Chapter 26: The Normal

It was a great weather today and Shidou was now on his way to the school together with Tohka, who happily hopped beside him. Her purplish black hair danced against the sunlight and her purple eyes shined with a mystical glow. The sight was so pleasant for Shidou that he didn't noticed that someone joined at his other side.

Immediately, the new arrival bumped Shidou shoulder-to-shoulder. Shidou didn't anticipated it and as a result, bumped to Tohka accidentally, touching her well-endowed breast by mere accident. His hand automatically grasped onto it and it felt wonderful.

…Oopsie.

Well not for long, Tohka instinctively became defensive and slapped Shidou with all her strength.

*THWAP*

You can still hear the power of slap several meters away if you listen carefully.

Shidou's neck goes a 180-degrees rotation bones cracking can be heard as his head was thrown to the other side and landed on something soft. Finally, Shidou's consciousness returns and attempted to correct his balance. The reason why he's still alive might be because of his innate ability thankfully.

"S-Shidou!" Tohka exclaimed in worry, of course, she didn't do it on purpose and now her hands were flailing outward from panic. Shidou's other cheek was blaring red and swelling. The only thing that was his saving grace from this instant suffering was the soft feeling he felt when his head bumped again on something… or rather someone.

"Rather forward of you, Shidou…" Ritsuka said teasingly. It made Shidou scamper away from her as he tried to assess who it was. He realized that his head bumped on Ritsuka's chest this time. Not as endowed as Tohka, he could feel the shape of Ritsuka's breast—err, why did he was thinking it all of the sudden?!

"R-Ritsuka?"

Ritsuka just nodded. "One and only."

Shidou was still waiting for Ritsuka to react, no matter how she acted nonchalant. It's that he expected for every woman whom he offended react violently of some sort. He closed his eyes tightly as he awaited his punishment from Ritsuka.

Little did he know was that the Master of Chaldea was so used to being touched inappropriately to the point that it seemed to be a normal occurrence for her (notoriously, the Stalker Trio can be blame for it.). It does also help that most of her Servants were perverts (infamously Blackbeard) so she can knew right away who's really a pervert or not. Shidou was not a pervert.

She just tilted her head in wonder as she also waited for him to move 'normally'.

"Shidou?" Ritsuka just questioned him, finally making him open his eyes warily.

"Don't you want to slap me too?"

"Why would I slap you?"

"I don't know… maybe because I touched your chest?" He reasoned.

Ritsuka immediately looked down to her bosom and cupped them eagerly, emphasizing her breast further as she tried to bounce them. This made Shidou and Tohka embarrassed from watching her.

"S-Shidou! What Ritsuka is trying to do?" Tohka said as she stood behind Shidou and pointed at Ritsuka's chest accusingly. Even Shidou felt the hair on his nape stood up.

"Oh, nothing *pfft*." Immediately, Ritsuka ceased whatever she was doing and wave it off, to Shidou and Tohka's chagrin. They continued walking along the way to the campus.

Ritsuka herself dropped the issue of Shidou's accidental touching of anyone's chest within the vicinity, much to Shidou's dismay.

At last, they have arrived at their campus. Tohka and Shidou proceed to their own classroom while Ritsuka was now on her way to the library in order to do her duty. She placed her bag alongside her table and sat eagerly. Just like the usual, the librarian left her on her own device as she was 'busy' of something else and for Ritsuka it doesn't matter. Aside from the fact that Ritsuka liked to work alone, the library has a vast array of information and entertainment. In other words, she liked to have secluded in her own world by reading these books. Maybe, Medusa's hobby has infected her greatly, damn!

Break time comes to the school and the school bell rung. Ritsuka never thought that the time was fast, especially when your nose was closer to the pages of the book as you read them word by word. Imagination was really something. She eyed the clock and check for the time, not that it matters for her.

Ritsuka was playing with a pencil placed on her upper lip and under her nose as a simple challenge. She kept on making weird facial expression as she kept the pencil balanced in order not to dropped it. In the end, the pencil was down by her lap.

She looked up again and realized three people were in front of her desk. She knew them by their name:

Ai, Mai, Mii.

The Blonde, the Brunette and the Redhead.

The Tomboy, the Meganekko, and the Normie.

For some reason, Ritsuka thought that they were just too cliché on something.

Ritsuka knew too well of their name because they rhyme of something, and therefore easier to remember. The three of them have a folded their arms beneath their chest and gave Ritsuka a judging stare.

"Never have thought you joined Shidou's harem."

"You have fell victims for his charms…"

"That is so lame."

Ritsuka just raised her eyebrows in confusion. "Pardon?"

Their voice immediately raised a little.

"Shidou's a playboy!"

"Wake up, girl!"

"That is so lame!"

Ritsuka realized that they were terribly mistaken and tried to correct them.

"Of course no, our house was just near to each other so that's why I just join him walking whenever given chance."

However, the trio were still less convinced of her statement and their eyebrows were tightly knit ferociously.

"Shidou's charm is delicately dangerous!"

"We're warning you!"

"That is so lame!"

They said as they went out of the library. It seemed they aren't entitled anymore to listen to Ritsuka and she was just glad that they are now gone. The one who could only say 'lame-o-something' must have a problem in her mind.

"Ok then…" Then she returned to her simple challenge: balancing the pencil on her nose.

"Hey there, beauty."

Ritsuka was just surprised, really. It made her dropped the pencil from her nose as she looked at the perpetrator with a mean look because he just disturbed her challenge.

Hiroto Tonomachi.

His looks were just slightly above average and for Ritsuka, he has the greater chance at obtaining a 'real' girlfriend than Shidou is. She couldn't still wrap her head on how he ended up like this. Tonomachi was a weaboo of some sort, although not reaching Blackbeard's astounding depravity level.

"I'd like to introduce my girlfriend to you." Tonomachi then showed off her mobile phone and a picture of a 2d woman, heh. He kept on leaning on the table while Ritsuka instinctively lean back away from him.

"Nice, yes your 'girlfriend'–please don't push the phone onto my face." Ritsuka scolded him.

Tonomachi just showed off his smug face as he swiped his hair up. For, Ritsuka, it was just cringe. He delicately handled his phone as he let Ritsuka see his girlfriend clearly. For Ritsuka, Tonomachi just wasted his good looks. Well, it's just her opinion.

"My girlfriend just wanted to say hello… you know."

"I already know that … so what do you want?" Ritsuka took a double-take. "Except that you've introduced your 'girlfriend' to me, what do you want?"

"Heh." Tonomachi just chuckled. "That's it. Nothing more."

"Ok…"

"Ok."

Then Tonomachi just… left.

Ritsuka concluded that Shidou was the only normal people she has met. Sans the Servants back from Chaldea, the people of this world can bragged their own brand of eccentricities.

…or it could be the other thing; On this world of craziness, Shidou might be the only one odd out. Still she just figure it the first time she step on this school.

"It is still not enough…"

Kurumi said as she observed the entire city at the sunset. It was a beautiful, peaceful sight. Her other eye that was like a clock blended perfectly with the orange scenery from the sky. Her glowing astral dress was dancing against the gentle wind.

[Nightmare] was currently on a tall building. She could see the house of Shidou as well as the dorm of Ritsuka from this area. Also, the campus can be easily be pointed from her own finger.

Easily, she can obliterate if she wanted to but for now, she can't.

"Not enough…" Kurumi sighed.

Even with Ritsuka supplying her enough mana, it is still not enough. Instead, it is sufficing for her to let her use some of her abilities without any constraints. For that notion, Kurumi was glad she had met Ritsuka on that day.

But it is still not enough.

On the other hand, she could feel something has changed from her, she still doesn't know what it is but Ritsuka was responsible for it since the time she initiated the contract with Ritsuka, not that it was entirely bad in the first place.

She thought Ritsuka was a Spirit too, but turns out it was just too complicated. The flow of mana from her was unique and even then it was just so strange. The Spirits that accompany Ritsuka were just several leagues powerful.

If only she could know her for longer.

Maybe, one day, if she was ever ready. That damn Nun did really change her views to them.

They are dangerous.

They are deadly.

But at the same time, Kurumi considered Ritsuka as a friend. As if no matter what how Kurumi twisted as she is, Ritsuka viewed her like a normal being.

Maybe, one day. Kurumi will fully trust them and became her powerful allies.

But for now, she must hide in the shadow for now.