Hello again, everyone! Welcome to... a smut chapter! Yes, the ones you're all secretly wishing for... with a flavour of flashback. So, as you can observe from the title of this chapter (and the next one), this theme will run its course before we get to the war preparations. As always, I have to put in the warning for you guys to enjoy it responsibly, yadda-yadda-yadda...

Speaking of which, do you guys know when the new batch of Servants will be released for FGO? I think enough time has passed for them to roll out a new story chapter, right? I don't see Fate/Requiem as a proper story arc, even though the source material was excellent as usual. Additionally, still disappointed Heaven's Feel Part III didn't get moved forward despite everything going on, especially our hunger of more content!

The mailbag for the previous chapter, even though I'm sure you guys will just skip this part and go straight for the M-rated scenes...
uboNiniM: Her impression of him was mostly from second-hand information from her own shinobi/kunoichi network. Much as she has grown as a leader of a ninja clan, there would inevitably be some bias derived from this process. Additionally, Dousan's reputation as the 'Viper of Mino' wasn't born from upright and model behavior, you know. You should look him up historically. Juubei manipulates 'liquid'. ANY liquid.
HarmonyDST05: No, because I'm planning on using her for the 5th HV installment (yes, you read that right; not 4th). It'll just ruin in for me if I utilize that plot point from FGO.
EVA-Saiyajin: I'd argue that his wives' successes were brought upon by the foundation he laid behind them. Just because he chose not to publish his influence didn't mean he's piggybacking.
superpierce: It won't be directly told in the story, and mostly will be implied to as you've read. However, if I can explain things as plainly as possible to avoid spoiler, Tamamo-no-Mae in this universe was the wife of Minamoto no Yoritomo (among others, as usual in an HV harem series). He managed to convince Emperor Toba it's not her presence which caused his ultimately fatal disease - unlike what an Abe Clan's onmyouji/astrologer declared in the historical canon, which led to her death - and they got married. That's all I can reveal right now.
Royal Freshness12345: Yeah... What I'm trying to convey is that's not an excuse. Others who had it worse could rise up and above the other (in this case Yoshitatsu). She wasn't even particularly tormented in her childhood – it could be said her parents pampered her too much, enabling her to abuse others without consequence. Yes, that forehead looks delicious, doesn't it? Have you been 'researching 'Juubei's illustrations?
Tazzmania: The Heroic Vessels' Knight Arms will scale up to the TYPEs, yes. They themselves aren't quite at that level, but they specialize in killing TYPEs like Ado Edem.

N.B.(s): Check out the Character Sheet Update below for some tidbits about minor characters from the already-published chapters!

I never think I can feel the attribute 'comfortable' whenever I'm deployed to a new mission as a Heroic Vessel.

While my relationship with Alaya has somewhat improved… in a manner of speaking, there is still the trepidation of the challenges lying ahead. Chief among them is how well I can make myself integrate with the local culture, having a basic moral code formed already after a few missions before this. However, Sub-Roman Britain, Mycenaean Greece, and Japan's Warring States Period are vastly different beasts altogether – what's acceptable in one culture is an executable crime in others.

I'm worried what I picked up during my previous missions, deep in them as I was, will cause misunderstanding in this one.

And, to be honest, I've never visited Japan ever since I accepted Alaya's calling so long ago. Having lived several lifetimes already, it's amazing the opportunity never comes up… and another Heroic Vessel had a go before me?

Well, I have to be fair, of course. This body holds that person's DNA, enabling it to be strong enough for me to descend. Perhaps my work, too, has helped him in return? If we have the chance, maybe we can joke about it in Alaya's room…

Anyway, it's already good my family has established the groundwork for my hobbies. At the very least, I won't die of boredom when not saving someone.

But it surprised me the Sengo Clan isn't more famous before my birth as their latest member, Muramasa. In Japan, blacksmithing is a lot more established than European cultures, where great weapons are usually attributed to inhuman influence and make instead of simply awesome and meticulous work by a perfectly normal person. It gets worse now, as the proliferation of Christian culture attributes blacksmithing as descendants of Cain… and the sin he carries.

That is plain wrong, of course, but people's minds are easily indoctrinated by those they perceive as smarter than them. Enabling the nobles and royals to oppress them through preventing literacy is something absent in East Asian cultures, popularized by China's policy of public examinations and the benefits the neighbouring countries see from that. Additionally, the gods we – and by that, I mean my fellow humans – worship include various attributes connected to blacksmithing up to this day.

Contrast that to Europe and other Western cultures, where the spread of Christianity considers worshipping such 'false gods' to be a sin. Thereafter, the old cultures got killed off, including major blacksmithing and crafting gods such as Hephaestus and Vulcan. It results in the popular depiction of fantasy in modern era, where blacksmiths are represented by grumpy, physically-deformed, filthy, and raucous dwarfs.

In contrast, this body's original owner is always portrayed as a normal human being. His blades are besmirched by the Tokugawa Shogunate later on – a fact I fully intend to change right now – but he doesn't experience the character degradation a smith of his skillset will do if he's born among Western cultures.

Going back to my family, it's nothing more than the ordinary, honest, hard-working smithing clan. Considering the skill and experience I can still learn from them, it does honestly surprise me we haven't landed a major contract right about now. Normally, even average blacksmiths have their loyal clients, either local villagers or landlords.

Of course, in just a few years, I have secured the Oda Clan's contracts of… well, everything, really, after I have cosied up to Kippōshi's good books. Now, our Workshop is considerably larger, able to recruit many apprentices – both humans and yōkais – to produce large quantities of high-quality work.

It's such a shame I don't have the opportunity to 'share the wealth', so to speak. During my childhood, my heart bled seeing the impoverished conditions of my neighbours simply due to bad luck – a series of freak weather has devastated the crops, and without the modern knowledge to recover from it, such as tougher breeds of plants, advanced and efficient farming techniques, and so on, the misery simply spiralled out of control.

As a child, I had no ability to truly change things on a bigger scale. I didn't have the connection, authority, trust, or just the physical capability to prove my suggestions work. When I did, it's already too late – the village was almost deserted as the young people left to other territories to work and earn money, leaving behind the old and weak.

Therefore, when I first took over the Workshop as the only and eldest son, I only have my family to recruit. Fortunately, my younger female cousins, the twins Toyo and Tome, are interested in learning the family craft… and are actually quite good at it. Being younger than me, they don't ask too many questions – a trait I'm annoyed with the adults, no matter how understanding I am of their viewpoint – when I do an unusual-for-the-time techniques or choose unnatural materials as the base of my blades.

Grunt work is always readily available from the yōkai tribes, and two Ippon-Dataras have been working with my family since my grandfather's generation (bless his departed soul), so it solves the issue of the two girls lacking the proper mass and muscle durability when they're young to forge things properly. Not even Reinforcement Magecraft can boost one's physical ability too far beyond one's limits, and I have no intention of seeing these two girls who I consider my younger sisters bleeding from various orifices like 'Emiya Shirō' did stupidly many, many times in other realities.

Naturally, I never bring them into any kind of political meeting with Nobunaga and her retainers… because some things suit other people better. It's preferable for their growth not to be contaminated by 'filthy politics', because their young minds won't be able to differentiate what's good for the art of blacksmithing and what's better for field work. The former is much more conducive to the betterment of oneself, while the latter is better at… well, earning money.

In fact, shovels, cleavers, and pans are much more profitable because of the sheer volume we sell them at, compared to blades for 'special events', such as coming-of-age ceremonies or celebratory parties of conquest. They are one-of-a-kind, yes, with one-of-a-kind price, too… but also at one-of-a-kind volume.

However, the skill required to create those 'special projects' are far higher than normal, everyday items. Therefore, if one can make just a single precious piece, then the techniques used on that is completely applicable to making normal things – and not the other way around.

"Onii-chan, I'm done!"
"E-Eh?! W-Wait, I'm just about to…"

Smiling at the two's antics, I calmly say, "Tome, don't rush things. Getting sucked into another smith's pace is detrimental to one's perfection of craft."

The younger twin sadly nodded, deflated at her defeat at the hands of her sister. "Yes, Onii-chan…"

"Fufu…!" Toyo happily skipped over to where I am sitting, supervising them in silence. "Ta-da~!"

The most basic Japanese-style weapon for a newbie to start is a tanto. Yes, in modern times, katanas and ōdachis are much cooler – a perspective I guiltily share because of the difficulty and sense of achievement when one is successful – but for a learning tool, a shorter, simpler weapon is the best. It doesn't need the delicate curve and bevel geometry of a katana and its longer siblings; therefore, there is no physics going in the way – unlike its heavier counterparts.

So I have both of them practice several times, preparing to have them graduate from making chef knives. Cutting flesh and bone is far more difficult to consistently maintain than slicing soft vegetables and prepared meat or seafood, requiring not only a different design, but also treatment processes. Fortunately, the craftsmanship of the handle, sheathe, and other fittings are simpler because there's really only one way to hold and swing a tanto, whether it's a regular or a backhanded grip… unlike a chef's knife where the user must adjust according to the material before them.

This also applies to other weapons currently only I am qualified to make. Unlike a utility tool, whose versatility is just as great a determining factor as performance, a weapon only needs to kill, period. Martial arts have honed moves to be as efficient as possible… and it culminates in a general design trait one can study and follow easily.

For example, holding a naginata, spear, glaive, and war axe needs quite a similar body mechanics. So too a wide sabre and a machete; ditto a katana and long cutlasses. Only the details need to be fine-tuned to its surrounding and culture.

"Hmm… Your grind is off to the right-hand side," I comment, causing Toyo's enthusiasm to deflate just as quickly as her sister from earlier. "Remember, we're not making chef's knives."

Japanese cooking knives tend to be one-sided, favouring the chef's dominant hand. Modern European knives are symmetrical, and it's a design favoured for weapons, too. Only very specific ones follow this creed, such as a twin pair which has to lock together, but that's more of an exception than the rule.

"Hahaha! Behold; my work is better than yours!" A few minutes later, Tome comes triumphantly, having done her homework better with more time. "See that, Toyo?! Pay up!"

I pinch my nose's bridge as I examine her work. "Are you two betting again? Haven't you learnt your lessons from last time?"

"Muu… but then everything's not fun! It's just a friendly competition, Onii-chan!" Tome protests, clearly happy she's won.

Toyo is still at the grinding wheel trying to correct her edge alignment, but she nods too.

"Well, suit yourself. Remember, no money or physical labour," I warn, returning Tome's work to her hands. "Yes, you've won, but just barely. There's still some unevenness to your spine and tang area; clean them up before I can consider it finished!"

"Right o'!"

The two Ippon-Datara just watch the exchange while grunting in their specific language, clearly unamused by the loudness of the twins. I just shrug at them, before joining them to continue my own work: a high-performance rifle inspired by modern times.

The Japan I've come to… is not what I expected, to put it mildly.

I thought I was used to seeing male historical characters gender-flipped to female, or had their sexual identity falsified through history… or any kind of mistaken identity, really.

But this world really, really has it going, don't it?

Well, I'm not really complaining. The more cute girls around, the easier it is to find the motivation to integrate myself into the current society. Certainly, if everyone is buff and roughshod characters like Herakles or a difficult-to-handle pervert like Merlin, I may turn into a recluse instead. While I fully respect those who have different inclinations than me, like those two aforementioned individuals, I am resolute in who I am and what I want.

I succeed my family just as I enter my pre-teen years, after my parents died from old age. Apparently, I am the 'oldest' and 'only' son because my previous older siblings died off before me due to various simple but deadly things, like malnutrition, famine, illness, and so on. The hard life took its toll on my parents, and the despair of seeing their children dying off before them must be extremely hard on their mental and spiritual state. At the very least, I was able to achieve a level of success they're proud off, as they died with a proud smile on their faces only a few months away from each other.

In this era, there is no time to cry or wallow in one's despair. Life gives you tough deals? Well, fuck life, and bust through that limitation called [Fate] to achieve what you want. Every single human has that ability – as proven by the very first 'Emiya Shirō' who became EMIYA – the only question is whether they have the will to do so or not.

That twisted boy has nothing. Not his ideals, not his dreams, not his powers, not his talents. Yet, he endured all those hardships in life as well as in death as a Counter Guardian, and finally rewarded after the Fifth Holy Grail War.

Yes, his story is one of failure, but I myself will be damned if I don't learn from it to become a better person.

Therefore, at the very least, I have to take care of Toyo and Tome as best I can, because they also suffered the same fate as me at an even younger age.

And in this era, the only thing which can prevent this sadness from happening again – much as I loathe to admit to have felt that – is 'Tenka Fubu'.

Which means Oda Nobunaga.

Who, to be fair, is someone worthy for me to admire, unlike her historical counterpart from the memories of 'Emiya Shirō' at school. However, her personality differs somewhat to what I learnt from Alaya, though still in within tolerable variance.

Honestly, the 'her' right now makes it easier for me to fall in love with.

While I don't mind some quirks in my women, even as my adoration and worship and love of them are tempered through multiple deployments and time, they always have the potential to be centred and balanced with the right treatment. Of course, that is my job, and I fully intend to do it as well as possible – unlike the Counter Guardian program.

Nobunaga… is very well balanced, given the challenges she faces daily in her life.

I've heard of her outbursts before I have the chance to meet her. Naturally, those will ostracize her as people will consider her a loose cannon at best, and a future demon king at worst – just like her historical canon counterpart. I've heard what people talked about the 'Fool of Owari' just as condescendingly as the history I know of. I've seen her cry in front of me – just a normal little girl, without the strength of her grown-up conviction to the point of fanaticism and ruthlessness.

It's rather awkward approaching someone who's literally on fire, but having the ability to withstand violence from girls is something I'm rather proud of.

"Hey, hey! Look at me! Don't look anywhere else – I'm here. Look at me…"

Back then, calming her down required nothing more than a stern and serious talk… as well as a good ol' hug. People just had to get past the hellfire to get to her.

I eyed the stand-by onmyōjis nearby angrily as I hugged her tight, much to my parents' shock and fear. The increase of Mystery meant magi were popular and relatively inexpensive to hire as court advisors, bodyguards, or regular mercenaries – and it's their job to handle this sort of situation to prevent it from going out of control.

No wonder her other selves I know from the Throne of Heroes are rather imbalanced, if these are the kind of people surrounding her as she grows up.

"Look, I'm fine, right? So just let it all out – I can handle it."

And my parents' look embodied what's wrong with this era's people's interpretation of the other Heroic Vessel's work. Even though Mystery and yōkai are now more commonly accepted, it's all based on control. Those who can't do that simple thing will immediately be prosecuted, instead of people taking the time to understand the other party from their point of view.

In essence, even though many things have changed, so too they stayed the same. Doesn't matter whether it's the difference between locals and Nanban, or different yōkai tribes… People just aren't born with the empathy necessary to get along well with those different from them. Plain and simple.

And that is why I am structured with zero basic emotions and a full capability to empathize. I'm beginning to agree with Alaya, now… that's dangerous…

"Shirō, what are you thinking?" Kippōshi inquires, scooting over in her sleepwear draped with a wide fur-lined blanket, Nanban-style. "Don't tell me you're… aiming for my body this late at night…"

- Flick!

"G-Geez! H-How strong is that finger!" She yelps when I flick her forehead with one finger. "No wonder Jūbei's forehead becomes so wide!"

"That's what you get for forgetting there are ears around us." I sigh, pointing to the perimeter of the room. This castle is classically designed, and the sleeping quarter for its lord is surrounded by hallways where patrols can always monitor things. "Even though I have a barrier up, there are plenty of ways around that as well."

"Muu…! That's the impregnable defence of a newlywed!" She proclaims, and seemingly hasn't learned her lesson as she pounces on top of me faster than before, draping her arms on my shoulder and manoeuvring herself on top of my lap. "Is Chiyome that good in bed? I heard you've taken in another girl too as a mistress, huh…"

"I won't comment on that." Smiling, I deny her the chance of pulling me into her tempo. "You're welcome to join us to observe, if you want."

"Guhaha! How bold! That sentence is so you!" She giggles.

- Srrt.

However, unexpectedly, she covers my face with her perfectly-groomed straight black hair and nuzzles her own into my collarbone. "I just may do that, you know… Will she mind?"

Shaking my head, I finally ask, "Kippōshi, to be honest… Why do you want to do something that improper? What do you see in me to make you this… persistent?"

To be frank, I already know the answer to that question, but it's always better to get it out of the other person to solidify my image in their heart.

Her personality flips into meekness, as she blushes cutely and mumbles, "Don't make me say it, you fool…"

- Hop!

I gently place my hands between us and pushes her away at her toned abdomen. "Forgive me, my lord, but… Until you are in a position where you can say that out loud to the wide world, we can't keep doing this."

"But…!"

"No buts." I hush her up. "That's why I'm here, right? The sooner we achieve 'Tenka Fubu', won't all your dreams come true?"

"Gugugu…" She grumbles, clenching her hug tighter in rebellion. However, common sense finally prevails as she sulkily descended from her flirtatious position earlier. "Fine… but if no one finds out before then, isn't that fine too?"

- Flick!

"Ow! S-Stop doing that!" She beat one of her small fists at my chest, using her other hand to protect her now-reddened forehead. "Meanie! Bad Shirō!"

I chuckle, easily lifting her slender frame to my side into a more proper position for a conversation between a lord and her retainer. "To change the topic, have you heard from Kohaku?"

"Hm? No, not yet. Did I miss a letter or something?" She inquires, immediately getting past the sudden shift in tone at the mention of one of her sisters' name. "D-Did something happen to her?!"

The slightest tone of fright – going way beyond familial worry, now – makes me feel proud. Kippōshi has not yet, and I hope will never be, become the ruthless daimyo who will use anyone and anything as sacrifice to achieve her dreams. I plan on keeping her that way – there's no sense in having an ideal so perfect and out of reach if it doesn't end impossibly happily.

To have 'Tenka Fubu' without the various horrible deeds she and her successors performed to unite Japan and make it respectable in the eyes of the world may get laughed at by those living today, but our descendants will surely appreciate the world we're going to create. Note I don't say 'hope', but 'going to' – there's no negotiating or compromising in order to break the [Fate] ordained in our lives.

"Tatsumi just reached out. Perhaps because the letter's in his name your aides ignored it in favour of higher-priority letters," I explain, before dropping the bombshell. "Kohaku's pregnant. Early diagnosis suggests twin boys."

Now, Kippōshi's expressions are usually described as boisterous and energetic, symbolizing both their positive and negative traits.

But her smile just now – pure happiness – is one I intend to make her form over and over again in the future.

'Beautiful.'

"I see…" she whispers, her earlier excitement replaced by a limp relief. "So she's doing well… What kind of man that Mutsu Clan Head was again?"

"A good guy. Their common sense may be different from us – being tengus – but it shouldn't be too much for Kohaku to handle." Ruffling her head, I continue, "Don't forget we also share an ancestor. I never heard Yoshitsune-sama being troubled because of Shizuka-sama's lineage."

"True, true… So I can scrap the plan to raze Mutsu Province to the ground, then."

"Oi, oi!"

Because of the rapid increase in demand of my work, money and resources have been coming in like a waterfall. While for others it may be much more than they can spend, for someone like me who has the knowledge of future industrial production concepts, it's just barely there to support a nation-conquering power… which I intend to make Owari and Kippōshi exactly that and fulfil her cut-off destiny.

- Clang! Clang! Clang!

People think blacksmithing is a back-breaking work… and that'll be true if one doesn't have the proper foundations. With the increase in skill, the burden on one's body is lessened considerably even when working on tougher materials, giving master smiths the edge to work well into their later years when compared to other similar laborious work, such as farming, mining, etc.

For instance, simply mastering the heat going into the metals meant one's work is more efficient and effective. Forging in the perfect temperature ranges make various materials nearly as soft as clay… and no one is complaining playing with clay is tiring, no? A proper posture eases the burden on one's joint, meaning more strength can go into the act of swinging a hammer rather than tiring out simply standing there. Everything is a virtuous circle, feeding into each one's positives.

Toyo and Tome haven't arrived at this state yet, but their skills are rapidly approaching the minimum level I require to let them go with me in my 'adventures', as they coin my trips to dangerous lands to gather materials or going on missions with Chiyome or Danzō.

Really, those two twins, despite their differing personalities, can be quite a handful when they work together…

Even the act of cutting their black hair short is tantamount to spitting in the face of Nihon tradition, where gorgeous long hair is considered to be one of the attributes of a 'good woman'. Even Kippōshi isn't immune to this… but, well, she may just think a longer hair suits her personal taste and natural prettiness better. Still, in an era where even men have longer hair than the two of them, they can often gather some unscrupulous stares wherever they go.

While women no longer have any occupations forbidden to them – after Yoshitsune attained the title of Shogun – some traditions still hold water over regular people. For instance, the forge is considered a holy place… and the presence of a woman is considered otherwise, because they 'elicit impure thoughts' which will 'go into the products'.

Yes, Toyo and Tome are desirable women, but I think a smith whose self-control is only that much won't be a true master either way. On the other hand, my take is always the opposite.

Gān Jiàng and Mò Yé produced such a perfect twin blades, still unmatched to this day by other smiths, because their powerful emotions were included in their creation process, to the point the weapons transcended their creators' deaths and the mortal realm to become an [Anti-Monster] Noble Phantasm. I'm a firm believer of this, too – if one is aroused by their work partner, then put all those lust into your creation until nothing impure is left within you.

Of course, there's a high chance that product will become a cursed item, but that's exactly the point: After that, one will attain a state of purity unfound outside a perfect meditation, enabling them to create its counterpoint to at least seal the evil one.

I've felt the emotions emanating from the twins' work when grading their blades. Competitiveness, jealousy, desire for perfection, happiness, familial love… Complex sets of emotions are conveyed, typical of preteen girls their age. I dread the time 'love' for me will seep through in a few years' time, because if I may be arrogant, I think I'm quite a likeable man in this era.

I just don't have time to deal with them… because I already have too many girls to take care of. First world citizen's problems, I know.

Will they be dejected? Will they hate me? Will they beat themselves up? Those, and many more, are emotions I don't want them to ever feel. After all, they're my only family left in this world, no matter how detached I am to this body.

For a pair of girls who already dare to challenge what is considered 'convention' in this era, what does incestuous relationship amount to as an obstacle? They may just think of it as a game to overcome.

Fortunately, they now know enough not to interfere in things I do outside blacksmithing. There is no need for them to learn my Magecraft to kill or torture someone else – they should just leave everything to this big brother of theirs.

If they want to learn to become a blacksmith, then I'll do my damnest to keep them a blacksmith.

Perhaps it's true what the false rumours about Muramasa in the future entails. Because I'm a person whose hands are drenched in blood, my blades too will thirst for it forever. And that's the original Muramasa – what about me, whose soul has taken in how many thousands or millions? Magecraft can only go so far…

As a Heroic Vessel who empathizes with others to learn his own emotions, will my own feelings imprint more deeply and clearly into whatever I make which doesn't have the natural resistance of a Noble Phantasm? What about their eventual wielders? Can I guarantee any traces of myself won't influence them negatively?

That is my challenge as a blacksmith.

Married life can be uneventful… but I prefer it that way.

People who say they want 'excitement' in their lives have never faced world-ending threats, country-destroying monsters, universe-swallowing gods, or even walk side-by-side with death the same way a normal high-risk worker do every day. Therefore, I have to constantly resist the urge to place those kinds of people in those situations… and see what colour of pee and faeces come out of their crotch.

To say those words easily disrespects the good men and women and yōkai who risk their lives daily to provide for their loved ones… or purely out of selfishness to please themselves. That determination is already way more than those casual naysayers will have in their lives if one totals it from the day they're born to the day they die with their throats slit by my blades.

Alright, that last one is unfair… because some punks in the neighbouring village made fun of Chiyome's… skin features. I taught them a good lesson, though stopped short from going through with that earlier threat because my wife has quite the nose. Though not to the level of mine, she can easily tell if I just killed some nobodies in a gruesome fashion.

…alright, once again, that's not particularly unique to her. Most seasoned warriors can tell if somebody just enacted a slaughter recently. But her nose is quite sharp, I'll tell everyone that.

- Zuru. Zuru. Zuru.

I prefer it this way. An uneventful married life.

Chiyome diligently scrubs my back with a new imported material which suspiciously feels like modern sponge. Because of our difference in size – don't tell her that – it should be a chore to do, but she's adamant to do it whenever both of us are available.

"I'll do it! Don't you dare say no!" I recall her say that full of determination, silently admiring the cute expression she's making with her hands on her thin hips with her face… looking way up because she's too short.

"Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~ "

"I thought you'd be angry," I admit, slightly surprised she's in such a good mood she starts humming. "Chiyome, see – when those guys-"

- Pa!

She lightly slaps my back with the pseudo-sponge, saying, "How can I not be happy if my husband defends me? …you're a hero to me, Shirō. Don't forget that."

I turn around. "Thank you."

She bashfully smiles at me, both her normal and serpentine eyes shining warmly.

I reach out with both my hands to wrap them around her waist, pulling her closer to me and allowing me to enjoy the sight of her naked body more.

"Hyah… S-So impatient…" She teasingly mocks.

"I'm a new groom. Of course my wife's body is very tempting."

"So if time goes on, you'll look for younger girls?"

Shaking my head, I lean in to kiss her, enveloping her small body in my arms. "Not a chance."

- Srrt.

"Ngh…" I exhale a hot breath as I feel her fingers stroking my half-hard mast.

"Can you… not hold it in anymore? We can… I-I mean I'm fine with it…" she mutters with an expectant face.

It's only been a few days, but she absorbs everything I taught her about pleasing my body very quickly. Her fingers are slender and her nails trimmed, preventing any potential sharp spots, but their size meant her strokes feel like pleasant duck feathers rousing the blood from the base all the way to the tip. Her yōkai transformation is still unstable in all of its forms – a result of her reluctance to claim Yamata-no-Orochi's power, despite me being here to control it – so the incredible inhuman movements she inadvertently does with her pussy walls when transformed is uncontrollable. Most of the time, a light orgasm will knock her in and out of that state.

However, no matter how tempting taking her fully right now is, I control myself and push her away slightly.

"No, let's wash up first. Then… can you wear that later in the bedroom?"

She blushes fiercely now, similar to the expression she made when we first met. "A-Ah… Y-You really love that, d-don't you?"

"Only because you're the one wearing it, Chiyome."

That little conversation certainly gives us the incentive to finish faster, as both our pair of hands smoothly trace each other's body, eliciting some exciting moans and grunts from the us two, before I sweep Chiyome off her feet – an easy feat, considering her weight – and dip the two of us into the extravagant bathtub in the Sengo Workshop compound.

- Splash! Ripple… Ripple…

Leaning her head into my chest, she speaks, "You know… when you said you are a blacksmith, I didn't expect someone with this size a bathroom."

"How discriminatory of you," I playfully accuse. "Do you think we are creatures who live in caves and covered in soot all day long, smelling of charcoal?"

She giggles. "Ufu… I may do think so. Mgh…"

My petite wife stretches her entire body, comfortably snuggling her entire body on top of mine. Really, I don't get what makes me so comfortable – these muscles are honed and tempered both for my occupation and fighting. Even un-Reinforced, they shouldn't be a decent cushion to touch, much less to rest upon.

Still, it's another funny thing that her attempt at stretching barely makes her body length go past my outstretched legs, such is the difference in our size. While it makes for a pleasant sex – in that it tickles the sense of dominance and immorality my previous deployments have instilled in me – she's actually not that small. In fact, she's only slightly below average, as her body make-up and spiritual condition hampers her growth. In contrast, my knowledge of bodybuilding and proper exercise means I am very tall for my age, already closer to EMIYA's and far surpassing Emiya Shirō.

It doesn't help Chiyome is raised on temple food, as her people enshrine her due to Yamata-no-Orochi. It means various restrictions and traditions which has no nutritional value – nay, even having negative ones – are a staple for her… and the reason I'm able to make her fall in love with me so fast.

Through the stomach. That's the quickest shortcut to one's heart, I believe.

She looks up, and as she doesn't like bundling her hair in the bath, her long lustrous black blanket covers and tickles my entire upper torso like a comfortable-smelling curtain. "But I'm thankful… I get to marry the best and richest blacksmith in existence."

I feign a hurtful look. "S-So you're just after my m-money, after all…!"

- Pinch…

"Alright, alright, I'll stop with that joke," I admit, giving up when I feel two of her fingers attempt to pinch the insides of my thigh… unsuccessfully, I may add. The look of frustration on her face only compounds her cuteness, though if I say that compliment out loud right now, she may not appreciate it. "…and I'm thankful, too, for being able to marry the most beautiful priestess in the land."

"M-Mou…! Y-You sweet-tongued jerk!" She huffs, squirming in discomfort as I stroke her skin. "A-Ah~ G-Geez, not too strong…!"

Curious at that sensual response, I try again at a similar spot.

Her body is mostly composed of three types of surfaces: regular smooth skin, horrific red scar tissues, and inhuman scaly sections. Even though in my eyes these are the things making Chiyome… well, Chiyome – she hated them. Perhaps she still does, but manages to hide it better from me.

"H-Hahn~ I-It's because… it's you. T-The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi is…!"

"Oh, I see. Is this too strong? Am I hurting you?" I ask, concerned.

Well, I'll be damned. The sword which is still purely a Tracing from Unlimited Blade Works still resonates strongly with the Yamata-no-Orochi inside her. The real one should still be with Himiko-sama – the current Empress, and technically the Minamoto Clan Head – but does it really work that way? Or is it simply my Heroic Vessel make-up causing interference in reality again?

Hmm… Quite an interesting project to research on…

And the best thing is the most sure-fire method to test it… is by molesting Chiyome every time, every day.

"Haa… Haa… Haa… Haa… Haa…"

She can't stand hot baths for too long, and with the increased body temperature from my touches, her eyes are beginning to glaze over. Knowing that while this expression is unbearable erotic, she's in a real physical danger – however small – I end our bathing session by lifting her back up and drying her off with a chantless spell.

My small wife regains her composure as we enter our bedroom.

'Our'… I have to get used to that once again, being a newlywed.

"You know… I couldn't feel a thing before I met you."

The sudden admission makes me pause in my motion to lay her weakened body down on the futon. "What do you mean?"

"This." She lifts one of her arms, showing me the crisscrossing on it. She exerts some strength – more trying to scratch rather than stroke – and says, "Even when I'm touching it now, it's… not even numb. I… can't feel a thing."

- Stroke.

"Hyauh~ !"

"But when I touch it, it feels good?"

"Y-Yesh…" she bites her tongue, reminiscent of Goemon's strange accent. "Don't do that… I'm surprise- K-Kyah!"

- Nom. Slurp…

"How about this?" I playfully bite and lick around her ears, having pushed myself on top of her to prevent her from squirming away.

"Nyah…! H-Ha~ ! N-Nhoooo…"

In fact, those horrific marks on her body are more sensitive than her normal skin. Given how many they are, it's a given the pleasure nerves will connect to one another, making her entire body melt if it's me who's touching her.

'I wonder… Do these marks extend deep inside her? Or just surface?'

Well… why don't I try that out.

Stopping my assault, I look down on the panting Chiyome, finally saying, "Chiyome, I think it's time…"

She blinks several times to clear her head, before her gaze travels downwards from my face, to my chest, and finally resting on the incredible bulge straining my loincloth.

Weakly smiling, she scrambles to one side while saying, "Y-Yeah… Just wait a moment…"

One of the perks of serving Kippōshi is a steady supply of Nanban things. The bathrobe I wrap Chiyome in is one of them, designed to maintain body temperature instead of alluring the opposite sex. Given I have plenty of chances to admire her beauty, staying covered on this occasion doesn't really bother or disappoint me – better than having her catch a cold.

So, her fur-lined back is in full view as she rummages through one of the clothing storages at one side of our room. To be honest, she looks more like a small polar bear than a grown-up woman, since the fluffy white bathrobe completely engulfs her entire frame. Her pert butt – the same one I just slammed into without abandon last night – is the only one sticking out since the wardrobe has apparently swallowed my wife's entire upper torso.

She twitches, apparently having found the thing I ask her to wear tonight.

Poking her head out of the mountain of neatly-folded clothes, she shyly asks, "Don't peek, okay?"

Both of us realized the hypocrisy of the request, but I oblige. No sense in making a fuss about such a simple thing.

Yes, I've intensely stared at her wearing and stripping off clothes before; so too I have personally put on and take off her wardrobes. So, in theory, there's no use for me to turn around and close my eyes like a virgin gentleman, because I can perfectly recall every inch of her body inside and outside even with them shut.

Still, to maintain the sweet tension of surprise, I do so anyway.

"…Darling, I'm done."

I turn around, and despite having seen her like this a few times before, I keep having my breath taken away.

It's just a pure white shiromuku with its formal accompaniment: similarly-white tsunokakushi, katsura, kanzashi, and setsu adorned with minor gold decorations. I curate it myself, deliberately choosing snake-themed embroidery and insets, trying to make her proud of her own body. Given the ceremony itself was only attended by those close enough to us to sympathize or those who just didn't care, I think it did her confidence a lot of good.

Chiyome's serpentine obsidian hair, usually flowing right down to her knees, is partially bundled into a large bun, somewhat hidden by the tsunokakushi, leaving only a shoulder-length ponytail. Her golden right eye shines brightly among the pure white expanse, acting as another piece of jewellery along with the gold ornaments and threads. Her slim posture is wrapped tightly and thickly with the white kimono, enticing me to peel the clothing off layer by layer until I'm rewarded with my prize. Also, posture is everything – the reason formal classes are held for noble ladies frequently – and her combination of demureness and pride is just right for me.

Her wedding dress. And I'm about to fuck her in it… again.

I extend my hand out, and Chiyome shuffles closer to my seated position to take it with her own.

Gosh, even though I've just gone through this a few days ago, it feels like new. Perhaps she, too, feels this way – the thrill of our first meeting, the first heart-to-heart talk, the first kiss, the first pre-marital sexual fling – because she's shivering despite the layers she has put on.

"Why do you like this outfit so much…?"

"You know why." Answering with a chaste kiss to the back of her palm, I pull her down gently to have her sit similarly in front of me. "Because I can fall in love with you over and over again, just like in our wedding day."

"G-Geez… Y-You sweet-tongued j-jerk…" she mumbles, smiling shyly.

Really, girls this era really loves those corny lines. My discomfort can be discarded whenever if I can see this view over and over again, though.

- Chu.

The first touch between our lips is timid, just like that day. Somehow, despite having indulged in our desires before the wedding quite a few times, the occasion made it difficult to express our overwhelming passion for each other. It got to the point where even I, a Heroic Vessel, was affected.

- Chupu… Chupu!

Of course, right now, it doesn't last long. I prod her lips with the tip of my tongue, before slithering it in at the slightest opening. She fiercely grabs the side of my face to plant her own stake in the impromptu duel, mirroring my tight hug around the back of her slim hips. These past few days, we tried everything – tasting the gums, locking the tongues, dancing around the upper and lower caverns – and the carnal desire becomes too much for her as she wildly transforms her own into an elongated, twin-forked tongue.

Perhaps I teased her too much in the bath…

The traditional wedding dress of Nihon symbolized 'pure white innocence', yet Chiyome's movements is anything but that. Giving in to her base instincts, she moves her body almost identical to a snake devouring her prey. If she masters her transformations and manages to attain the snakes' famed flexible mandibles, given the intensity of the French kiss she's giving, she will easily be able to swallow my head whole.

As it is, though, I can still contend, though the difference in size between our two organs is beginning to feel unfair.

Yesterday, she tried giving me a blowjob with it. If it wasn't for her inexperience, I would've cummed in just a few strokes.

I trace my thumb and fingers upwards, feeling up her thin frame, smooth back, before making their way to the front and push and prod into her nipples, making wide circles around her breasts.

"Mgh-! H-Hahn~ M-More… M-Make them big…" she cutely pleads, pushing her chest into my palms as her arms circle around my neck. "Aahn…"

Fortunately, I'm experience in dealing with both female snakes and little girls, enabling me to manhandle her quite easily despite her rapid increase in strength in this form. I can already feel her skeletal and muscular structure morphing and changing uncontrollably – so I feel like I'm holding a life-sized jelly – but one burst of Od through one of our kisses ensures she doesn't go out of control.

Ever so gently, like I'm tickling her, my fingers slip through the folds of her shiromuku and caress her bare skin directly. Like before, whenever they pass on her grotesque red scars or cold scales, she trembles heavily and moans sweetly. I'm just rubbing her sides and stomach, but her reaction is more akin to a hard fingering on a girl's G-spot.

Laying her down, I strip away her clothes just enough to access her breasts and pussy, leaving the white garment to frame her figure like a painting.

I don't quite understand it, but this body seems to find the act of defiling a pure white character arousing. Well, to be honest, I'll be lying if I say I disagree with that notion, but this trait feels unusually enhanced.

"H-Haa…! Hu- G-Guh…!"

She shivers and jolts as I kiss her collarbone, sliding my tongue down to the perimeter of her small mounds, massaging the soft flesh by playfully biting and nibbling on the tender skin and deliberately avoiding the nipples. Doing the same with one of my hand with its counterpart, my other hand firmly presses circular motions into the area right on one of her ovaries, stimulating the glands there and increasing her libido.

- Squirt! Squirt!

As proof to her earlier theory, just this amount of foreplay is enough for her to attain an orgasm – the umpteenth of the day; I've lost count since we entered the bath together – as she splashes a small, clear stream of liquid to my stomach. Her mouth is partially open, her forked tongue sneaking out, as she gasps harshly.

Her fingers grabbing my hair and pushing my head down would've drawn blood if it's someone else who's less skilled in Reinforcement.

Normally, I prefer to play with her a bit more – to have her prim and proper façade as a miko crumble away into a starving and begging beast – but I have to be honest to myself: I, too, can't take it anymore.

With only a soft whisper of, "I'm putting it in.", I plunge as deep as her wet and tight cavern allows me to.

Other than her obvious skin disfigurement, she also has a complex about how her body is developing. While, yes, her height is only slightly shorter than average, girls her age fill out considerably more… along with growing hair in their sensitive parts as a sign of maturity and purity. Meanwhile, apart from her gorgeously long hair, Chiyome was bald as a newborn everywhere else.

Not that I mind. The sensation of her fleshy labis majora against the base of my dick and balls feels deliciously tender, just like a perfectly-cooked wild boar belly.

- Squirt! Squirt! Squirt! Squirt!

In contrast, her sensitivity is through the roof – again, perhaps only when together with me – more akin to a veteran married housewife whose orgasmic spots have been trained for several years. And she was just barely past marriageable age a few months ago.

My view of her right now is rather distorted, losing that pure white background which is equally mesmerizing as it's enticing, as my senses are all focused on the tip of my cock, searching for the familiar nook and cranny to pound away to make her go crazy.

Fortunately, her pussy hasn't followed her tongue in transforming mid-sex, or I may have my dick cut off. She did it, once, when I was fingering her, and it took my Pure Eyes to fully understand her internal structure to avoid having those very same fingers crushed like shoji paper.

Her inner walls are typical of a girl her age and size: incredibly tight, yet properly wet after the foreplay. If gives an incredible suction when I pull out near the entrance, and I especially adore the echo the mouth of her womb makes whenever I drill and tease it a bit. My heightened senses almost become a double-edged sword in this aspect – as a Heroic Vessel with my heightened empathy, her pleasure can be transferred over if I'm not careful, leading to an embarrassing early end to the sex. While Reinforcement is useful to reinvigorate a limp dick, only so much can be done before its internal structure is semi-permanently damaged.

- Chupo… Chupo… Chupo… Chupo… Chupo… Chupo…

I grit my teeth, maintaining short but steady thrusts deep inside her. While her body is sturdier than most, especially considering her size, we only have sex for a few times, after all. There's not enough time to build a resistant pleasure spot near her uterus, which means hard thrusts against it – no matter how enticing – will only be unpleasantly painful. Short, measured strokes and gentler hip movements are key to quickly elicit pleasure from it, and she reciprocates by stretching her palms out to my cheeks and silently pleads to me with her eyes.

- Thump! Thump! Thump!

Only the sound of blood pumping through my engorged cock can be heard, and her scream completely falls upon deaf ears. I assume I've shot a copious amount of sperm inside her, because my head turns momentarily blindingly white.

- Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!

"Ooooooooohhhhhhhhhh…" When I come to, I've been groaning for quite some time.

Panting, I lift my upper body from Chiyome, only to find out she's already asleep, the afterglow of sex rousing a healthy blush to her cheeks.

Satisfied, I give her a peck on her lips, before rearranging her wedding dress back to its pristine state on her body. I can't be bothered to do the same to myself, so I just hug her like that… naked.

The thought that, behind this ceremonial outfit which should symbolizes purity, my semen is happily swimming inside her womb and towards her ovaries, in such quantity it's starting to leak out and stain the stainless white dress, lulls me to a happy sleep.

Character Sheet Update!

G

Gasha-Dokuro

Oda Nobunaga's Guardian Spirit. A unique one, being a Spirit with the [Man] Attribute so strong it actually thirsted for it. While it usually denotes people who completed great deeds as normal humans, Gasha-Dokuro represents these 'normal humans' who collectively symbolizes a 'great deed' – i.e. mass slaughter, chaotic war, lethal famine and plague, etc. its Elements are [Fire], [Cycle], and [Purgatory], while its Origin is [Vengeance] and [Unity]. It's easily influenced by internal and external factors, depending on the host's and its surroundings' emotions.

Manifesting as a giant flaming skeleton – its true size depends solely on its host's strength – it's special in a manner it actually assists the host through external means, instead of internal ones. Usually, a skilled host of a Guardian Spirit will channel the latter's power through their own body – thus, internal. Gasha-Dokuro forcibly summons itself into the world and forms a skeletal structure the host can control by expending magic energy – thus, external. In that way, the host needs only minimal training to maximize its potential, as it will conform to the user's will easily.

Genbu

Akechi Mitsuhide's Guardian Spirit. The Guardian of the North, taking the form of a snake-tailed sea turtle, with great command over the Authority [Winter]. Symbolizing longevity, it grants its host a passive healing power without much risk, though slower than other more active and forceful methods.

As a proper Divine Spirit, Mitsuhide generally isn't able to draw out all of his power, diluting it to match her own Element of [Water]. Still, she's an extremely compatible host relative to other humans, and she relies more on her creativity and genius to vary her usage of Genbu's ability.

If used to his fullest, his host will be granted the Origins [Dipper], [Ox], [Girl], [Emptiness], [Rooftop], [Encampment], and [Wall] – in accordance to the Seven Mansions of the Black Tortoise. How much can they use and understand depends completely on the host.

I

Ippon-Datara

One-legged, one-eyed yōkai with exceptional physical abilities. They usually wield large hammers or oversized ōdachis, making them suitable for high-intensity labour work. They are quite popular among humans because of their surprising intelligence, and while they lack the vocal cords to properly speak the human language, they are expressive enough to work alongside humans without much of an issue. Farming, blacksmithing, tilling, etc. have become their forte in exchange of money, food, and lodging.

Y

Yamata-no-Orochi

Chiyome's true Guardian Spirit, though his presence is vastly different than normal ones. Usually, such beings will manifest in ethereal form, owing to their true bodies located either in the Reverse Side of the World or the Outside World's unreachable places to conserve energy and reduce the burden on the host. Yamata-no-Orochi, however, has its true self sealed in the female matriarchs of the Mochizuki family, an offshoot of the Kōga Clan, right after its defeat in the hands of Susanoo. Therefore, he can grant his host strength without the need of casting an avatar with far greater efficiency.

An ancient serpent god of Nihon, its strength and Conceptual Weight was to the point he could easily ascend and evolve into a true Dragon Kind, with Susanoo worrying he could become a Phantasmal Beast if he succeeded. For unknown reason, Yamata-no-Orochi chose not to do this for a long time, preferring to consume young maidens instead, and giving the God of [Storm] the opportunity to battle and slay it.

Each of his different heads has its own Element: [Fire], [Water], [Earth], [Flora], [Blood], [Poison], [Separation], and [Mirror] – with the main body/core possessing the Origin [Apocalypse]. Mastering just one takes a great toll on his host, because in his captivity, he has long lost interest in menial things and simply pours all of his strength when asked. It's evident of Chiyome's talent she's able to channel more than four at a time.