And now, this really is the conclusion of this story. Just a small warning before continuing. This chapter is the epilogue of this story, so if you haven't read chapter 33, which was updated at the same time as this one, then go back one chapter, or else you're going to feel really lost and get massive spoilers.
I recommend you prepare emotional OSTs like "New dawn 2", "Changing seasons", or "Bonds".
Now then, let the epilogue begin.
Disclaimer: I don't own any right over Type-Moon, the Fate Franchise, or Date a Live.
The sun peeked out of the east to herald a new tomorrow for Tengu City. The city that once was a chaotic battlefield had finally regained a semblance of normality through the joint efforts of the government and a "mysterious donator."
It was labeled as a disaster on a scale far superior to regular spacequakes. The numerous craters caused by Mana's dingirs and Excalibur Morgan helped to reinforce that theory, making it easy to cover up.
What wasn't that easy to cover up was the death of Deus Ex Machina Industries' active CEO, alongside 60% of their military personnel. The company was sent into disarray and was quickly plummeting due to its inability to choose an appropriate substitute for Westcott.
That man might have been a psychopath whose interest was only deriving pleasure from others' pain, but it was undeniable that he was the best businessman in the world. In fact, it was in part that same twisted mentality that made him so appropriate for the position.
Thanks to Mana and Origami dropping by the AST's headquarters to "convince" them to not follow any orders of joining DEM for the final fight there were no witnesses, so they could resume their normal lives…
As normal as the life of a bunch of spirits could be.
But at least, thanks to DEM's downfall and the sudden lack of spacequakes the spirits were no longer seen as walking calamities by the military forces aware of the supernatural.
As for the woman sitting on a comfortable couch in the Itsuka Residence, well, it kind of stung a little that they saved the world from a literal Beast of Calamity and didn't get any credit for it. No one even knew such a fight even took place right under their noses.
But that was the charm of it. They never did it for fame or glory. They fought side-by-side against unsurmountable odds just because they wanted to have their happy ending and live a peaceful life together.
Besides, for a professional mangaka, the fact that she took part in those unrealistic events was more than enough. The childish dream of every author, being able to be a part of their own stories, actually came true for her.
It was a rough start for her though. Having her editor approve her next series of mangas when "Silver Bullet" was still ongoing, and her tendency to barely finish the chapters before the deadline, seemed on par with Heracles' twelve labors. However, the first draft she was able to put together based on the manga everyone drew to defeat her, and the promise that she finally found people she would hire as assistance finally made them man concede.
And would you look at it, the first chapter of the series of "Date a Density" was quite well received. Now, she just needed to finish the general draft if she didn't want it to stay just as a one-shot…
"What are you doing, Nia?"
"Curious. Is this one of those moments of inspiration?"
A pair of orange-haired heads peeked from behind the couch a looked at what she was writing in her notebook.
"Well, since it's still a little earlier, I decided to advance the draft a little. A poorly executed ending can very easily ruin a great story, so I'm taking my time to think about it."
Her turquoise eyes drifted to the kitchen, where Kotori, Kurumi, Origami, and Mio were working together to prepare everyone's breakfast. Today was a somewhat special day, so they were pulling out all the stops.
Nia's smile turned a little depressed at the sight.
"I see you guys managed to adapt after Shidou-kun left... Going back to eating just instant noodles has been hell for me…"
"Yeah, things started quite rough for us this last month, too…" Yoshino barged into the conversation, her face becoming rigid when the memories crossed her mind. "The contest we made to decide who would take the kitchen didn't end that well…"
"Tohka-chan somehow managed to make the microwave explode. Kaguya-chan and Yuzuru-chan started to compete and forgot to turn off the oven, causing a fire, and Mayuri-chan turned some most of the ingredients into swords trying to use reinforcement."
Nia started to sweat imagining what Yoshinon described, and the pair of twins and a certain blonde spirit looked away in shame.
"How did you two do, Nattsun, Mukku-chin?"
"Muku still has a long way to become an excellent cook."
"I didn't do well either… I mean, I didn't blow up anything, but they just surpassed me."
"Hnn…" Looking at them, Nia finally noticed something peculiar. "Oh! You're already wearing school uniforms! Are you so excited for your first day?"
"Well, this will actually be my first time going to school due to my circumstances…" Yoshino seemed in fact a little nervous, fidgeting with her fingers and Yoshinon.
"You don't have to worry, Yoshino-chan. I'm sure you'll become popular in no time with your cuteness!" The puppet tried to cheer her in the same way a mother would do.
"Muku still remembers her time at school, but this time, it will be different." The little blonde girl by her side rested her arm on her shoulders reassuringly. "This time, we'll be in family."
"My memories of school aren't the best either… b-but I'll definitely protect you if someone tries to bully you!"
Seeing their interactions, a smile made its way to Nia's face. These girls have really grown after their journey…
"I wish Shidou-kun was here to see this…"
The moment she said those words, she knew she had royally screwed up. The happy and lighthearted atmosphere was completely ruined as their faces became gloomy.
"I really miss him…"
"Muku is still counting the days after Nushi-sama left…"
Deciding that it was best to let it be instead of trying to cheer them up and most likely messing things up, even more, Nia returned to her book.
Just after the battle was finished, without even getting a minute to enjoy it, the two heroes faded away and returned to the throne of heroes after accomplishing their mission. Just like in his first life, the nameless hero got to experience real happiness, but just for a brief, flitting moment.
However, his legacy didn't die. The girls that loved him mourned his sudden parting, but they endured it and moved on with the regular lives they earned together.
Besides, as he used to say, life is an accumulation of meetings and partings. And that of course includes reunions.
This wasn't a farewell, but just a see you later. Perhaps, after saving the world, even if their achievements were known by just a handful of people, they gained the right to be recorded on the throne of heroes.
Their hopes remained unwavering, and so, the girls continued to wait for the day they would meet again…
"Huh? That's not how things went at all, Nia. Are you having dementia already?" The high-pitched voice of her new technical adviser/assistant interrupted her concentration just like a thrown rock would disturb the calm waters of a lake.
She turned to see the terminal of white hair and blue eyes a certain AI was using to be able to interact with them like a regular human. Sometimes, she felt the temptation of just turning off Rasiel's power, but if there's something she learned from sci-fi movies, was that you didn't want to piss off an advanced AI.
Especially one that already controlled a massive, battle spaceship and could use her own angel to create pseudo-spirits to act as her terminals. And most importantly, she was the reason Nia was able to write the monthly chapter of her two ongoing series, as expensive as it was.
"Nattsun, please, finish school quickly…"
""…!""
Just as the mangaka was lamenting her choices in life, the sound of the main door being opened alerted the girls. Everyone left aside what they were doing and immediately rushed to the hall as if their life depended on it.
"Surprise!" The first one to enter was a certain idol that immediately rushed at Natsumi for a hug. The poor girl didn't have time to react, and before she knew it, Miku was already rubbing her cheek against hers.
"I missed you guys so much! Especially my weekly doses of Natsumi-chan's energy! Gosh, you look so cute in that sailor outfit… I knew I couldn't miss this!"
"Awawawa- Help! Someone, help!"
The little girl's desperate cries for help went completely ignored as they looked fondly at the two people who entered after Miku carrying several suitcases. A boy with auburn hair and white tufts, golden hair, and wearing already a school uniform, and a golden girl with red eyes wearing the same sailor uniform as Yoshino, Kotori, Natsumi, and Mukuro.
Just the sight was able to return the smiles to their faces, and everyone agreed in their way of welcoming them.
""Welcome home, Shidou, Mana, Miku!""
"I'm home, everyone." The soft smile forming on the boy's lips as he answered was so genuine that it seemed as if he never used fake ones.
"How are you here already, Onii-chan? Didn't you say that your plane would sadly reach this afternoon?"
"Well, we decided that we couldn't miss Yoshino, Natsumi, and Mukuro's big day, so we just dropped some suggestions and used Goldie's Vimana."
"Besides, what kind of expression would I leave if I missed my first school day? The future Student Council president needs a flawless record."
The golden girl insisted on enrolling in the school with everyone now that her body was really that of a 14-year-old girl… despite having a pair of eyes that could see the truth behind everything. Aside from enjoying the regular life that was stolen from her, she most likely wanted to look after them just in case.
More than protecting them, it would be more than preventing any fool from picking a fight against girls with supernatural powers.
"How has been the tour in the USA? We made sure to see all the concerts but seeing them on the TV and being there must be really different."
Miku's face became even brighter as she answered Mio's question. "It's been awesome! All the people loved it! I was really nervous at first since the number of people at the stands was ten times more than I'm used to. But having Darling and Mana with me gave me the courage to keep singing! And well…"
Her smile became quite mischievous as her silver eyes turned to look at Shidou. "Darling and I got quite intimate in the meantime."
"What did the producer think? Was there any problem?" Origami surely understood what Miku meant, but she immediately re-directed the conversation.
"Aside from some dushbag officer at the airport that tried to abuse his authority to deport Miku because "she was stealing the job from Americans", I would say things went well."
"You just used hypnosis… right?" Mayuri ventured to ask, even if she knew those two well enough to know that wasn't likely the case.
"Oh, yeah. The guy suddenly fell down the stairs with so bad luck that his two arms ended up broken." The smile on Mana's face grew really disturbingly remembering it. It was her duty as Miku's manager to get her safely to the hotel, and the idiot was crying out for it.
"The producer was really enthralled. But before we got to talk the terms, someone just bought her entire company saying that they were going to build the ultimate idol group and the negotiations had to be put on standby..."
Everyone seemed as confused as Miku after hearing that. The only one that kept smiling was Mana.
"Well, come in already. Let's see if our combined efforts can satisfy your refined tastes, Shidou-san."
"You're exaggerating it, Kurumi. But I'm looking forward to it."
The suitcases were left for later as everyone walked into the living room.
"Ah… silly me…" Nia couldn't help but think as she watched the scene unfold.
She tried to add drama by going for a dramatic end… but a happy ending like this was way better. Seeing someone's honest efforts being recompensated was always gratifying.
What actually happened three months ago was…
"Mu?" Tohka blinked a couple of times and let out a confused voice.
She was sure the Grand Saber faded away… but her arms were still holding something solid. Her eyes saw the same combat outfit she was acquainted with, just a little smaller…
She slowly raised her head, and her indigo eyes met the really flustered face of the boy she loved, back with his usual appearance.
"Wh-what are you saying, Tohka? I-I mean, I share your feelings, but I think this is hardly the time for… that."
"Huh?"
"I think there has been quite the misunderstanding here." A familiar high-pitched voice came from beside them, and when she turned around, she saw a familiar golden girl that could barely hold her laughter where the Golden King had been just a moment ago.
"B-but… weren't you two about to disappear!?"
"Well, I couldn't keep my Grand Saber Saint Graph forever. Just keeping it for the 10 minutes that lasted the fight took all my energy, including all the spiritual I sealed from you. And it even drained Mio quite a bit over there."
Everyone turned to look at the spirit in question, and now that they were paying close attention, she looked more tired and pale than actually concerned about their supposed parting.
"In my case, even if my magic circuits are now at their pick, Gil really did a number in my reserves. I might be able to summon him again, but not in the immediate future."
"So… no disappearing?"
"Of course not." Shidou answered Natsumi's question now understanding the confusion. "Even if the purpose of my summoning has been accomplished, the peculiar way in which I was summoned was with the very notion of not disappearing in this world where the Counter Force is weakened even without a master to support me. And the same goes for Goldie."
The sheer relief that caused that explanation made some of them finally drop to the floor to catch their breath. Even Tohka had to hug him to not fall on her butt.
"Don't ever scare us like that again, dummy Onii-chan!" Kotori on the other hand used her last remaining energy to close in and punch his shoulder.
"Ouch! This wasn't my fault, Kotori! You guys reached the wrong conclusion on your own!"
"And what about going to fight Westcott on your own and getting yourself sent to another world!? I really thought I lost you there!"
"And I'm really sorry about that, and I reaffirm my promise of never leaving your side again."
He then keeled to level his eyes with hers and patter her warmly. "And thanks for taking care of everyone in my absence. Kotori. I see you've really grown up since the last time I saw you."
She was still grumpy at first, but she couldn't keep the façade for long and ended up hugging him as well.
"If you want to compensate me, then you better start seeing me as a woman instead of your little sister. Or do I need to confess my feelings again?"
"No, I got them. But you're gonna need to grow up more if you want me to reciprocate them. I'll be waiting until then."
Just as their fraternal moment ended, the sun finally peeked its head from the West and casted light on the ruined battlefield. It wasn't a new sight for any of them, but somehow, it seemed new.
There was no longer darkness looming on that horizon. The battle now was officially over, and they could finally have their well-deserved rest before resuming their ordinary lives.
Back to the present…
"Oh, Shidou, Mana!" A cheerful voice announced Tohka's entrance to the living room.
The boy caught her in midjump for a tender hug. After not seeing each other for more than a month, their reunion put wide smiles on their faces.
"Yo!"
"Glad to see you too, Tohka! I thought for a moment you rushed to the school before we arrived."
"And miss breakfast? I was just helping Tenka here to remember her cover-up story for her first day."
Their eyes turned to the girl that walked into the room after her. Looking now at them side-by-side, they really were nearly identical.
"Oh? So you finally decided to enroll in the school with us, Tenka?"
"Hmph." The girl in question just snorted at him. "More like I didn't want to stay here alone most of my time. It would be boring."
"C'mon, don't be like that. You were excited just a moment ago."
"Tsk. You don't have to go around telling everyone… I just want to create good memories as well…"
Just like always, Tenka didn't know how to properly maintain her tough façade around her "little sister". Aside from her siscon side, it was thanks to Tohka actively supporting her separate existence that she could finally live her own life instead of being relegated to a corner of her consciousness.
And well, even if she would never admit it out loud, she wanted to experience first-hand those warm emotions that she was able to feel from Tohka all this time.
"Well, let's dig in before it gets cold!"
""Thanks for the meal!""
The table now occupied almost the entire room now with the addition of Tenka, Mio, and MARIA's terminals, and so the amount of food required grew exponentially. Tenka ate as much food as Tohka in order to help her with the energy consumption, and MARIA's case was the same. At least Mio wasn't a bottomless pit like them.
But seeing their delighted faces made it worth it for the various chefs. Now they could understand why Shidou could always prepare all those feasts almost daily and never seem to be tired of it.
"Mmm… This is really good. I can hardly find any flaw in it. I guess I no longer have anything to teach you."
"We did it, guys!"
""Yay!""
With the seal of approval from their teacher, the four chefs jumped from their sits in excitement for a group hug. After all these months of close convivence, even the tension between Kurumi and Mio faded.
And the image encouraged the other girls that were still learning to keep working hard.
"Well, I'll be going ahead. Even if I'm not going to participate in the annual speech to welcome the new first-year students, I still have to be present." Mio stood up just after finishing her ration and put on a pair of glasses.
That, coupled with her hair now pulled back in a side ponytail and the lab coat she was wearing made her look just like when she was posing as Murasame Reine, just without the gloomy face and massive circles.
For the world outside their little circle, she was still Murasame Reine. She said that it was less troublesome just keeping it that way than having to build her identity as Mio from scratch and discard it. Besides, it would be like throwing away all her precious memories as Reine, so if anyone asked, Mio was just a nickname the people close to her used.
"We'll be going in a moment, too."
After quickly clearing the table, everyone took their schoolbags and headed for the Raizen Academy. They took a couple of detours to drop Miku and Nia on their respective houses, the former to unpack her luggage and the former to continue with her job.
They mourned not getting to experience a school life alongside everyone, but that's how life was. The two were already in the middle of their professional careers, and everyone would eventually arrive at that stage in their lives. And MARIA's terminals would always be around to keep them accompanied.
After that, the group split in two, with Kotori, Yoshino, Mana, Natsumi, and Mukuro heading for the mid-school section, and Shidou, Tohka, Kurumi, Kaguya, Yuzuru, Mayuri, Origami, and Tenka heading for the high school section, agreeing to meet after they finished their respective days.
The annual welcoming ceremony was the same as always. However as both groups were already in the final year of their respective sections, everyone was starting to address them as "senpais".
"I still find it weird… to be called "senpai"…" Mayuri commented as they stopped by their lockers to change to the indoor shoes. "I mean, I've been here for less than a year, in more than one sense."
"But your mental age is more or less the same as us, right, Mayuri-san?"
"And you quickly became a model student. People are still comparing us for some reason."
"Those kinds of concerns shouldn't be necessary, Mayuri. We are already superiors as spirits."
Kurumi, Origami, and Tenka tried to ease the spirit's concerns, in their own ways, while the other three girls approached Shidou who had been oddly silent ever since he opened his locker.
"What are you looking so intently, Shidou."
"Speculating. Is it that you received a love letter?"
"Well, actually…" He turned to show them that he was indeed holding a pink envelope with a heart-shaped seal.
There was a pregnant pause as everyone processed the sudden development. That seemed so fitting for a slice-of-life anime's plot that it was hard to believe that just happened.
"So-someone wants to confess to Shidou!?" Tohka was the first one to react. There was a part of her that was on guard, but more than anything, she seemed excited at the prospect of seeing such a scene unfold in real life. "Wait, but all of us have already-"
The Yamai twins were quick to block her mouth before she divulged their peculiar relationship to everyone in the vicinity.
"Is that some kind of invitation for a duel? If you want to pass, I can go instead. It will be a good way to loosen up my shoulders."
"That's not it, Tenka! Remember that anime we saw about a couple that was forced into an arranged marriage because they were mistakenly exchanged at birth?"
"Oh… boring." In complete contrast, Tenka deflated visibly after realizing what was happening.
"You're jumping to conclusions too early, Tohka-san. This could very well be just a prank."
"I don't know… I can think of anyone that would want to prank Shidou-kun of all people…"
"And they seem to be taking it quite seriously. I can even smell a good perfume from that envelope."
"There's just a way to figure it out…" Shidou proceeded to open the envelope and read the contents of the letter inside.
"'Come to see me at the rooftop after lunchtime. There's something I need to tell you in private'… There's no signature… Yeah, this pretty much seems like someone wants to confess to me… but who would want to do that?"
Those words got him a good number of blank stares. They might have been able to pierce through his density, but that didn't extend to other girls.
"He does have a point. Even if there are a lot of rumors and speculations about who might be Shidou's girlfriend, most of the people think that we're just close friends."
"I think this case calls for detective Yamai!"
"Proposal. Do you want us to investigate the identity of this mysterious girl?"
"No, don't bother. I'll just go there and see what they have to say before giving an appropriate answer. If someone does show up." Having said that, he put the letter back inside the envelope and in his pocket. "Come on. We're going to be late."
The seven girls respected his decisions and followed him to their classroom. As fate may have it, all of them ended up in the same classroom, but aside from them, the only familiar face he found was a certain boy with spiky hair.
"Yo, Tonomachi! It seems we ended up as classmates yet again!" Shidou went to greet him as the girls said hello to their own acquaintances.
It seemed that their classroom and the one in which the Yamai twins were last year got mixed for this year. That would explain why he didn't see a certain trio of female students with similar names.
"Yo, Itsuka! I see you're doing as well as always when it comes to girls… But as a man who has definitely retired to the 2D world, I won't be blinded by your light anymore!"
"Again with that… You know that there are more girls out there than just my… friends…"
"And do you think I haven't tried it already!? I'm not a lady-killer like you!" His hidden frustration came out with that scream.
"You don't have to rush it, my friend. You'll definitely find your soulmate in due time."
Having to comfort someone that wasn't able to find a girlfriend up until now was the last thing he expected to do on his first day of this new term, after receiving a love letter on top of that.
Tama-chan and Mio didn't take long to enter the classroom. Since there wasn't a class delegate yet, there was no mechanic greeting, but the little woman immediately began her welcoming speech without losing pace.
"Good morning, everyone! I'm sure everyone here already knows me, but I'm Okamina Tamae, and I'll be this classroom's tutor for this last year alongside Murasame Reine-san! Ahh… thinking that the time before you leave me is quickly nearing makes me sad… I'll be shouting how alone I'll be the day of their graduation…"
What seemed like one of her depressed speeches due to having yet to find a boyfriend came out as rather strange due to the cheeky smile plastered over her face. And it became clear the moment she raised her hand to show them she was wearing a quite expensive ring.
"What!? Okamine-sensei is getting married!?"
"Since when are you engaged!?"
"The "Raizen's Last Defensive Line" is finally crumbling!?"
As expected, all the reactions were of absolute surprise. Even Mio widened her eyes at that.
"Fufufu! Sensei is finally making her debut in the world of married women! This is just proof that nothing is impossible! And the man that proposed to me is a white knight among white knights! He's polite, has really high income, and accompanied me on a perfect date!"
It was hard to believe that such a person actually existed, but all of the students gave her their blessings, nonetheless. At least they would no longer have to hear those depressing speeches.
"What about you, Murasame-san? Are you still looking for a good catch?" Intoxicated by her success, Tama-chan asked with a slightly teasing tone.
"Well… I actually have a special one, too…" The way she blushed while saying it made her look like a teenage girl in love.
However, despite not giving a name, all the people in the room were able to trace the look she threw at Shidou. The auburn-haired boy pinched his nose as a lot of looks filled with killing intent were pointed at him.
"Wait, what!? Itsuka-kun, you rejected me because you were already dating Murasama-san!?"
""WHAT!?""
"What kind of soap opera is this!?"
"Damn pretty boy!"
Another traumatic memory was unlocked at the worst possible moment. He didn't want to use hypnosis to solve that mess with Tama-chan, but he was starting to reconsider it.
*Toc toc*
Fortunately, all the attention drifted from him to the woman that entered the classroom timidly.
"Is this a bad moment?"
"Not at all! Come in, Ellen-san!" It seemed that her engagement made Tama-chan so happy that she immediately forgot about that… unfortunate incident. "I was surprised to not see you in the welcome ceremony. Did something happen?"
"I lost the bus and I had to come here on foot…"
The way in which she admitted it with comical tears made her look really cute. No one would suspect her to be a bloodthirsty magus that was supporting a guy who basically wanted to destroy the world.
Well, she already had second thoughts about that before the fight. The memories he took from his alter counterpart at least told so. And as fate might have it, that control Westcott activated during his final moments was actually connected to her CR-Unit and activated a spell that basically wiped out all her memories.
She was not a complete amnesiac. She didn't even remember her childhood. Thankfully, Woodman and her sister Karen were there to put her up to speed, but they decided to leave her in the dark regarding the whole stuff about conspiring to destroy the world.
Technically, she was working for Ratatoskr, but due to the lack of any supernatural occurrence, she ended up getting an ordinary job in the meantime.
The possibility of her memories coming back was still there, but she was quite harmless without a CR-Unit. She really seemed an entirely different person. There was no battle maniac personality, and she was rather clumsy.
Why did Westcott do that, it beat Shidou. Perhaps he thought that she would suffer without her memories, and it gave him more pleasure at the moment of his death. Or perhaps he actually cared for her and didn't want to drag her with him to hell.
Trying to understand that man's psyche was a waste of energy and time.
"Everyone, she's Ellen Mira Mathers-san, and she will be the new mathematics teacher for the time being."
"I-I'll be in your care."
"Hey, isn't that the photographer that came with us to Arubi island last year?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's her."
It seemed Woodman forgot to cover a little detail about her story. The woman in question seemed completely clueless about what Shidou's classmates were saying, and they quickly bombarded her with questions.
He didn't know he would ever do something like that, but he had to thank her for attracting all the attention to herself. That and Tenka's introduction as Tohka's twin sister separated at birth surely took the spotlight.
The lessons ended up quickly. Since it was the first day, and a Friday at that, they were done by lunchtime. And after eating with everyone, Shidou decided to climb to the rooftop to meet with whoever wrote that mysterious letter.
He honestly didn't know what to expect, and that came from someone that was often called paranoic because he was always expecting the worst.
And well, even if actually meeting with a girl was one of the most probable outcomes, he didn't expect to meet this girl in concrete when he arrived at all.
"O-oh, you actually came, Shidou-kun."
A girl with spiky blonde hair and similar golden eyes that could fall into the category of a gal due to her fashion sense. However, her usually cheerful and friendly personality was now quite an awkward mess as she greeted him.
"Hello there, Ai-san. It seems we didn't end up in the same classroom, unfortunately." He greeted her with a smile to ease her tension before reaching into his pocket and bringing out the letter. The lack of surprise on her face was already telling, but he asked just to confirm. "I assume you were the one who left this in my locker."
"U-Uhm, yes! I-it was me."
"Well… I'm listening then. What is it that you wanted to tell me?"
"Ri-right…" She took a moment to muster up her courage as she fixed her hair and fidgeted with her fingers.
After taking a deep breath, she finally let it out. "I-I like you! Please, go out with me, Shidou-kun!" The seconds passed, and seeing that he was unresponsive, she continued. "I-I know Tohka-chan is head over heels for you, but I am, too! I don't know if you remember it, but ever since you saved me from falling down the stairs during our first year here, I started to like you! S-so I decided to finally confess it instead of just giving up!"
"I…" Shidou scratched his cheek awkwardly. This was hardly the first confession he received, but this was different.
This was no longer a matter of him being insecure about his feelings or if he had the right to fall in love. Running away wasn't an option, but the answer he was going to give wasn't going to be pleasant either.
This was what he always wanted to avoid, but there was no other way.
"I appreciate you taking the trouble of doing this for someone like me…" The face he was making was pretty much an answer by itself. The small, yet found smile. The way in which he adverted his eyes as he thought of them. "But unfortunately, I can't reciprocate those feelings… My heart was stolen already."
He didn't beat around the bush. There was no reason to prolong the suffering.
"I… see…" The effect was immediate.
The myriad of sorrowful emotions showing on her face, the tears forming at the corners of her eyes, the way her legs started to tremble. Even if she most likely was expecting it, hearing those words was still painful.
So this was what is called "breaking a heart".
"I understand… I… I'll be going then…" However, she managed to keep her cool as she walked out of the rooftop, even with her voice cracking.
Shidou didn't make an attempt to follow her. From now on, it was up to her to move on from this, and he knew she would be able to do it. He was pretty sure that this was just a flitting crush due to her hormones anyway.
"Ara, I was pretty much sure Shidou-san would actually say yes."
A familiar voice came as a signal. Almost like a squad of ninjas, the seven spirits that accompanied him to the school came out of their hiding spots around the place.
They really improved their stealth skills.
"I didn't notice that Ai had such feelings either… She was always giving me advice about approaching Shidou."
"You're just as dense as him. Even I could see it from the corners of your consciousness."
"But why did you reject her, Shidou-kun? I mean, you never chose one of us because you wanted all of us to be happy."
Shidou sighed before answering Origami. "That's just one of the reasons. The other is… well… as I said, I love all of you, so much that I couldn't choose. But I can't say that's the same case with Ai-san. I've never seen her as something more than a friend, unlike you guys."
"Kuku. Not everyone has the power to break through your density!"
"Agree. She was simply no match for us."
It was obvious they were trying to hide their embarrassment from hearing Shidou say that.
"Well, we should get going or we're going to be late."
"Mu?" Tohka tilted her head upon hearing Mayuri's cheerful words. More than her dazzling smile, she didn't know what she was talking about.
"What do you mean by that? Aren't we going to visit the clubs?" Tenka was as confused as her.
But the only answer they got from them was a knowing smile shared among them.
"You'll see."
In a familiar, yet different timeline…
The sun was already about to set, with only the artificial lights of the streetlamps to cast away the shadows of Tengu City's streets. There wasn't a soul on the hill leading to the residential area, with the people either already in their houses having dinner, or still at their workplace if their shift required it.
But among those desolate streets, there was a blue-haired teenager slowly making his way up to the apartment situated at the top of the hill.
"Damn it… I really lost track of time in the Biblio… Kotori and the others are going to be really worried…"
The career Shidou chose at college to follow his parents' steps and work at Asgard Electronics was quite demanding if anything. So now that the midterm exams were around the corner, he needed to go the extra mile.
The girls already opted to prepare dinner by themselves instead of waiting for him, but by the time he was going to arrived, he doubted there was going to be something still warm.
He had been trying to reassert his dominance in the kitchen ever since "Shiori" left, but it was a losing battle even after an entire year. That reinforcement thing surely was busted.
"Oh, Shidou!" A familiar voice greeted him the moment his home and the apartment were finally in sight.
"Aah…" Looking at that girl standing in front of the apartment and waving at him, it seemed like all his problems and concerns melted away.
Even if she was wearing a maid outfit, her beauty was charming as always. Her black hair seemed to blend with the night sky, and her smile could easily captivate every man.
A warm smile made its way to Shidou's face as he walked up to her. "Good evening, Tohka. How was your first day at work?"
"It has been really fun! All the clients seemed to be satisfied with my service, and the owner was delighted."
Just as his other self said, they one day would meet again if their bond was strong enough. But as it turns out, he didn't have to wait that long.
Perhaps as a last gift from Mio before passing away, she gave Tohka enough power so that she was able to manifest in this texture of the world just after a couple of years.
She said she met some kind of creepy wizard imprisoned on a tower that told her exactly the same the other Shidou told them. Judging by that description, that was most likely Merlin from the Arthurian legends, but he paid no mind to it.
What mattered was that they were able to meet again. And since she didn't see herself studying for a degree in electronic engineering, she ended up finding a job in a maid café in the shopping district.
"What about you, Shidou? I can't help you with that complicated stuff, but do you think you can pass those exams?"
"I think I'll manage. Have you been waiting for me all this time? If so, I'm sorry for not letting you guys know that I was going to be late."
"No, I just arrived now. Come on, let's see what Kotori and Yoshino prepared today!"
The two finally entered the apartment's main hall, but the sight that received them wasn't quite the one they were expecting.
"Wh-what!? Wh-who is that cool girl that looks just like me!?"
"Hehe, I knew Natsumi-san had it in her."
"See!? You can do it when you put your mind to it, Natsumi-chan!"
"C'mon, turn the page already!"
The couple had to make a double-take at that. Instead of everyone finishing having dinner, what they encountered was everyone sitting on the couch and reading something.
They were so absorbed in their lecture that they didn't notice them peeking over their shoulders to see what they were reading. It showed… an epic fight between Natsumi wearing the same combat outfit as "Shiori" and a really ominous dark knight?
The panels were of really high quality. The details in the choreography were so impressive that he thought for a moment that he was seeing the movements animated.
"What is happening here?"
"Oh, you're finally here, Tohka, Onii-chan. Please, help me pull them out of their-"
"Shidou! You need to read this!"
"Encouraging. We've already devoured almost all of the volumes, so you can be on your own while we finish this."
Shidou followed the Yuzuru's finger and spotted a box full of mangas lying beside the couch. He pulled out the one he assumed to be the first volume, and the art on the cover left him speechless.
"Huh?" The sight of his other self was surprising, but the girl posing beside him with a smug smile was what really baffled him. She looked just like Mana, but her hair was golden, and her eyes were red.
"Mu? Who is that- wait, don't tell me. Is that the other Shidou while I was away?"
"That's correct…" Shidou looked at the author of the manga, and as if it wasn't surprising enough, it was signed by Honjou Souji, with Kyouno Natsumi as her assistant and Itsuka Shidou as the expert in choreography.
No wonder why it looked so realistic. They were having advice from an actual hero of the past that fought countless battles.
"Where did you guys get this?"
"It seemed that the work of fate brought it to our door."
Shidou seemed to have trouble understanding Mukuro, so Mana translated it for him. "She means it literally. We found the box at the door when we came from school."
"The box is signed by Kaleidoscope Industries, and the only man that I know for that name is the sorcerer of the second True Magic that can operate parallel worlds." MARIA's answer basically explained the how, but the question now was, why?
"Well, as much I would like to read it, I'm starving. Did you guys leave something for us, or do I have to prepare something quick?"
At that moment, the girls stopped their lecture to look at him as if he had grown a second head.
"What time is it?"
"It's past 7:30. That's why I've been insisting in you guys stopping so we could cook dinner!"
""WHAT!?""
The reprimand they got after that was way worse than having dinner so late. But seeing the scene play alongside the girl he loved caused Shidou to smile tenderly.
Tohka might be the only one left with supernatural powers, but they were definitely returning to those happy days two years ago.
They might have had quite a lot of friction, but he was definitely thankful for his other self. And maybe he would be able to see what kind of ending he arrived at with these mangas.
""HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TOHKA, TENKA!""
"Huh?"
The two identical girls looked perplexed at all the people cheering for them and showered them with beaming smiles and confetti.
They could say something was off when everyone started to make excuses to go ahead, leaving them with just Shidou to guide them, but they were certainly not expecting to stumble upon this after they climbed up to the park on the city's outskirts. Aside from Shidou and the others that went to school with them, there were Yoshino, Kotori, Miku, Natsumi, Nia, Mukuro, Mana, Mio, Artemisia, several of MARIA's terminals, Kannazuki, "Bad Marriage" Kawagoe, "Boss" Mikimoto, "Nail Knocker" Chiizaki, "Dimension Breaker" Nakatsukawa, "Deep Love" Minowa, and even Ellen.
Around thirty people were waiting for them and ready to throw a massive party.
The park seemed to be reserved just for them. A massive blanket was extended under the cherry blossoms. There was a lot of delicious-looking food that made them salivate, drinks of all kinds, and even what looked like a karaoke.
However, they couldn't understand…
"I'm really happy, but… why this all of a sudden?"
"Don't you remember, Tohka? It's April 10th. It's been a whole year since the first time we met. And the same goes for you, Tenka."
The spirit's eyes widened, and her cheeks grew flustered with embarrassment. How could she forget the most important day in her life?
Mio's work in the shadow or the arrival of Angra Mainyu might have been what started all, but that fateful encounter was definitely what sparked the journey to summon the Grand Saber and reach this happy ending. Their start might have been rough, and it took them quite the time to realize it, but it was practically love at first sight.
"Hmph. I don't see the point for this kind of trivialities." The mystic atmosphere was completely ruined by her "sister's" blunt words.
However, instead of being upset, Shidou threw her a teasing smile. "Oh, really? Why are you adverting your look then? Are you perhaps blushing? Come on, you can drop your tsundere act just this one time."
"Who are you calling tsundere, dumbass!? It's not like I'm happy about this or anything!" That not-so-tsundere retort took a laugh out of everyone, causing her to blush even more.
"Shidou is right." Tohka took her hands and smiled at her warmly. "Let's have fun together with everyone, Tenka."
"If you say so…" That seemed to melt away her defenses. If there was someone who learned how to deal with the grumpy spirit, it was Tohka.
Deep down, they were really similar. A complicated relationship, just like the one he had with his own evil twin.
"Hey, wait for us!"
"There's no need to rush, there is enough food to feed an entire army!"
But if there was definitely something they were exactly the same, it was their bottomless stomach. The two immediately jumped to where the picnic baskets were lying and started to devour their contents without waiting for anyone.
That pretty much forced everyone to dig in quickly if they didn't want to be left without food.
Lighthearted conversations started among them as MARIA's terminals served the drinks. The teenagers, Nia and Mio talked about how was their first day of the term, while the adults started to talk about work and love affairs over sake.
"Nushi-sama, Muku was able to reunite with her soulmate. Her name is Kobato Hasegawa, but she insists that her real name is Reiss V. Felicity Sumeragi and that she's a dark ancestor that came from the Land of Shadows."
"That's so good, Mukuro. I knew you would be able to make friends in no time." While Shidou was smiling back at her on the outside, he was facepalming on the inside.
That has to be the most chuunibyou thing he has ever heard. It seemed that solving her chuuny manner of speaking was going to take a long time.
"Everyone seemed to be excited to meet Yoshinon, right?"
"Yeah! I know I'm an international celebrity, but that level of attention was well beyond my expectations. At least until that girl named Ethel that can only say 'Kill' showed up."
"There was also this guy… what was his name, Shirogane? The moment the issue of the Student Council was brought, he proclaimed that he was going to become the president just to make the heir of the Shinomiya family fall for him."
"In what kind of classroom full of weirdos have you been put in?" Shidou was openly caressing his forehead after hearing Kotori's words.
"Technically, we are the weirdos of our class…" Worst of all, Mayuri was completely right.
"And of course, I had to assert my dominance after such a bold declaration!" Mana brought Natsumi close to her as she extended her arm towards the horizon. "Hear me, Natsumi. We're going to become the greatest president and vice-president that has ever been in the school and crush those two blocks denser than even Nii-chan!"
"EH!? Why are you roping me into this!? I was happy to stay in the corner until you suddenly dragged me along! Besides, don't you have to work as Miku's manager!?"
"Don't sweat the details! Haven't you noticed that more people were starting to approach you after coming out of that cave you built at the end of the classroom?"
"Ye-yeah, but…"
"Fufu, that reminds me of a certain someone who became a stuttering mess when a pair of kohais approached her to take directions."
Everyone followed Kurumi's eyes and met a Mayuri that was equally flustered. "I-I mean, the way in which they called me Yatogami-senpai. Wait, now that I think about it, how did they know my name?"
"There is a guy that is going around ranking people by their popularity apparently."
"Reminiscence. You were in the top 10 as the silent, yet kind beauty if I don't remember correctly. Just behind the irresistible Yamai tomboys!"
"Oh, I saw that list, too! Tenka was ranked quite high as the 'Ice Queen'. I guess your throne was completely stolen, Origami."
"Hey, the one that was like that was the other me. And what about you, 'Calorie-Burning Princess'?"
"Huh!? Mmh~ Who is spreading that nonsense!? Mmh~"
"You aren't helping it- Mmh~"
Rest in peace, Tonomachi. They didn't even acknowledge his existence as the author of that list despite being in the same classroom as them.
"What about you, Shidou? Isn't your nickname as the 'Fake Janitor' in peril now that everyone is calling you 'Milf Hunter'?"
"And who do you think is at fault!? Couldn't you be more subtle about it!?"
"Hey, it helps me keep the cover of turning on a new light after finding love. Which isn't that far from reality."
"UOOOHHH!"
"No way!"
A big commotion in the "adult zone" interrupted their conversation. Following all the surprised looks, everyone widened at seeing the ring Kannazuki was wearing.
"Impossible!? What kind of woman would actually marry a pervert like you!?" Kotori herself was completely shocked by the news.
"That hurts, Commander. I finally found my soul partner! A kind woman that looks like a little girl despite being in her thirties!"
"Don't tell me…"
All the ones that were in high school didn't take long to connect the dots and couldn't help but start laughing.
"What about you Ellen-san? Have you started to hunt for a boyfriend?" The attention drifted to the woman that was desperately trying to go unnoticed.
Normally, they wouldn't be so nonchalant around their former enemy, but the alcohol removed any kind of stoppers they might have.
"Eh? N-no! I mean, I'm still rebuilding my life."
"That's no good, Ellen-san! Even if you conserved your youth through magic, you're going to be left on the shelf if you don't hurry!"
"You are coming shopping with us tomorrow! We need to fix that rigid air! Don't you have anything aside from business suits in your clothes!?"
A drunken "Nail Knocker" and "Deep Love" dragged her to a hell Shidou didn't want to uncover never.
"Hey, haven't you been going out with people on that dating app as of late, Artemisia?"
"Yeah…" The answer of the blonde wizard to Origami's question came out rather unenthusiastic. "All of them were quite the catch, but none of them seemed to… click with me. I don't know how to put it into words."
"Oho? What am I hearing?" Before she even noticed it, Miku was already beside her with a really disturbing smile. "Did you perhaps develop a crush on Darling? I don't blame you. He's the best man in the world after all! I welcome you to the harem then! When do you want us to arrange your first date?"
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't you think you're going really fast!? Besides, Shidou-kun and me…" That pause she made without outright denying it got her a lot of cheeky smiles.
"I would appreciate it if you at least consulted me about that kind of thing, you know…"
"Oh, come on, Darling. That Ai girl might have not struck a chord, but Artemisia here has passed the initiation ritual like every one of us. She tried to destroy you in some way and later on you conquered her with everyone's help."
Shidou opened his mouth to refute that… but he found himself unable to do it. Even that time during his second meeting with Yoshino which almost caused Tohka to go on a rampage fell into that mold.
"Well, I better start preparing the options then." MARIA was barely able to say that without busting out laughing.
"NOOOOOO!"
"Err… Why don't you tell us more about your trip to USA, Miku-san? Don't you have any pictures?" Fortunately, the blue-haired angel came to his rescue and redirected the theme of the conversation.
"Oh, I have lots of it! Check it out!" The way in which the idol let go of the issue caused everyone to feel a bad omen, but they got close to look at her cell, nonetheless.
She wasn't exaggerating when she said that she took a lot of photos during their stance in LA. The fancy hotel in which they stayed, the casino from which they got banned because Mana almost got them broke, the mandatory picture with the 'HOLLYWOOD' sign on the background, the Walk of Fame, the stadium in which Miku's concerts took place, and the surprising return of Muramasa Senji and the masked samurai in the cosplay world.
"Whoops!"
"HUH!?"
All their faces turned hot red when Miku moved on to the next picture not-so-unintentionally. The photo was a selfie taken in the jacuzzi of the hotel, featuring a naked Miku clinging to Shidou with the same amount of clothes.
"Yo-you did that on purpose!"
"Sorry, sorry, this one is for personal use~ But I don't mind sharing it for a modest fee!" The disturbing way in which her fingers moved suggested already what she meant by that.
""NOT A CHANCE!""
"A-anyway, we brought souvenirs! Mana, would you be so kind!?"
"Sure." His sister stopped laughing to pull out said souvenirs from the bags she brought with her.
Most of them were key chains, hair ornaments, or clothes chosen by the two girls, little details that brought smiles to their faces. However, Shidou stopped when it was the mangaka's turn and hid the present behind his back.
"I have something special for you, Nia."
"What is it? Did you bring some of those American comics? I'm not that much into them, especially the recent ones with all the political correction ruining the character arcs."
"No, this is something I've been crafting myself in my spare time. I'm sure you'll like it."
Without further ado, he revealed what he was holding. A short katana similar to those carried by ninja, with a black hilt, a golden, cross-shaped guard with turquoise accents, and a little attachment with the same shape as the pens she had on her astral dress hanging from it.
"Meet… Rasiel Muramasa!"
Nia forgot how to breathe as she held it and swung it around a little. Her deepest dream had finally come true.
"OH YEAH, BABY! You and I are going to be the greatest duo, my partner! Where are the bad guys so I can kick their asses!"
Aside from some giggles, the sight of the adult woman childishly smiling despite knowing that the chance of her getting to give it proper use was slim warmed their hearts. It was her recompense for going into that chaotic battle some months ago with an angel that wasn't supposed to be used in direct combat and just some hazy muscle memories from her time fused with Okita Souji.
"Hey, now that we're already drunk enough- hip, I think it's time to hit the karaoke!"
After finishing all the food, they started to take turns at the karaoke in couples. The first ones to go were the members of Fraxinus' crew with some old songs from animes or soap operas.
"Oh, this one is going to be a banger!" The MARIA series, who were the ones making the karaoke work in the middle of nowhere, suddenly cheered up after the sad ballad sung by a duo composed of Chiizaki and Minowa.
"Ooooh! Let's sing this one, Tenka!" Just the first second of the instrumental was enough for most of them to recognize the song, and Tohka immediately dragged her "sister" to the scenery without waiting for her concert.
"While holding hope in my left hand."
"I kept dreaming without awakening."
Tohka sang the first lines with her melodic voice and immediately passed the micro to Tenka.
"If you insist…" Without putting up much resistance, she sang the next lines with a surprisingly sweet voice no one would expect from a girl that often spoke like a member of a biker gang.
"With an empty memory in my right hand."
"I stood at the end of a world no one knew."
"As I was beaten by the rain unstopped."
Tenka returned the micro to Tohka as if that was more than enough to fill her social interaction quota, but her "sister" kept returning the micro after finishing the line.
"The strength to protect what is dear to me."
"The weakness in which I fail to believe it."
"I accept it all…"
"… and reach for tomorrow."
With the first few verses finished, the chorus of the song began and the two began to sing together with Tenka finally pulling out all her restraints and everyone accompanying them.
"BRAVE SHINE!"
"When I reach out… STAY THE NIGHT!"
"On a night I'm covered in scars."
"YOU SAVE MY LIFE!"
"On the point of the blade I laid my dream."
"I know my prayer will go beyond time."
"Your brave shine."
The song they chose to compete against the impossibility that was beating Miku in her own domain. One that basically transmitted that very hope they never let go of despite how bleak the situation seemed.
This time, thunderous applause followed the moment the song ended. Tohka was just as euphoric as when they sang it for the first time, and despite being a little embarrassed, Tenka seemed to be enjoying the moment as well.
But it was just the beginning as another pair of girls raised at the unspoken challenge.
"Let's sing the next one together, Natsumi-san!"
"Su-sure!"
A beaming Yoshino and a flustered Natsumi stepped into the makeshift scenery and MARIA reproduced the next song without missing a beat.
"It was… It was an endless journey…"
"A tale about a hero who saved you…"
The song started slow, with a sweet tone in the first line. But immediately after that, the guitars came in and the rhythm sped up considerably.
"Once, in a fairytale land. A hero started his journey."
"Running through the meadows. Heading towards the princess."
"A pitch-black cave. Overcoming a windy mountain of wilderness. With sword held aloft."
"Flames of courage reflecting in his eyes."
"Shaking of the hands of darkness."
"Clasping your hands…"
As the song finally reached the chorus, Natsumi finally left behind any kind of embarrassment and enjoyed the moment alongside her best friend. It was hard to say what was more beautiful, the song or their dazzling smile.
"I feel like I'm going to die from cuteness~" Despite it being one of Miku's overexaggerated comments when it came to those two, more than one shared the thought.
And the song was actually fitting. It worked really well as a metaphor for the journey that took to reach this point.
"Even now, even if it was a dream. I would take up my sword!"
"And finding you. Tearing through the darkness."
"Even if I fall, even through hardships. I won't be defeated!"
"Hold tight to my hand!"
"Inextinguishable flames of courage."
"Illuminate the world…"
Another thunderous applause, and this time, Mio walked up to MARIA to whisper in her ear the song she wanted to sing.
The AI quickly agreed, and as the song slowly started, Mio took up the micro and summoned her gorgeous astral dress. It caused an effect as if several spotlights were pointed at her, and she took a deep breath and closed her eyes before starting.
"Drifting beneath the horizon..."
"Body's weak but I'm trying."
"To make it to shore. But I'm falling short. I need you more…"
"Wave after wave I've been sinking."
"So onto your promise I'm clinging."
"You say that I'm strong. To you I belong. Keep holdin' on."
As the chorus began and she opened her blue eyes, it became obvious why she chose this song. It was quite old, perhaps she listened to it before even starting to pose as Murasame Reine.
But it fitted very well her love story. After losing the one she loved and deluding herself with a plan with no future, she finally found a reason to keep living on.
"You are my anchor!"
"So steady me. Steady me now."
"You are my anchor!"
"You're keeping my feet on the ground."
"In angry oceans you've never broken."
"Through every wave of the storm."
"You are my anchor!"
"So steady me. Steady me now…"
The song was more subdued than the other two, but the reaction of the audience wasn't any less heated. Her melodic voice wasn't that far from that of the actual idol among them.
"Let's go next, Yuzuru!"
"Thrilled. Let's rock, Kaguya!"
And in complete contrast, the next due could be said to be the most explosive one. And the song of their choice couldn't fall behind. This one was clearly of the rock genre, and it had already two singers. In other words, the best choice they could have made.
(The world around me, is lost in misery.)
(The only good I've got in my life is you.)
(No meaning, no other reason.)
(When everything feels wrong, I feel right with you.)
Yuzuru started singing the lines of the male singer, and then Kaguya took on as the female one until they reached the explosive chorus and sang it together.
[So madly, desperate deeply.]
[Obsessed, your lover is better than life to me.]
[Can I have this moment forever…]
(Take me… to the beginning…)
"You are what I believe!"
"I'll live and die for you."
"This is all that I need!"
"When nothing is real you are my truth!"
"In the darkness, you shine!"
"Can you keep me safe tonight!"
"When I'm down on my knees, you are what I believe!"
At the end of the song, they high-fived with all the adrenaline in their bodies before the applause began.
Any kind of reservation was finally tossed aside, and everyone was raring to give it a go and even repeat. The next one was an unexpected due whose bonds ended up being quite deep after trying to kill each other.
"I think this one will be the perfect one for us, Mayuri-san."
"If you say so." The blonde spirit trusted Kurumi with the decision since she knew way more songs, but her mischievous smile and the cute thumbnail behind the lyrics on the screen took her aback.
However, the song began almost immediately, so she had barely any time for second thoughts.
"My precious you for me…"
"Magic is in my tiny little heart."
"My precious you for me!"
"Wow! Wow! Wow!"
If it wasn't quite obvious already, everyone immediately recognized the anime from which she took it. Quite hard when she went around recommending it, and it got Nia's seal of approval. Something about a fantasy world and a professor that didn't take his job as seriously as he should.
"We are together, but why is my breathing a little quicker?"
"You know it's a lie."
"It's just that I'm still not honest with myself."
"It seems that I'm under the influence of a temporary spell."
"It's you who drew a smile…"
"Inside the magic square?"
"Magic which you yourself don't realize."
"Now gradually wraps me up."
"Why?"
"Look! (Look)"
"More! (More)"
"More, and more, and more I fall in love with you!"
"Kindness are you trying to turn into a joke."
"You're bad at hiding it!"
"I notice it!"
"Look, do not take your eyes, okay?"
"Be with me, stay with me, you and me!"
"My precious you for me…"
"Magic is in my tiny little heart."
"My precious you for me!"
"Wow! Wow! Wow!"
The two finished in a classical idol pose with their arms stretched forward and their palms up. Before Mayuri knew it, the song was completely dedicated to the boy they loved, but she didn't mind it aside from her blush.
"Come on, Artemisia! You too!"
"Hey, wait-"
The next couple stepped immediately into the scenery, with one of them being dragged by the other. The song chosen by Origami started slowly but gained strength with every line.
"The lightly faded contours…"
"Almost as if our focus points begin to touch."
"The anxiety and pain that have been kept hidden…"
"Has all been gathered up by you."
"Without hesitating, I'd go if I'm with you."
"I can dedicate everything, if I'm with you."
"Whatever the time, I'll always be with you."
"Because I can feel it…"
"DATE A LIVE!"
At that moment, Shidou and Kotori finally recognized the song. It was also composed on request for their showdown against Miku, but they discarded it in favor of "Brave Shine" as this one seemed too straightforward regarding their intentions.
It was still beautiful and fitting though, and the wink Origami shot at Shidou made his heart jump.
"You kissed me swiftly, once again,"
"That moment, I gently closed my eyes."
"At some point our eyes met and then on,"
"We could never return to how it was before."
"They are similar, yet different memories."
"I SWEAR, on this sketched out landscape,"
"The future that's different from the present."
"I begin to notice it!"
"We meet each other countless times in this revolving world."
"Let's begin our date/battle!"
Ironically, the song fitted the main singer really well. How did she know the existence of that song was a question with a possible answer that was quite disturbing. So instead of thinking about it, Shidou just applauded as if his life depended on it.
This Origami might not be the same as the world that died, but seeing her so expressive and lively still warmed his head to this day.
"We can't be left behind, Mukku-chin!"
"Fumu. Let us sing an unforgivable ballad."
Nia was the one who chose the song, and as it couldn't be otherwise, it came from another anime. Surprisingly though, this one's tone was along the lines of the one sung by Kurumi and Mayuri, and not along with the tastes of a mangaka that wrote a story of a guy running around with two handguns and a katana hunting monsters.
"So everything that makes me whole."
"I'll dedicate them all to you now…"
"I'm yours…"
But as the song progressed, it became obvious that she chose it with Mukuro in mind. It was a good contender for the best match regarding the singers and their relationship with the boy they loved.
"You know… never in my life…"
"Have I been able to smile so much."
"I'm sure."
"I've been walking on a path…"
"Full of mistakes, all on my own."
"Just for this day."
"With your hand in mine."
"We can go on forever and ever."
"No matter how far it takes us."
"You tell me that I'm no longer alone."
"And again, you smile."
"When you have something precious you must protect."
"But you can only stand rooted on the ground, not knowing what to do."
"Or when you lose all your possibilities and let darkness envelope you."
"And you're about to be swallowed up in your despair."
"I will become the light to shine your path!"
"Even the king of this world cannot block me out."
"So everything that makes me whole."
"I'll dedicate them all to you now!"
"I'm yours… Nushi-sama!"
That last bit was added by Mukuro herself. Some tears of happiness were sliding down her cheeks as she remembered how he saved her, and her smile was even brighter than then.
"Well, it's time to show you all why I'm Gorgeous M. Come with me, Kotori!" Mana spoke while stretching her arms as if she were to walk into a ring instead of a stage.
Kotori sent her a raised eyebrow at her. "Huh? Why me?"
"I have the perfect song for us, of course! Don't think, just feel!"
The golden girl practically dragged the commander to the scenery, and the teasing smile that MARIA gave her as she reproduced the song in question was a bad omen if anything.
And the happy and vibrant start of the song made it quite obvious that it came from a magical girl anime.
"What kind of future did I actually want?"
"I simply wished for something without knowing any better…"
"But if I'm afraid of my true self and run away…"
"I'll lose myself in this endless dream."
"I don't need a wish my hands can't reach."
"I want the courage to take your hand!"
"The stars change the world's darkness and light up the night sky…"
"And we can fly through that sky as it leads us."
"Everything which came true became the constellations we believe in, right?"
"Just like the promise we made that day…"
"I believe…"
…
"We stay night…"
"It's such a small star, isn't it?"
"If we can fly through the sky as it leads us,"
"And if a Kaleidoscope is the light which shines over this changing world,"
"Then it was because of the promise we made that day."
"Once you gently hold my hand."
"The sun will rise."
"I believe…"
Kotori's face matched her hand by the end of the song while Mana seemed to be having the time of her life. She would never tell her that she actually used her clairvoyance to look for a song that matched a pair of sisters from other worlds of that same boy sitting with them.
"Fufu. I'm seeing a lot of potential here. Perhaps we should form an idol group together?"
"Heh, as expected of my first recruit, you have a keen eye."
The sudden voice that was heard after Miku's comment startled everyone and put a stop to the pace of the auctions. A red-eyed, blonde man wearing an unbuttoned, blue shirt, white jeans, and several golden ornaments.
"King Gilgamesh!? Wh-what do you mean by me being your recruit?"
"Don't you recognize the Gorgeous P that bought the company that is about to hire you? You need to pay more attention if you want to survive in the world of show business girl."
"Figures. Of course, only you would buy a production company on a whim with enough money to bury them. What are you up to now, Goldie?"
Shidou found himself surprisingly calm when he asked his natural enemy with a raised eyebrow. Perhaps all this time interacting with him through Mana as a broker between them acted as a therapy to calm his impulses to destroy his existence.
"Unlike you, Faker, I shall not waste my second life rotting in some backwater town. And the first step to fixing this modern world is to attack what rules it. The entertainment! Therefore, we are going to build an idol group that will crush even Hollywood's blockbusters!"
Everyone sweat-dropped at the way his nonsensical speech grew in intensity. But it was best if he chose a harmless hobby instead of trying to burn the world again.
"Miku, show us the worth of the real idol here! It will be your test to see for myself your talent! Know that my company will allow Vimana and space warping as methods of transportation!"
Everyone could see stars in the idol's eyes after processing that. Whenever she felt lonely, she would be able to see her Darling regardless of where she was.
"Very well. But first…" As she stood up, she stretched her hand to Shidou. "Would you sing alongside me, Darling?"
The smile returned to his face as he took her hand. "If you want to put up with a tone-deaf singer like me, then sure."
"You aren't that bad, Darling. And you can always transform into 'Shiori'."
"Not a chance."
He overheard the song Miku told MARIA to play as he climbed to the scenery, and surprisingly, it wasn't one from her albums. It was actually a pop song coming from the other side of the ocean, and the name pretty much told him everything he needed to know.
Thankfully, his English, albeit a little bit outdated, would suffice for this.
"We were both young when I first saw you."
"A close my eyes and the flashback starts."
"I'm standing there… on a balcony in summer air…"
This version of the song had specifically a pair of singers, one male, and another female. Miku started singing in a subdued tone.
The difference between professional and amateur was made obvious quickly. Her figure along the sakura petals twirling in the air made for a really beautiful sight.
But now it was Shidou's turn to degrade the concert so it didn't outshine the others too much.
"See the lights…"
"See the party, the ball gowns."
"See you make your way through the crowd…"
"And say, 'Hello'…"
"Little did I know…"
Of course, they didn't grimace at his performance out of consideration. Or perhaps he was being quite pessimistic. The way in which Gilgamesh was barely holding his laugh told otherwise.
Fortunately, Miku took the micro right after that to begin the chorus, and the smile she gave him renewed his courage to remain on the stage.
"'Cause you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles."
"And my daddy said, 'Stay away from Juliet'…"
"And I was crying on the staircase, begging you,"
"Please don't go…"
"And I said…"
The song began to break and the two began to sing side by side. Miku was clinging to him rather too much using the excuse of sharing the mic, but anyone paid attention in favor of enjoying the beautiful song.
"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone."
"I'll be waiting; all that's left to do is run."
"You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess."
"It's a love story, baby say 'Yes'!"
As the song ended, the idol literally jumped at him so he would catch her princess style as the public applauded and cheered for them. This song could be said the idealized version of their romance, but everyone knew their first meeting wasn't anything like that.
"If you managed to make a decent performance alongside the Faker, then your talent is more than worthy. HIRED!"
As always, Goldie had to go against the flow and throw a not-so-subtle jab at his natural enemy.
The rotation began once again with the members of Fraxinus' crew stepping on the stage for more action. But amidst it, Tohka seemed to remember something she forgot to mention earlier.
"Oh, right! I won these tickets on a lottery in the shopping district yesterday." Tohka's casual tone implied that it was just an anecdote, but the moment they saw those tickets, widened their eyes and gasped.
"WHAT!? Enough for everyone to go to Hawaii for a week with accommodation included!?"
"Why didn't you say that earlier, Tohka-chan!? My red line is still far!"
"What is Hawaii?"
The collective facepalm covered even the song being played by the drums. Of course, she didn't know what was Hawaii…
"Remember Arubi island?"
"Yes! It was a really fun trip."
"Then imagine it hundreds of times better."
"Oh…" The easy way in which Shidou broke it down for her made her really excited. "We're going, right!?"
"Well, it would be a waste not to go…"
"I guess we'll have to prepare some supporting documents and passports… but the benefit definitely outdoes the paperwork!"
"It is decided then!"
"We need to go buy swimsuits then!"
"Determined. Swimsuits are justice!"
"Let's sing one altogether to celebrate!"
"Yeah! That is going to be hilarious!"
"I have the perfect song then."
The random idea thrown by Mayuri quickly gained strength and in less than a minute, the small stage was put aside so everyone could be in front of the monitors showing the lyrics. Several of MARIA's terminals joined them two.
This one was going to be for laughs, even more than the others, and the song chosen by MARIA made it quite explicit.
"You say that you like being with me the most…"
"So hold me a little tighter."
The first lines were sung by a peculiar trio formed by Tohka, Origami, and Kotori, and the next ones were even more surprising as Gilgamesh, Shidou, and Mana stepped in. The golden girl was all happy in the middle while the other two kept glaring at each other.
"I will drag you to a new place…"
"So don't be late to the ruranra!"
The prologue of the song was finished, and while it transitioned into the next lines, everyone started to dance quite hectically between laughs, and definitely not coordinated at all.
And in complete contrast, Miku, Mayuri, and Mio took the lead with their beautiful voices to build-up for the chorus.
"It's amazing!"
"Who?"
"Us of course!"
"There are no boundaries between us!"
"Yahoo! What a fun party!"
"Cast a never-ending spell…"
"Last night's pre-party sure was exciting!"
"It's great to do anything but play and play!"
"Right? That really, really is true, right!?"
"It's a carnival, so let's be friendly to everyone…"
"Friendly…"
"My affection towards you is natural…"
"Affection…"
"The preparations for going out are:"
"Switch on and get high, done!"
"These sweer delicacies are making me fall…"
"Slightly, completely, quickly, closely in love!"
And when the chorus started, all hell broke loose as everyone started to sing.
"You say that you like being with me the most…"
"So hold me a little tighter."
"I will drag you to a new place…"
"So do the ruranra!"
"I really want to be with you…"
"And I don't want us to be disturbed!"
"I will show you my enthusiasm in a secret place."
"Is it a ruranra? It's a ruranra!"
Not busting out laughing by the end of their mess of a song was an absolute challenge no one, even the King of Heroes, managed to accomplish.
The sun was finally setting when they decided to call it a day and go home to have dinner and rest.
The members of the Fraxinus' crew, including Ellen and Artemisia, managed to convince MARIA to drop them at their houses from the ship itself since they were in no condition to make it there on their own, and Gilgamesh just took his leave in the same way he just popped out of nowhere.
The gang found themselves looking at the twilight sky one last time before going as well.
Even after some months, it still seemed surrealist that they were finally able to have a regular life. The possibility of another threat appearing wasn't zero, but given the state of Mystery in this world, it would have to be from another world or even from outer space.
To some extent, it was even weird. Putting aside Shidou and Mana's case, the girls that lost their innocence amidst unforgiving battlefields now found themselves back in a mundane routine.
However, it would be a blatant lie to say that fun and happy moments like this one weren't precious.
"So… When do we start making babies?" The calm and mystical atmosphere of reminiscence was completely torn apart by those words coming from Mio's lips in a casual tone.
"Pfft!" Shidou almost choked with his own tongue, Mana exhausted all his remaining energy to laugh her ass off one last time, and a lot of faces became so red to the point of being concerning.
"That's going way too fast! Wait at least for me to finish school and get a job! I don't want my children to be dependent on Ratatoskr's budget!"
"Well, Woodman-sama added quite a few zeros to our bank accounts as a way of thanking us for solving the mess he started and saving the world."
"Ugh…"
"And you aren't rejecting the idea, Darling."
"Gah!"
Kotori and Miku's words felt like nails on his coffin, but what truly sentenced him were Origami's next words.
"Even if you didn't choose one of us, who are you going to choose to be the first one to bear your child?" She seemed as if she was going to faint from embarrassment, but she held on with sheer determination.
And all the questioning looks pointed at him only made it worse. It was an unfair choice, to begin with as their age range was quite mixed. The issue wasn't something that should be decided just like that either. It depended heavily on the circumstances.
However, it was obvious that it was a way to disguise the real question. "Who of us is your favorite?"
And that was a can of worms he wasn't opening anywhere soon. So it was time to use his most reliable "skill".
"Oops, it's getting late! I better go get dinner-"
""YOU AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE!""
All the girls hurled themselves at him just as he was about to jump the fence preventing people from falling through the cliff, causing just that.
The sixteen of them, even Mana, ended up rolling down the hill between panicked and excited screams in equal parts.
Even if there weren't any hardships of supernatural nature lying ahead, life had still plenty of them. The most serious one of them was called "Paternity with multiple children".
But whatever challenges came, they would face them together, for life continues on.
Now then…
This story that unraveled in this city has reached its conclusion. However, endings often mean new beginnings. New stages and people are waiting for us…
Antarctica, confidential location, year 2017.
And completely land devoid of life. The life forms that could actually thrive in such a hostile ecosystem could be counted on the fingers of the hands.
Even for humans, with all their technological advances, was almost impossible to travel through such lands during the worst ice storms. Extreme cold always tends to destroy one's reasoning, resulting in the cold paradox or very realistic mirages.
As of now, the climate wasn't as extreme as it could be. The blue sky could be seen with no problem. However, the sight of three girls walking through the desolate, white lands would still be hard to believe.
They were climbing a mountain with any kind of specialized equipment. Their clothes weren't prepared for the cold in any way either. One was wearing flashy, Japanese clothes, the other was wearing a gothic Lolita dress, and the last one was wearing a school uniform of all things.
Logic dictated that they should have been frozen to death long ago, but there were they, shrugging it off like nothing.
"We're getting close. I can already sense the mystical barrier hiding it from the common folk." The beautiful swordsman said with confidence.
The raven-haired girl that hid her right eye behind her bangs shared her enthusiasm in a more subtle way, but the girl with hair as white as the snow around them seemed to be hesitant.
"Are you really sure about this, Musashi? I…"
"There's no need to worry, Tohka-chan! Even if you aren't exactly the same Tohka we met, there's no way you're going to be rejected. And the same goes for Kurumi-chan. Regardless of the people you killed in the past, I can safely say that Ritsuka, Ai, and Mash are going to receive you with their arms open. I mean, we have people like the Phantom of the Opera and that Blackbeard guy around."
Seeing her carefree smile, it was impossible to think that she was lying. However, Tohka still had some reservations…
"That's not what I mean. Even if there's no longer a rick of me transforming, I still…"
"Oh, we're here!" Kurumi interrupted her as she noticed the bounded field they just trespassed.
The sight of a building in front of them was revealed. It seemed more like a cylindrical dome of a color that couldn't be distinguished from the snow around, a mundane kind of camouflage.
"I'll go ahead to let them know about you guys. It will only take a mo-"
"MAXIMUM ALERT! BEAST CLASS SAINT GRAPH DETECTED! REPEAT, BEAST CLASS SAINT GRAPH DETECTED! All available masters must prepare for anti-beast combat maneuvers post-haste."
The number of shrill alarms triggered by their presence was so high that they were able to hear them from outside the facilities.
Musashi's smile became completely strained as she turned to look at the white-haired spirit. "So this is what you meant, Tohka-chan…"
"As I was saying, even if I won't transform into a Beast of Calamity anymore, there must be traces of my time as one in my Saint Graph… or whatever it's called."
"I was told that Chaldea fought two of those things not that long ago, but is it that bad-"
"Hmph! You don't look nearly as intimidating as that Goetia punk, but it will have to do!"
They were interrupted again, this time by a woman of pale complexion that appeared out of nowhere. Her attire was even more nonsensical than theirs since she was wearing a black and red bikini in the middle of the tundra and carrying three katana with her.
"Wait, I don't remember who you are now, but this is a misunderstanding!"
"If you're chickening out against some brat then move aside, samurai!" The woman didn't only seem to be quite hardheaded, she actually seemed excited for some reason. "I'll show you who is the real master of the sword here! Prepare to receive the flames of the purgatory!"
Tohka was already pinching her nose. Even she knew that the woman in front of them was the closest thing to the stereotype of chunnibyou, just that an actual ball of black flames was fired at her from her gun-shaped hand. And the giggles she could hear from Kurumi beside her weren't helping.
Her armor, now restored to its full glory, replaced the uniform appreciated, and Sandalphon split the attack without problems.
"Look, I don't want to fight you? Can I speak with your master?"
"Heh, that's not shady at all, miss Beast. Do you seriously think I'm naïve enough to believe that? Saber isn't here because that Holy Woman literally abducted him, but I'm more than enough to handle you!"
The dragon witch unsheathed two of her katana and was about to throw herself at Tohka when she had to quickly swing her blades to intercept a bullet fired at her.
"Do you really think something like this can-"
The moment the blade made contact with the bullet, her entire body froze in place as if someone just pressed the pause button.
Kurumi blew the smoke coming from the barrel of her gun nonchalantly before speaking. "That will take care of her while we clear the misunderstanding."
"That would be good, if she weren't the only one here!"
CLANG!
Sparks covered the snowy field as Tohka deflected a katana coming for her neck, and another woman landed some feet in front of them. Her long, black hair tied in a side ponytail was waving with the wind alongside her white clothes, which were actually as revealing as the bikini worn by her comrade.
"Lady Musashi, why aren't you attacking the Beast!? Are you perhaps brainwashed!?"
"What!? No! I'm trying to say that they are Ai's acquaintances… more or less."
"That definitely sounds like you were brainwashed. Don't worry, you'll be free once I chop their heads!"
"Oi! I'll get more candies if I defeat those guys, right!?" A little girl with horns and wearing just some yellow robes and carrying a rudimentary sword decided to join the "party", too.
Tohka could only sight internally as she saw the two servants coming. Why wasn't anyone listening to their ally? She hoped they were the exception and not the rule, but for now.
"Michael, Rataibu." She summoned another of her blades and carved a tear on the space in front of the oni girl and connected it in front of the other samurai.
The result was a rather embarrassing clash between them that ended up in a mess of limps.
"Get off of me, pest! Can't you be useful to master for once!?"
"Shut up, tengu girl! You're the one that got in my way!"
It turned out to be more effective than she thought as the two seemed to forget completely about her and started to fight among themselves.
"I'm starting to find it hard to believe this organization saved the world, Musashi."
"I know we don't seem serious at all, but we can be when it's needed, Kurumi-chan!"
"Isn't this one such an occasion?"
"-stop me!?" Zayin's effect wore off, and the witch's expression quickly turned into sheer embarrassment as she realized what happened. "YOU ARE DEAD!"
"HOLD UP A MOMENT, DAMN IT!"
Fortunately, that scream seemed to give the three servants a pause before things escalated further.
The familiar figure of Ai emerged from the building followed by a boy that seemed to be a male version of Tohsaka Rin, most likely her brother Ritsuka, a girl of short, lilac hair that was most likely Mash Kirielight, and another three servants. The spitting image of the Mona Lisa, most likely Leonardo Da Vinci, a gentleman on a black, formal suit that could be none other than Sherlock Holmes, and a man with hair of the same color as the Yamai twins who seemed to have made green his theme color.
"As I was trying to say… hah… before you three just run on your own… hah…. I know those girls…" Ai managed to say between ragged breaths. "You're Tohka-chan… and you're the other spirit Grandpa Muramasa told us, Kurumi-san, right?"
"Ara ara, it's an honor to be known in other worlds."
"Well, I'm not exactly the same Tohka you met, but I was put up to speed by Shidou, and Musashi here after we met her a couple of weeks ago."
"That doesn't explain your… peculiar Saint Graph, Miss Yatogami. Based on the evidence we have, we can only conjecture."
"Stop beating around the bush, Holmes." The genius cut the detective before he went into one of his long ramblings. "Your Saint Graph seems to have been that of an Evil of Humanity at some point, but now it is distorted in some way, to the point that you haven't triggered the summoning of a Grand Servant. The Tohka we know didn't have such condition, so can you explain to us what happened?"
"I did become a Beast after… some circumstances, but the Shidou you know saved me. And in essence, Kurumi and I became…"
"Mobile singularities, just like Musashi here." Kurumi complemented her seeing that she was having trouble.
"Yeah, that."
"It was really a surprise to meet two people with the same condition as mine, so we quickly became traveling buddies. Would you let them in, please? I can assure you they aren't dangerous."
"I do not think letting someone with such a peculiar Saint Graph in is advisable. It is still a mystery why there is no distortion having three mobile singularities in one place. But the decision is yours, deputy director."
Unlike Holmes, Da Vinci seemed to be giving it some serious thought. They could pretty much see the gears in her head spinning.
"We can't say no to help, especially now that we have to deal with that… foreign servant thing on top of the other two remaining Demon God Pillars."
"Besides, someone that was chosen to be Arturia-san's vessel can't possibly be a bad person."
Aside from Ai's puppy eyes, Ritsuka and Mash vouched for them, and that seemed to be enough for the Caster servant to make up her mind.
"Very well, if you decide to help us for the rest of this year, we can register your Saint Graphs and house you at least until the mage Association comes."
"Of course. We are more than willing to help to protect the Human Order."
"Consider it a way to atone for our sins if you want a more tangible reason for our presence here."
"Atone for your sins? What happened in your world?"
"I… I destroyed it after losing my mind and becoming a Beast…"
That confession managed to make even the heroic spirits widen their eyes in surprise.
"You mean as in blowing it up?"
"Huh? No!" Tohka quickly shook her head at Ai's question. "I… killed most of the life on the planet… so that world was fated to be pruned."
"We managed to escape in time thanks to the other Shidou-san beating some sense into Tohka-san, and the last wish of a certain spirit."
Both masters and the former Shielder servant tilted their heads in confusion. "Pruned? What does that mean."
"That's advanced stuff we'll see in your magecraft lessons later. But that additional context in your backstory helps to trust you two more. Now, come in. I'll be registering this case as a false alarm while you two form a contract with Ritsuka and Ai. We'll be taking that flight to Hawaii immediately after."
Everyone agreed to the director's decision, some of them begrudgingly as in the case of a certain alter servant that kept glaring at Kurumi.
While other stories come to an end, others continue. The fight to protect the Human Order is still going on.
And well, this is it, guys. Yeah, you got jebaited. Those of you who have read my other story "Madness empire of blades" might have expected it, but it was just too tempting to write it in the same way as Heaven's Feel true ending.
It took me more than I expected because, as you can see, this epilogue ended up being quite lengthy. But I think you prefer one last chapter with the cast finally chilling with some lighthearted comedy than just a brief scene of everyone doing fine. And that came with a ton of references. Let's see if someone recognizes all the characters from other animes/games that were mentioned and the songs. I don't think it will be that hard as some of them are iconic from the two franchises of this fic.
The Hawai thing is basically the setup for the special chapter that will be the final crossover of this story with the F/GO, but that will have to wait until that story reaches this point as well. So yeah, this concludes the "Date a Density" marathon. I'll start writing the next chapter of "Reenacting a Legend", but don't expect it too soon. I have to finish my end-of-degree project, which is quite a hassle.
Now, some final thoughts on this story. As hinted in the final battle, Angra Mainyu wasn't actually the real cause of the King of Fakers and Gilgamesh's summoning. It was Westcott finding it, fusing with it, and later on becoming a Beast of Calamity. The original cast would have been wiped out, and that world wouldn't have been the only one destroyed.
So yes, this entire story has been basically a series of coincidences that were put all together to summon the Grand Saber and defeat the Beast. I think it was obvious that was going to happen after all the clues I left, the most obvious ones being in the Shimousa Arc. I'm going to withhold the reason why he looks like that since it will be addressed in the F/GO story.
I would say that was planned from the very beginning, but I would be lying. A believe I finished putting everything together around the Yamai's arc. Another reason why I want to make a rework of those first chapters.
King of Fakers Alter was summoned as a backup plan when that seemed to fail after Shidou was thrown into another world, but once he returned, his defeat was inevitable. You might have thought that he was going to be the final boss, but I think that wouldn't have had the same impact. Westcott was the natural final boss since he had been built up since the beginning while Alter appeared just in the last chapters. Instead, a classical Emiya vs Emiya seemed the best way to settle things for me.
In fact, he was going to be just like Emiya Alter, and a plot device to keep Mana and Gilgamesh busy so the other characters could have the spotlight, but then a flash of inspiration came to me, and I ended up writing what is now his concept and backstory. Just as Nasu rewrote most of Lostbelt 6's plot after seeing Oberon-Vortigern's design, I decided to make some changes in the plot to fit him better, and I intend to use him more.
Now, speaking about the future, I can't assure you that I'm going to be writing forever. I mean, I can't foresee what is going to be of my life. But I'll keep doing it for the time being since I find it enjoyable. You know, one of those hobbies that, even if it doesn't pay the bills, makes you feel fulfilled.
So yeah, we can talk about another crossover to fill the place this one is going to leave empty. "To Love Ru" is a hard contender. Throwing a serious character like King of Fakers Alter into a lighthearted show that actually has some characters that can put up a fight against him, and I can fit Servantverse shenanigans in on top of it, seems interesting. The Fate/Extella one having him pretend to be nameless, all puns intended, so he can help Nero achieve her dream even if that isn't his Nero. Having to fight people like Gilgamesh at his best, Karna, Altera, Tamamo using Moon Cell bullshit, Iskandar, and of course, the Umbral Star, makes quite the challenge.
Of course, I'm open to ideas, and I'll most likely end up making a poll to decide. The general idea is a story in which he's forced to be the hero instead of playing the role of a "necessary evil" he's used to, and find love while he's at it. Have in mind also that, as a Pretender, he can basically be summoned in any class of any war as well.
Speaking of the F/GO branch, I think you are getting an idea of what I have planned for the second arc after Goetia has his ass handed. Someone commented that he should have some screen time with Koyanskaya, but those of you who are up to date with the story of the Japanese server can deduce they have a really close relationship. By the way, if you are asking yourself why Musashi says that Chaldea has fought against two Beasts when they should have already faced Kiara, following what is explained in Kama's event, no one seems to remember those events for some reason. I think it was because they took place in the future, but I'm not that sure.
And well, I think we can wrap things up after this massively long rant. Now I think this is really the time to ask your thoughts about this story. Don't hold back. If you reached this point, I think we can agree my skills got better over time, but there's always room for improvement.
And of course, if you reached this point, then I have to thank you. Thanks for everyone's support. I really mean it. It made this journey of more than 2 years even more enjoyable.
With this, I say goodbye for now. Hasta la vista.
