly to Akatsuki, then Purrcy, "it just seemed like a good and perhaps only opportunity for us to see it. I'm sure the play is better."

He looked away, putting his chin on his hand, and murmured, "I'd love to catch one that we could try to do up new with the cast available on hand now. I had to miss participating last time." That caught Purrcy, who now wanted to act with Michael. Bowie's eyes went to Akatsuki. She was fidgeting. That meant she couldn't decided and had been offered a temptation almost worth it.

"Do you still have something in your closet that would work?" Bowie asked her, helping out, although he wasn't sure he wanted to be dragged into that much effort. If he could be the audience that would be fine.

"Ah...well...," her eyes went around the table. "We all do." The other ladies glared at her and she blushed dark pink.

Purrcy smiled at that. "You've learned to love role playing. I hope while being yourselves?" The ladies all nodded at that, and Tetorō did, too, but ever so slightly, not looking like he wanted to interfere - which meant he was interested already, too. That meant there were three other men to convince. Bowie looked at them out of the corner of his eye, catching that Michael was already doing the same.

"Have you seen it yet?" Michael asked Naotsugu. That got him captured. He obviously had and liked what he'd seen.

"I haven't," Crusty said. "I missed it every time on Theldesia, actually." That surprised both Bowie and Michael, that he'd offer to help this little game along. Crusty gave Michael a knowing look and then looked pointedly at Shiroe. That meant he really was helping for his own reasons, whatever they were.

"Except the last rehearsal at the last before-wedding dinner," Shiroe corrected Crusty slightly coolly. "All of you guildmasters stayed to watch that. And you saw it at the welcome home party." Crusty looked away and shrugged.

Now Purrcy joined in. "What if we found one that would let you have a part in it, Shiroe? I'd love to see you act even just once. There's actually a good one for you, if Tetorō doesn't mind letting you play lead. We could have Akatsuki play female lead for it and it would work quite well, although she'd have to stretch to play the openly acidic Misaki Ayuzawa."

Purrcy encouraged Akatsuki, "Your confusion as to just what to do for the play would be perfect. She spends most of the episode confused - and trying to out-compete Usui and losing to him in frustrating ways. You're a better lead for that one than Henrietta, actually."

Purrcy's eyes went to Henrietta, Rieze, and Nazuna, "Plus ...it's the best one for a pre-wedding night of a couple in love ...don't you think?"

Eyes said they knew which one she was talking about and "sincere" nods at Akatsuki reassured her. Shiroe - not sure at all - was captured by Akatsuki's pleading look (they all knew she loved to be on stage even if it was out of character for someone so shy) and he couldn't say no.

And like that, they all came tumbling down and it was a joint bachelor/bachelorette party. Michael would get to play with Purrcy again without leaving her behind. Bowie didn't mind it so much. Michael would only have moped and watched her from a distance anyway. This might be more fun for the men all around.

-:-:-:-:-

The women had the showing of the first episode of Kaichou wa Maid-sama in the game room of Log Horizon Systems so that everyone knew what had been in it and people could get a feel for the main characters. The men decided that the Water Maple Acting Troupe had done really well to match the episode, even with the somewhat summary modifications they'd made.

When it was over, the set of disks was gone through until they triumphantly pulled out the disk that had been mentioned for that evening's acting attempt. Rieze hid it behind her back, her look very impish. "Okay. I think that Purrcy should direct it doing her best, like before, then we get to watch it to see how close she remembers it."

"Oh, dear," Purrcy said. "You do know it's been lots and lots of years since I've seen it. Maybe one of you had better direct it." Her eyes went to Henrietta. "Since we've taken you out, and I know you already like it, you could do it, and Tetorō can be assistant director. I'd rather play. A bit part is fine since there are so many of them."

Tetorō looked around the room. "Yeah, we could include everyone really." His eyes got wide and lit way up. He gestured to Henrietta and they went into whispered conference in a corner until even Henrietta looked smugly excited.

She played it cool when they turned around, though. "Sure. We can do that. We'll modify it just a little since you already know it and can help lead them through it. Both sets of couples have to do the challenge - Purrcy and Michael leading Shiroe and Akatsuki through them so that Shiroe doesn't have to trip all over his feet and can be the smooth operator that he usually is."

Purrcy raised her eyebrow at them, then giggled, surprising the two directors as if they hadn't thought she'd agree to it. "Okay. I'll blush all you want. I think that's a good idea also and -" she put her hand over her mouth but her eyes danced with Tetorō's and Henrietta's. "Someone needs to record it. We'll never do it again."

Grins were on faces for that and Crusty was immediately assigned to figure out how to record the impromptu play.

"Right, then. We need at least two and preferably four balloons blown up. Put questions in them like what we'd use for truth or dare." Tetorō directed.

Nazuna sat up straight. "I'll write the questions." The main actors and actresses looked at her with glares, but she was already in her zone.

"I've got some balloons in my room," Marielle raised her hand. The two of them took off.

"We'll need the ping-pong table set up in the gym. We'll do the stations in there," Tetorō directed. "And a deck of cards." The Eagles all raised their hands, collected the ping pong table and accessories, and left the room. "Grab out two bowls and two sets of chopsticks," Tetorō called after them. He continued giving out assignments until he turned to Henrietta, an impish look on his face.

"We'd like to speak to the parts, to set up the mood ahead of time," Henrietta said. "Tetorō will take Michael and Shiroe into the gym while I talk to Akatsuki and Purrcy here. That will be better than having them go in completely cold. Then we'll meet up in the gym again." Excitement was a bit high. This was something new, yet something they already enjoyed.

-:-:-:-:-

"Okay," Tetorō said, rubbing his hands together as he stood in a corner of the gym with the two grooms. Michael and Shiroe looked at him a bit dubiously. Rieze was directing the placement of the stations since she knew the episode as well.

"This is actually going to be rather fun for you two, I think. This episode is a challenge between the two characters. Usui, under the challenge of the stations, is challenging Misaki to finally notice that he loves her without him saying it directly.

"He's been doing it for a long time, actually, and by now she's super confused and can't understand all the emotions he keeps putting her through, even though it's just the usual blossoming romance to those who understand. She simply can't believe she would fall for any male, and last of all Usui."

Tetorō grinned at them. "Misaki covers up everything with strident words and a fierce attitude. Whenever she gets feeling romantic at all, she freezes up and lies, saying the opposite of what she really feels and means.

"The main thing Usui knows for sure about her is that if he can get her angry and all fired up, she'll win any challenge, she's so competitive. He also knows that the only one who ever and always beats her is him, and that makes her most mad. He uses that to make sure they win each challenge."

Tetorō shook his head. "It's a better role for Purrcy, but we know that she wants to help Akatsuki feel like the center of attention tonight, so do your best. ...Ah, the one piece of advice I need to pass on is that you should mix the tender moments with the teasing ones. Teasing is how Usui keeps Misaki from walking away from him when he's been too tender.

"At the beginning of the challenge, make sure you take your bride's right hand in your left. That will be very important to the first station. Usui offers his hand and Misaki has to overcome that initial emotional reluctance and embarrassment to allow him to take hers. He acts like she's going to slow him down and she immediately has her hand in his and is moving as fast as he is to the first station. It's that kind of thing he does to her."

At Shiroe's faint blush, Tetorō laughed. "I'd almost think it would be better to have you be Misaki and Akatsuki be Usui somehow, but you know how to make people move so you really are a better Usui. Play as you against Akatsuki if you need to fall back into something to help you move forward in the play. You, too, Michael." Tetorō made sure they understood. "I think that's enough for a beginning. We'll direct as we go as necessary."

"Isn't this going to be hard, to have two couples trying to play leads? Most plays and shows only work with one lead." Michael wasn't so sure.

Tetorō looked around the room, then shrugged. "Well, we could skip the play part and just watch the two of you couples fight it out with the same challenges to see which one wins. The goal would be to finish them all and see who did it in the shortest time. Then we would be entertained regardless. It's funny in the show because they're a tag-team super duo rather than lovey-dovey about it." He looked Shiroe up and down. "But could you even do that?"

"No," Shiroe said, straight up. "I'd do something completely different with Akatsuki. When I encourage her and make her work hard enough to stand with me at the same time, then she shines."

"Well ...it's about the same thing, just gentler," Tetorō mused.

"I think it's usually that," Michael said. "It's just it sounds like in the show they show the extremes of it."

Tetorō nodded. "Pretty much." He left the two men to consider how they would play their parts while he went and confirmed the work Rieze had done in setting up the stations.

The leading ladies arrived shortly after. Henrietta went to Marielle and collected some small items from her and put them in her pocket, talked to Tetorō a bit, then called for everyone's attention.

"Okay. We start with the couple walking in a cool fashion down the hallway of the school whose school festival they're visiting. Misaki is still trying to cool off from their being suddenly separated from their friends and turning this into a date for them.

"That word's not in her vocabulary yet, and has been newly introduced when it comes to Usui and her. We'd like the two of you men to play rock-paper-scissors. Winner starts this round, then we'll alternate. We want to see what Akatsuki and Shiroe would come up with on their own a time or two."

They were all a bit surprised when Shiroe won, even him. He shrugged though and made sure Michael was good with it. Michael gallantly offered him the stage first.

Henrietta fished in her pocket and pulled out something on a chain. "Okay start walking this way," she directed. "We'll do the intro and you'll go do the first challenge, which is the ramen eating contest." She pointed to where Naotsugu was sitting by a small table.

Shiroe and Akatsuki walked forward "down a hallway" not touching, one of Shiroe's hands in a pocket, the other relaxed at his side. Akatsuki was walking just a little behind him, one hand to her face. Tetorō, Henrietta, Tatara, and Luna swamped them. "You two are a perfect couple for our festival challenge!" Henrietta declared with enthusiasm.

"W-we're not a couple," Akatsuki protested, but Henrietta went on effusively until the entire rule set had been said with help from Tetorō. Tatara and Luna held up game prize 'special tickets' to the after-festival activities, all of them very enthusiastic.

As Akatsuki went to protest again, Shiroe pushed up his glasses, "We'll do it." Akatsuki gaped at Shiroe as he pretended to pay Tetorō to play the contest.

Henrietta gushed and handed Shiroe a necklace. "This is the token that lets the stations know you've paid and are playing the Love Trial. Just show them that. Ah, and you have to hold hands the whole time. If you let go, you're disqualified." She leaned over and whispered, "And you can keep the necklace, too."

Shiroe raised an eyebrow. He turned to Akatsuki, "Why?" she demanded.

"I want to see if we can do this," he answered, "or can't you win?"

Akatsuki's lips pursed. Shiroe let the necklace dangle between two hands and she blushed and looked away, then gave a single nod. Shiroe gently placed it around her neck, making her blush harder. "It's okay, right? You get to keep it, so you'll get something out of this anyway." He turned away as if it didn't matter to him one way or the other.

Akatsuki's mouth had opened, then closed, and she was scowling. Shiroe held out his left hand. "Shall we, then?" he waited until she'd shyly put her hand in his. "Just make sure you don't slow me down. That would be a waste to not even try." He didn't look at her.

"Y-you! It's you that will slow me down," Akatsuki came back at him.

"If you're ready, then, 3...2...1...go!" Tetorō called out. They were running for the ramen station.

"Two minutes too long," Shiroe said. "Be faster next time."

"You were slow," Akatsuki complained back.

"The rules are you have to eat the whole bowl in ten minutes - only one of you," Naotsugu said.

"Piece of cake," Akatsuki said immediately. "Rock-paper-scissors you for it."

Shiroe raised an eyebrow. "You're too skinny," he declared. She growled at him. "Fine," he waved a hand at her and they played, Akatsuki purposely going late enough to win. She pounced on the chopsticks, picking them up in her left hand, then gave them a consternated look.

Shiroe took them. "You'll be too slow. I'll help. It's not that much trouble."

Akatsuki blushed again to have him feed her as if they were lovey-dovey, but finally gave a nod. Shiroe picked up air noodles and held the chopsticks out. When Akatsuki went to take the bite, he pulled the chopsticks away. "I don't think you can do it."

She grouched at him and for a while they played 'try to snatch the food off the moving chopsticks' until Akatsuki was so focused that Shiroe was shoving the air food in her mouth as fast as she could pretend to eat it. "Done!" he finally cried. Naotsugu looked at his timer and made a show of how fast it had been.

"Cut!" Henrietta called out. "Good job. I'm going to claim Shiroe's actually seen it." Her eyes were narrowed at him. He just looked back calmly, not saying one way or the other. "Okay, I'm going to change the play slightly, then," she said. "We aren't going to repeat. Michael and Purrcy, you're up for the second challenge."

"Nope," Michael said firmly. "We have to do the introduction first to set the stage. If you want us to skip the first station and go right to the second, that's fine."

"Okay," Henrietta agreed immediately. The others in the room nodded as well. They wanted to see what the couple did at the beginning, too.

"Shall we, m'lady?" Michael bowed Purrcy into the "hallway". "Surely we shouldn't waste the opportunity for a date."

She blinked, eyes staying wide. It was hard to tell if she'd been taken by surprise at the change of events, or was already in character and wasn't sure how to handle "Usui" calling it a date. He walked casually next to her, hands in pockets, not looking at her, but rather as if looking around the hallway and classrooms. She finally ran a hand on her head, looking confused.

The same group of students swamped them and gave them the same unrefuseable sales pitch, with Purrcy protesting at the right times. "Of course we'll do it," Michael said, handing over "coin". "She can't win against me, so it's alright if I say so." Purrcy's lips pressed together.

Henrietta passed over the necklace with the same commentary as before. Michael swung the necklace around his finger a bit, looking with slight disdain at Purrcy. "I think I'll wear it, since I paid for it."

Purrcy's mouth dropped open. "But...!"

Michael snatched the necklace into his hand. "You want it?" he asked in surprise.

Purrcy tossed her head to the side and closed her eyes. "Whatever." It came out cool.

He was immediately gently putting it on her, his arms going around her head from the front so it was an almost-hug. Purrcy froze and held very still. Michael ran a hand down the chain so that his fingers brushed her neck under it. "It's pretty on you," he said gently.

Purrcy's head whipped around to stare at him and she jumped back a foot with a shiver. When she was done gaping at him, she scowled. "What are you playing at?" she demanded.

Michael shrugged. "The Love Trial?" he pointed up as if to a sign. "You said you would, so let's get going." He gave a nod to Henrietta who counted down. "Keep up!" Michael ordered as he snatched Purrcy's right hand up in his left. "So slow!" but they were already running to the second station. Purrcy grumbled at him the whole way. "Not fast enough," he said calmly when they arrived. "What's the rules?"

"Ah, here's the proof," Purrcy showed the necklace, then blushed. Michael glanced at her and grinned to himself, where their audience could see but she couldn't.

KR looked at them calmly. "Speed."

Both the faces of Purrcy and Michael lit up. "We get to both play against you at the same time?" Michael asked. KR nodded and set out the cards properly. Michael looked at Purrcy. "Just let me do it."

"Not on your life!" Purrcy said back firmly.

"Go!" It couldn't be said who was fastest of the three, but Michael wasn't any slower than the other two and all three played seriously. Purrcy's last went down first by a small margin, with Michael and KR fighting for second. The corner of Michael's card was just under KR's though so Purrcy triumphantly declared it a win for them, daring KR to say otherwise.

He almost did, but Tetorō held up a hand and shook his head at him. "In the show that's the correct ending. Good job, though."

KR sat back. "Fine. Good job on winning the game room challenge. You'll be wanting the table tennis club next."

"Oh, that should be hilarious," Michael said. "Purrcy hasn't touched one for half a life-time."

Purrcy pursed her lips. "Maybe so, but that doesn't mean I can't try."

The others laughed. "Okay. Let's put Michael and Purrcy on one side and Shiroe and Akatsuki on the other. That gives them both a handicap and an assist," Tetorō suggested.

Everyone else liked that idea. Not letting go of hands, the two couples walked to the ping-pong table and picked up the paddles. "Ah...who's going to serve?" Akatsuki frowned at the ball sitting on the table still. The audience just smiled and watched.

Shiroe calmly picked up the ball with two fingers of the same hand holding the paddle. "I'm sure it's not so difficult," he said calmly. "If it bounces too high and over your head, I'll either get it or hold you up from falling down." Akatsuki gaped at him, then kicked his shin. He bounced on one foot for a bit, wincing. "Trying to lose early?" he glared at her. She blushed and looked away.

Michael turned to Purrcy, "So when the ball comes to your side of the table, it has to bounce once, then you hit it back. It has to bounce again before they hit it back. Make sure if it comes to my side you let me hit it so it doesn't go wild. Landing off the table means their point - or ours if we manage to hit it just right."

Purrcy was staring at Michael. Frostily she said, "Thank you for the refresher."

Michael paused, then smiled softly. "It's okay. You don't have to hit it at all. I'll do it. We're only allowed to use one hand anyway and I have the dominate hand free. If you stand a little behind me I'm sure I can do it so that we can win."

Purrcy looked away. Then, without turning back said with cold firmness, "I am not an invalid. I can hit a ball. Off hand is no problem when I've been doing more creative work with it than you for more years than you've been able to wipe your own butt."

Michael snorted a laugh and she glared at him again. "So you say. If you get the rhythm off, I'm ejecting you." He gave a serious nod at Shiroe, getting into position. Purrcy glared at Michael a bit longer then quickly got into position as well.

It was a hilarious game. For all that they did try their hardest, it wasn't easy to really play table-tennis that way. They had to sacrifice the ball a lot in order to not let go of hands, with spectators fetching it to return it to the table.

Michael and Purrcy tried the joint serve, with Purrcy bouncing the ball for Michael's serve. That worked a little better than Shiroe's self-serve. They actually got really good at it, getting a good groove going when it was their consecutive turn to serve.

It ended up working better for Shiroe to bounce the ball and let Akatsuki serve it, surprisingly. They kept at it until they were comfortable, then Tetorō called it when the rest of them were done watching.

"Okay, off to the balloon challenge, both of you," Henrietta cried. "First one to win that challenge wins!"

"No!" cried Nazuna. "I want to hear the answers from both couples, not just one," she pouted.

Henrietta finally relented. "We'll see." She pointed and the couples ran for the balloons on the floor. Nazuna stopped them. "You have to find one labeled 'Lucky', pop it, read the question, and answer it honestly, in five minutes. ...Go!"

The couples dived in, but both men allowed the women to hunt for the balloon, only watching their respective fiancée and helpfully staying close enough that they weren't resistance. At almost the same time both of them triumphantly came up with a balloon and turned to their men. They stopped short and blinked.

Michael reached out and pulled Purrcy close to him. Quietly he murmured, "If only I could take one of those porcupine quills from your back and use it to pop the balloon." He pulled her in tightly for a hug and there was a sudden loud pop as her fingernails broke through the taught balloon, compressed between them. Two pieces of paper fluttered down from both couples.

Akatsuki was standing with her hand up in front of her, between her and Shiroe, the sorry pieces of her balloon still dangling from her hand. "I really hope that wasn't what I think it might have been," she scolded. "You tease too much, Usui."

Shiroe looked away. "I'm sure it wasn't what you thought it was. And I'm sure I didn't need a balloon popped in my face. You're so rough."

Both women bent to collect the papers from the floor, but they gave their partners distrusting looks and wouldn't let them move. "How old were you for your first kiss and what were you doing?" Purrcy read aloud.

She pursed her lips, then said, "I was sixteen and three quarters. It was an academic experiment and request because I was so logical, but my brain was hormone filled at the same time so that such a thing had become a curiosity. The boy was weirder than I was, somehow thought I was cute, and was just as hormone filled, so thought that was an okay enough excuse."

Michael stared at her, disbelieving. "And how long did that go on, then?"

"I found I didn't like kissing - particularly him - so made him quit after about the third or so time. He still hung around, though. I didn't like where the hormones wanted to take me after that so shut them down, shutting him down as much as I could until he had to move away with his family. Then I could breathe again." Purrcy blinked at Michael.

Michael shook his head. "You were a strange person."

"Yes," Purrcy agreed. "And your first time?"

"Ah...," Michael looked away, then rubbed his head. "Seventeen, Junior Prom. I liked the girl, the kiss was sweet, ...her not so much pretty quick after that."

Purrcy's eyes narrowed at him. "You didn't."

Michael blushed. She went to hit him and he held up a hand to defend himself. "Actually, I didn't." She froze. "I knew my mother would kill me if I did ...and she wasn't worth it anyway."

He sighed and looked down and away. "It was the laughter of her and her girlfriends at the restroom mirror, redoing their makeup during the after-dance party. They weren't complementary to me or any of their dates. I gathered the other guys up, since we were on a group date and had them listen in. We confronted the girls as they came out of the restroom.

"They had no good defense so we properly returned them home and were cold to them after that for the rest of the year and the next one, too. I suppose we weren't very nice either, in the end."

Purrcy's hand went to give a pat on Michael's head. "Life's like that."

Michael rolled his eyes at her. "Indeed."

Akatsuki silently read her paper and her face flamed. She handed it to Shiroe, who also went a bit warm. Still, he read it aloud, "When did you first learn you loved your fiancée?"

Shiroe took a breath. "When I realized I needed your warmth at my side on Akiba. That was probably the night Minori nearly confessed to me. It took me until she was gone to bed for me to realize what she'd been trying to say. I considered it seriously, since I didn't want unrequited feelings to be left alone in the guild. It seemed obvious to me that she was way too young for me - or anyone for that matter."

He looked down. "It surprised me when my thoughts turned to you and couldn't be moved off of you, even though I thought I was. I had to chase it down after a while. ...I'm not sure that's when I loved you, but it was certainly the turning point where I started paying more attention. Getting to love was a gradual thing, so I can't put a finger on it specifically."

Shiroe squeezed Akatsuki's hand encouragingly. She cleared her throat, then looked down. "Actually ...I ...probably fell in love with you while we were still only on chats for dungeon raids together. You knew so much and were relaxed, but you worked the hardest to see that everyone worked together. It was a pleasure to work on raids you were on.

"It's what made me so happy to see you in Akiba and gave me the ability to ask you for your potion. I was happy to be with you from then, but I loved you from before." Her face was very bright red.

Shiroe put his hand softly on top of Akatsuki's head until she recovered with a bigger breath.

Purrcy smiled, then turned and walked her and Michael over to Henrietta and Tetorō. "We're done with all the challenges. I believe we've passed them all."

"Well done!" Henrietta said. "Here's your special pass to the after festival activities." She handed an air pass to them. They stepped aside and Shiroe and Akatsuki also stepped up to claim theirs.

"I think we should be done here and watch it now," Purrcy said calmly. "We have clean up to do and tomorrow's a long day."

"We wanted to see the last scene," Rieze pouted.

Purrcy smiled. "No. We will each have our own romance. Let's clean up then go see how their's played out so we can get the warm fuzzies, then it's really bed time. ...Thank you everyone. This has been a very fun night, in my eyes."

Akatsuki smiled and nodded. "Yes, thank you. To do it similarly but different was fun." She stepped closer to Shiroe and looked up at him. "And to do it with Shiroe, even better. Thank you."

He bent down and kissed her gently. "You're welcome," he said kindly. "I also had fun." He looked up at Purrcy with a grin and gave Michael a knowing look. "You didn't have to go far to find inspiration."

Michael shook his head. "Only had to turn around and look at her." Purrcy shoved him with her hip, since they were standing with arms around each other. He just held her more tightly about the shoulders so she couldn't do it again, and otherwise ignored her. That got grins, but they didn't let her see or she'd attack worse.

"That's what we were thinking, too," Nazuna teased. Purrcy shooed her off to the balloon area. The men had the room cleaned of larger items fairly quickly and Tatara and Luna kindly had the small balloon pieces and beer cans picked up and thrown away.

"Why didn't your husband come?" Nazuna asked Tatara as they walked back to the game room for the show.

Tatara smiled. "He's working on the final thing for the wedding tomorrow. They gave us a big order last minute."

Nazuna rolled her eyes. "So typical of them."

Tatara gave a nod. "We didn't mind. It's good it's finally happening."

"So true, so true," Nazuna agreed, sipping from her last can of beer one more time.

"And Soujirou?" Tatara asked.

Nazuna sighed as she sat on a chair in the game room. "I couldn't talk him into it, but I made him promise he has to come sit in hiding in the audience at least for the wedding. He can't miss that, or he would regret it later. Even missing this will be hard once he can understand again."

"Well, tell him we missed him, but we understand," Purrcy said kindly.

"We'll be glad to have him there," Shiroe agreed.

Tetorō wrinkled his nose, "Tell him if he doesn't shape up soon, we'll send Hahaue after him."

Stiletto and Gareth both looked away, in a rather obvious fashion. Nazuna raised her eyebrows at them. Gareth blushed and Stiletto finally cleared his throat. "We'll let you know if it works."

Tetorō attacked Stiletto with an arm around his neck and his knuckles grinding in his head. Gareth jumped on Tetorō, to attack him back. "You know it takes time," Purrcy scolded them mildly. "It's only been a little over a week. Leave off. The show is starting." Rieze had politically gotten it started to break them all up.

Naotsugu enforced it, pulling them apart and folding his arms at them until they settled. For all he was smaller and thinner, he still could exude the heavy-weight Guardian of Log Horizon. Things settled down and they watched the twenty-sixth episode of Kaichou wa Maid-sama until the end.

Michael leaned over as the final credits rolled and whispered to Purrcy. "It is rather amazingly familiar, actually." Purrcy turned her head away from him, folded her arms, and proceeded to blush rather bright pink. He stared at her, then laughed, trying to hide it behind his hand.

When Purrcy turned just enough to glare at Michael from the corner of her eye, he finally had to turn away from her completely to hold his arms wrapped around his ribs as he laughed, hard. "No, really. Stop." He managed to get out.

"Hentai alien stalker," she swore at him, quoting Misaki from the show. Everyone in the room had to devolve into laughter at that one.

When Michael finally had enough control to turn back to her and kiss her, they gave her very bad ribbings for succumbing to it just as easily as Misaki had. Purrcy had to hide her head in Michael's chest for a while after that. It was only truth, but truth was hard to face properly sometimes.