"Shido."
"Yeah?"
"Don't forget to brush your teeth."
"I won't."
"Make sure to wake up on time."
"I will."
"Don't flirt with Ana."
"As if!"
Rita watched this exchange with an amused smile as Origami continued to pester Shido about all manner of things. The young man could only give the white-haired Wizard an exasperated grin as she finally finished.
"I'll call as soon as I arrive home."
"I'll be waiting." Shido replied. "Make sure you stay safe, alright?" Origami nodded, before stepping forward and pulling Shido into a tight embrace.
"You as well, Shido." She whispered into his ear, before slowly pulling away from the young man's embrace. "I love you."
"...Y-yeah." The young man's cheeks turned a light shade of red. Origami smiled at his response, before turning away and making her way over to Rita.
"Are you ready, Origami-sama?" Rita asked as Origami arrived at the limo.
"…I am." Origami's expression turned solemn as she spoke, giving one last glance at Shido. "…Rita."
"Yes?"
"If he gets hurt…"
"I assure you, Origami-sama. Durandal and I shall do everything in our power to prevent any harm that may befall Shido-sama. I can promise no more than that."
"…"
The first week at Babylon II had come to an end. Thus, Origami now had to leave the young man fully in Schicksal's care as per their agreement. Of course, she was reluctant to go, and Shido found himself wishing she could stay if only for a day or two longer. Unfortunately, it wasn't his decision. His expression turned sour as he watched the limousine drive away, leaving Shido almost alone in the cold weather.
Almost. He flinched as a firm hand grabbed his shoulder. Shido turned to see Durandal smiling at him, her expression empathetic as she gripped him tightly.
"Don't worry. We'll keep you safe." Durandal told him, her voice soft.
"…" Shido didn't doubt that, but at the same time, that wasn't what made him nervous.
"…Is this your first time being alone?"
"Huh?"
"Away from home and family, I mean."
"…Yeah. Something like that." Shido scratched his cheek with an awkward smile. Durandal nodded, before turning her gaze forward. "…It's hitting me now. I've always had a familiar face by my side. Origami, my little sister, a few others." Shido shook his head. "Don't worry about me, though. I can handle this much, at least."
"An admirable resolve, Shido." Durandal praised. "Now, shall we head back inside? You look cold."
"P-please." Durandal chuckled, and the two made their way back in.
"So, Shido… now that you've spent a week with us, what do you think?" Durandal asked as they walked.
"Of?"
"The Immortal Blades."
"Not Schicksal?"
"We're only a small portion of Schicksal. I couldn't expect you to form an opinion on us alone."
He took a moment to think. "…You're somehow more serious and less serious than I expected you all to be."
"Oh?"
"Ana, for example. She's not really what I expected a member of Schicksal's most elite Valkyrie's to be like."
"Well… Ana isn't a proper member of the Immortal Blades." Durandal pointed out. "She's an evaluee like you, remember?"
"…Right." At that moment, Shido recalled a particular question that he had been meaning to ask. "Actually… speaking of Ana, I have to ask. Why does she call you Bianka? I mean… I know it's your name, but not even Rita calls you that."
"Heh." Durandal smiled, her expression vaguely nostalgic. "I've known Ana for a very long time. She's almost as old a friend as Rita; we first met back when she was first training to become a Valkyrie, actually." Shido's eyes widened. "She was about eleven years old at the time. Anyways, there's no particular reason she chooses to call me Bianka. It's more that… Well, if you haven't noticed, she's not exactly the most formal girl, especially compared to Rita."
Shido grinned. "That's true." Shido paused, another question on his mind. "If it's alright for me to ask… why is she being evaluated? Isn't she already a full-fledged Valkyrie?"
"…" The nostalgic joy on Durandal's face vanished in an instant. A moment later, a quiet sigh escaped her lips as her expression darkened. Shido shifted uncomfortably, unprepared for the sudden change in mood. "That… is a question for her to answer, if she so chooses. But I can give you the basics. Consider it… a promotion of sorts for her service during the Manila Honkai Incident. I'll say no more than that."
"…" Though Shido couldn't deny his curiosity, the look on Durandal's face told him that no good would come of it. He swallowed his curiosity as the two continued walking in silence. Some time passed as they made their way down the hall, passing by a few other Valkyries as they went. Some of them greeted Shido and complimented him on his cooking; most focused their attention on Durandal, with some being more like excited fan girls than professional soldiers. In time, they arrived back at Shido and Ana's room.
"Now then," Durandal started. "If there's anything you need from me, you know where to find me, Shido. You're free to spend today getting readjusted, but it's right back to the usual routine tomorrow."
"Right." Shido restrained a grimace at the idea of yet another hell-run. Durandal gave a satisfied nod before leaving Shido on his own in front of the doorway. He stared at the closed door for a long moment, sitting in silence as thoughts of the future began to run through his mind. …I may as well change into something more comfortable. The young man thought before making his way inside the room. In an idle manner, he began pulling off his snow covered coat and tossed it off to the side before starting on his shirt after that.
"S-Shido!?" Squeaked a familiar voice. Shido paused and turned to see Ana laying on her bed in a lazy manner, her face crimson as she stared at him with wide eyes. Shido's own eyes widened as he pulled his shirt back down.
"I'm sorry!" He exclaimed. "I-I didn't see you there. I'll go change in the bathroom!" As he said, Shido turned away and began rushing towards the bathroom.
"…Shido." Ana spoke just as he turned. The young man stopped and turned back to face the Valkyrie. The flush on her face had disappeared, replaced with a look of pure confusion as her eyebrows furrowed.
"…Y-yeah?" Shido found himself tilting his head as Ana continued staring at him blankly. For a moment, they sat there in pure silence, Shido growing more and more uncertain with every second that went by.
"…I thought you said… you didn't have a Stigmata?"
"…C-come again?"
"Lift up your shirt again!" Ana exclaimed, shooting off the bed and approaching Shido.
"Wha—" Ana didn't wait for an answer as she forcibly spun Shido around and lifted up his shirt for him. "Ana!?" Did I send the wrong one back!? Shido couldn't help but think during the girl's forceful investigation.
"Shido, you have a Stigmata!"
"…Huh?" Shido did a double take as he heard that, before idiotically trying to peer over his shoulder. "W-what do you mean I have a Stigmata!?"
"Exactly that!" Ana started dragging Shido off towards the bathroom to the mirror. Lo and behold, a mark not unlike a tattoo was imprinted upon Shido's back, a mark he had never seen before in his life: a blue circle of chains directly on the center of his back. "You didn't have this before?"
"N-no! Never in my life!" Shido cried. "What… What does this mean!? Is this bad!? Am I gonna die young now!?"
"N-no! If anything, then…" Ana paused as Shido looked at her with a desperate glint in his eyes. In comparison, Ana's eyes lit up with pure excitement as she pressed her face up close to Shido's. "You're a Natural, Shido!"
"…W-what?"
"Remember? A Natural Stigmata! You're a carrier! Like me!"
"But… I've never…" Shido faltered, more confused than anything. Is this… because of her…? Shido's mind flashed to his dreams, to the woman named Kallen Kaslana.
"Do you feel any different, Shido?"
"…Not really."
"Nothing? No super human strength, endless stamina, nothing?"
"Nope. I feel exactly the same as I did before."
"…That's… That's so weird!" Ana shook her head in disbelief, staring at the marking circle upon Shido's back. "If I had to guess, it was awakened by latent Honkai energy, but… oh, I know!" Ana spun Shido around to face her. "Let's go see Bianka!" Before Shido could respond, he found himself being dragged behind Ana as she sprinted out of the room and towards Durandal's office. His complaints went unheard as they dashed through the halls of Babylon II, giving more than a couple Valkyries a spook as they passed.
"I'll head out and investigate now—" Before she could finish speaking, Durandal was interrupted by the door to her office swinging open as Ana burst through with Shido in tow. "Ana? Shido?" Durandal muttered, raising an eyebrow at their sudden appearance as the scout in front of her stood aside, a shocked expression on her face at the unexpected intrusion.
"Bianka! Shido has a Stigmata!" Ana exclaimed, not beating around the bush as Shido collapsed to his knees in a panting fit. Durandal's eyes widened. "Oh. Um. W-were we interrupting something…?" Ana asked as she glanced at the scout off to the side, bashfully twiddling her fingers as the realization hit her.
"It can wait for a moment." Durandal said, nodding at the scout. Though said scout was obviously confused, she gave a curt nod before standing off to the side. "Now. Repeat that?"
"Right! Shido has a Stigmata!" Ana exclaimed again before helping Shido to his feet. "Ah… s-sorry, Shido, I was just so excited. Hehe…"
"D-don't worry about it." Shido replied between breaths. He straightened himself out, scratching the back of his head as he turned to face Durandal. "So… yeah. I apparently have a Stigmata now. I guess." He shrugged. "I don't feel any different. I… don't know what could have caused it, either." The young man decided to hold off on mentioning the dream to Durandal for just a bit longer.
"…Interesting. May I see it?"
"Er… y-yeah." Shido replied as his cheeks flushed a light shade of red. He lifted his shirt to give Durandal a view of the Stigmata upon his back, the blonde Valkyrie stepping forward to get a closer look. He flinched as she placed her hand on the Stigmata, tracing it with her finger without speaking a word. "Um…"
"…It's incomplete." Durandal said once she finished. "It's still in the process of forming. Do you know when this first appeared, Shido?"
Incomplete? "Uh… no—" He stopped. "…Actually… come to think of it…" A small ticklish feeling on his back after each of his dreams. That's all he had regarded it as when it happened, but… "I think… I think it might have started forming the day I came here."
"You think?" Durandal took a step back as Shido turned to face her.
"Well, I only just now found out. It's just a guess, but… a guess is all I've really got right now."
"Wait, Shido!" Ana exclaimed, earning the other two's attention. "It's gotta have something to do with your dreams, right?"
Ana, please… Shido wanted to scold the excited Valkyrie as Durandal gave him a strange look. With a reluctant expression, Shido turned back towards the blonde as Ana remained unaware of her mistake.
"What dreams, Shido?"
"…"
"Shido. If you want to be able to figure this out, you have to tell me everything you know." Durandal's expression wasn't quite angry, but… it certainly wasn't a happy one.
"… Could it just be us three, then?" Shido asked, knowing he wouldn't be able to make an excuse out of this one. Durandal nodded, and motioned for the scout to step outside. The scout looked disappointed, but gave a nod and made her way out the door, leaving Ana, Durandal, and Shido alone in the office. Shido thought of how to start as they took seats. "Ok." He took a deep breath, and decided to go with the most direct explanation. "I had the first dream the night before I came here. I woke up in some sort of medieval town, where…"
And so Shido explained his dreams, from the Honkai beast attack to the appearance of Otto Apocalypse. Durandal listened intently, taking in every detail of his story as he spoke. By the time he was finished, Durandal was leaning back in her chair, a hand to her chin as she thought on Shido's words. Ana and Shido found themselves sitting silently as they awaited her response, with the latter growing more and more anxious with each passing second.
"Shido…" After a long silence, Durandal finally spoke. "You've never had contact with Schicksal until Rita came to you, yes?" Shido nodded. "And you're absolutely certain of this?" Shido nodded again. "…I see. There are a few possibilities, but… they all depend on one thing. I'd need to do some research first… something I normally leave to Rita. But… if my intuition is correct, I believe this Stigmata is related to the Kaslana family. In other words, you are related to the Kaslana family."
"…Huh—"
"W-wha!?" Ana exclaimed just as Shido began responding. Durandal gave Ana a stern look. With an apologetic grin, Ana sat back down in her seat.
"Well…" Shido scratched the back of his head. "Um… W-well… I can say pretty confidently that I'm not."
"But can you, Shido?" Countered Durandal. "Are you related by blood to your current family?"
"N-no…"
"Then it is entirely possible that—"
"It's—" Shido paused. He hadn't known Durandal for even half as long as he wanted to tell her about his… 'origin.' "… I'm not. I'm absolutely certain of that." Shido stated. "But—and I don't mean any offense by this—I can't tell you why. I just don't know you well enough to say."
"…Very well, I understand." Durandal nodded. "But that Stigmata would also explain these dreams of yours. It is not uncommon for those who've inherited a Stigmata to witness memories or significant events of the previous owner's life. Through the Stigmata, you and the previous host are connected in ways that most humans will never experience in a lifetime." Durandal paused. "Though… whether or not that connection is pleasant varies." She shook her head before staring directly into Shido's eyes. "We'll keep an eye on this development for now, alongside a few tests, if you don't mind."
"What kind of tests?" Shido shifted uncomfortably, earning a smile from Durandal.
"Nothing terrible, don't worry. Blood and DNA tests, to see if we can't find a connection you were unaware of. We'll also check to determine your Honkai Adaptability levels; Honkai Adaptability in males is incredibly rare on its own, so I hope you understand my reasons for being curious. If it's high, all the better, Shido." Durandal smiled once more, a surprisingly comforting look from the Valkyrie. Shido took a deep breath, exhaling the pent up stress and anxiety that had been building up inside of him. "Ana, I want you to keep a close eye on Shido. If either of you notice any abnormalities, be it in body or behavior, inform me immediately."
"Sure thing, Bianka~!" Ana said with a big thumbs up. "I knew you were a pretty amazing guy, Shido!"
"I don't know if I'd call this amazing…" Shido replied with a bitter grin.
"Sure it is~! You're a one-in-a-million, Shido!"
"Ahem." Durandal interrupted the two's words, her cough regaining their attention. "Now, if I may return to my work… as you recall, I was in the middle of something."
"Oh, right. Sorry, Bianka. Actually… mind if I ask what that's about?"
"I don't mind." Durandal grabbed a stack of papers placed on her desk and shifted them to just in front of her. "Our scouts have heard reports from nearby rural communities about multiple disappearances over the past four days. I plan on scouting out the disappearances myself first before I decide on any kind of action to be taken on our part. In fact, this is a good opportunity; if I don't find anything today, be prepared to organize and set off tomorrow." Durandal set the stack aside. "I hope you're ready, Shido. This will be your first proper mission."
"…I hope I'm ready too." Shido grinned, before standing to his feet. Durandal sent a smile back before focusing back on the paperwork before her. With a sigh, she picked up a pen and started writing as Shido and Ana made their way out.
"Oh, and send Lisa back in on your way out." Durandal called out.
"A Stigmata?!" Kotori's shocked voice called out over the phone. Shido nodded as he stared at the video call, Kotori's face on the other side of it. To the sides, he could hear—though not see—the voices of the rest of his family there, each wanting to get in on the call and only waiting per Shido's request.
"I just found out about it today." Shido replied. "Durandal said that it means I'm related to the 'Kaslana' family."
"… I… don't know what to tell you, Shido." Kotori said with a sigh. "I really wish I had something, but… this isn't my realm of expertise, Onii-chan. Was there anything else they had to say on it?"
"It's incomplete, Durandal said. I don't exactly know what that means, though." Shido shrugged.
"Have you felt strange? Any kind of sickness? Dammit, of course something like this happens when you're in a place we can't reach you!" An exasperated sigh left Kotori's lips as she finished.
"Thankfully, no. Haven't felt any stronger either, though." Shido averted his eyes. Secretly, he had been hoping for such a thing ever since Ana first mentioned Stigmata.
"Heh. Wanting to go back to being a superhuman?" Kotori teased.
"You know me so well." Shido replied with a roll of his eyes. At that moment, the bathroom door opened, and Ana stepped out from within, her hair still damp from her shower. Shido gave her a nod of acknowledgement before turning back to the phone.
"Calling back home again?" Ana asked, making her way over. Glancing over Shido's shoulder, she sent a wave at Kotori, earning a curt nod from the red head.
"Every night."
"You're pretty lucky to have such a nice family, Shido." Ana turned and took a seat on the lower bunk. "The Schariac's are all pretty stuck up, being one of the big name families."
"That sounds terrible." Shido averted his eyes, an apologetic smile on his face. "Er… no offense."
"Don't worry, none taken." Ana winked back.
"Ahem. Once you're done flirting in front of your little sister, can we get back onto topic? Damn horny pig." Kotori's harsh words elicited a strong reaction from the two on Shido's end.
"We're not flirting!" Shido exclaimed.
"H-huh!?" Ana exclaimed at the same time, her face turning red. "N-no! I-I already have someone I'm interested in!"
"Oh, really? Careful, Shido might try and snatch you up himself—"
"I will hang up!"
"Tch, you're no fun."
"Oh, is Darling after Ana now, too~?" Shido heard Miku's voice speak up from the background.
"Shock. Is Shido not satisfied with us…?" Spoke Yuzuru.
"Seems like Boy is up to his usual shenanigans." Joked Nia. One by one, Shido could hear each of the Spirits barging into the conversation, the young man's face growing more and more exasperated with each voice that joined in.
"Oops." Kotori spoke, and yet Shido didn't hear even an ounce of guilt in her voice. "Sounds like a problem for when you get home."
"Thank you, my dearest little sister." Shido's expression was entirely unimpressed as he glanced over at Ana. The Valkyrie in question had returned to her safe haven beneath the covers, steam blowing out from underneath in the usual manner.
"You're oh so welcome, my dearest Onii-chan~" Kotori put on her best 'little sister mode' voice as she said this, earning a sigh from Shido. "But seriously…" Her voice turned back to a serious tone. "Keep me updated on this 'Stigmata.' If anything happens…"
"I know. I'll make sure to stay careful. How are things back on the homefront?"
"…" Kotori responded with a sigh of her own. "… Not bad, not great. Yoshino bought a new doll. One from that 'Homu' whatever game Kaguya and Yuzuru have been playing."
"Can I show him?" Shido heard Yoshino ask. Kotori gave a nod and turned the phone in her direction to reveal Yoshino hugging a strange yellow rabbit… thing in her arms, with the doll in question being almost half her size. "He's really cute… don't you think, Shido?"
"Uh… s-something like that." Shido said, a drop of sweat running down his forehead as Yoshino smiled brightly.
"Natsumi… helped me pick it out. But…" Yoshino frowned. "Someone tried to steal it from us."
"Eh? That's terrible!"
"She was someone our age… she had really pretty white hair."
"But she was actually pretty cool in the end, Shido-kun~!" Yoshinon suddenly spoke from Yoshino's hand. "Natsumi-chan, too. She chased that thiefdown and almost caught her when some red-head meanie girl attacked us with a bunch of robots! Then the thief-girl pulled out a big cross from nowhere and smashed the robots flat!" Ana perked up upon hearing that, Shido noticed.
"…S-seriously…?" Shido muttered. Red-head? Mechs?
"Mm." Yoshino replied. "Right… Natsumi-san?" Kotori turned the phone towards Natsumi on the other side of the room. The green-headed girl flinched as she was suddenly thrown into the spotlight.
"…Y-yeah. I know it sounds ridiculous, but… it's true." Natsumi shrugged her shoulders.
"Um…" Shido flinched himself as Ana suddenly reappeared behind him, having stepped out from under her covers without him noticing. "That white-haired girl… was she about this tall?" She asked, lowering her hand down to about the height of Shido's shoulders. Natsumi nodded on the other end of the phone.
"Ana, do you know her?" Shido asked.
"Y-yeah. Or at least, it sounds like her. I've never met her personally, but… that sounds like Theresa Apocalypse. And the red-head… If she had a bunch of mechs with her… then that would mean that's Doctor Tesla from Anti-Entropy."
"…W-who?" Shido asked. At the same time, Kotori turned the phone back towards herself, having grown a vested interest in Ana's words.
"Who to who? Theresa, Tesla, or Anti-Entropy?"
"The other two. I've heard about Theresa from Rita."
"Uh… mind if I answer that question tomorrow? It's not that I don't want to answer, just…" Ana paused, taking a moment to release a quiet yawn. "It's kinda late… Only reason I'm not asleep is cause you guys were in a call together." Ana eyes' widened a moment later. "O-oh, I'm not saying I mind, because I don't!"
"… I suppose I can wait." Kotori said on the other end. "But make sure you tell us tomorrow. Schicksal is one thing, but if that means enemies from other groups I didn't know about…"
"Yeah, I don't mind." Replied Ana. Kotori nodded before turning away from the phone.
"All of you, it's time to hang up. Say your good nights and then I'm hanging up!" Though there were a few complaints on the other end, they eventually listened to Kotori and said their good nights one after the other until finally, only Kotori was left on the other end.
"Hey, Kotori?" Shido spoke just as she was about to end the call.
"Yeah?"
"Did Origami make it back yet?"
"Yep. She stopped here for a bit to check in before heading home."
Shido raised an eyebrow. "She didn't want to join the call?"
"She looked damn tired. And a bit bruised." Kotori grinned. "I think she might have had a fight with that maid lady."
"Was she hurt?" Shido's eyebrows furrowed, a frown on his face.
"Like I said, just a bit bruised." Kotori shrugged. "She didn't seem angry. At the very least, it was nothing serious, whatever happened."
"…Alright." Shido replied after a moment. "Anyway, you should get to bed, Kotori. You have school tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, yeah." Kotori casually waved away her brother's concern. "Night, Nii-chan. Stay safe."
"Don't you worry about me." Shido grinned, shooting his sister a wink.
"You're the person I worry about most." The red-head replied with a roll of her eyes. A moment later, the call ended, leaving Shido and Ana alone once more.
"…Well, I'm going to—" Shido turned only to see that Ana was already laying in bed, passed out. "…Good night, then." Shido gave the sleeping Valkyrie a half grin before heading off to bed himself. Though his bed was much colder that night, Shido had little issue falling into the comfortable embrace of sleep.
Shido didn't know what time it was when he woke to an annoying murmuring noise filling his ears. With an exhausted groan, he pushed himself up out of bed and rubbed away the exhaustion in his eyes. Glancing around the room, it was pitch black to the point he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. He perked up an ear to figure out the source of the noise… and realized it was coming from the lower bunk.
"Ugh… Ana?" Shido called out. She didn't respond, and the noise continued. With a sigh, Shido leaned over the edge of the bed and listened more closely.
"…I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm…"
"…Ana?" Shido called again, his eyes widening. "Ana. Ana!" Shido slid off the bed, his eyes filled with concern as he began trying to shake her awake. "Ana, wake up!"
"…I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" She continued muttering to herself, her voice tense, strained, quiet. As Shido's eyes grew adjusted to the dark room, he got a better look at Ana's face; tears were trickling down from her tightly shut eyes, her face milk white and her body tense. The blanket covering her body was tearing at the seams from how tightly she pulled it, a quiet ripping noise filling Shido's ears.
"Ana, wake up, please! It's me! Shido!" The young man exclaimed, growing desperate as Ana continued to chant her apologies again and again. Without thinking, Shido pulled the sleeping girl into his embrace, in the same manner he would Kotori when they were younger. "Ana, it's ok! I'm here. You're safe! It's ok, it's ok…" Slowly, ever so slowly, Ana's chanting to lessen, her grip on the blanket loosening, until eventually she stopped all together.
A few moments later, Ana pulled away, now wide awake and looking far worse for wear. Her eyes were red and puffy as she pressed her back against the wall behind her, curling her body up into a ball as she hid her face behind her knees. Shido stared at her for a long moment, silent. Quietly, he took a seat on her bed, turning away from her as the two sat in the silent darkness of the room.
Shido didn't know how much time passed as they sat in the darkness. After countless moments, the young man decided to break the silence.
"… Ana. Are you gonna be ok?" Shido asked, his voice as soft as he could manage.
"…"
"… I asked Durandal about your promotion. She mentioned Manila, but she didn't tell me anything more than that." At that, Ana visibly tensed, and Shido had his answer.
"…"
"…What happened in Manila, Ana?".
"…"
"Ana…"
"I don't want to talk about it." Ana's tone was cold, unwelcoming, her voice hardly a whisper. "I'm sorry. I've only known you for a week. I don't want to talk about it."
"…Ok." Shido replied. "…Are you sure you're going to be alright?"
"…I don't know." Her voice trembled as she spoke, her whole body shuddering with her words. It hurt Shido's heart to see the normally happy girl so broken. But if she didn't want to talk… there was little he could do. And she was right, they had only known each other for a short time.
"… Ana." Shido spoke her name as gently as he could, as if she were so fragile that even the sound of his voice could break her. "I'm here if you ever want to talk."
"…Thank you." Her words were hardly coherent, more a sob than anything.
"I don't know what time it is, but… want me to stay up with you?"
"…You… you don't need to…"
"…Ok." And yet, Shido remained in place, despite the weariness in his eyes. Before he knew it, Ana was sitting beside him, her eyes still red. Though her expression was hardly what one could call joyful… at the very least, she looked better than she did a few minutes prior.
"…Wanna hear a funny story?" Shido asked. Ana didn't reply, but Shido continued anyway. "Back in highschool, a lot of people used to think I was into guys. It didn't help that the guy I hung out with a lot was… 'flamboyant', though that's the nice way of putting it. In fact…" Shido frowned remembering the part that came next; he continued with a heavy sigh, earning a sideways glance from Ana. "W-we actually ranked number one for 'best male couple.'"
"R-really…?" Ana muttered, a slight smile on her face. Shido nodded, shaking his head at the memory. "…Were you?"
"With him!? Tonomachi? God no!" Shido grinned. "That reminds me of another list, actually. It was for 'best boyfriend material,' and ran all the way up to contestant number 358. To quote Tonomachi, 'The organizer didn't know when to give up!'"
"…T-three hundred…?"
"Wanna know who the organizer was?"
"Who?"
"Tonomachi." At that, Shido received a 'pfft' noise from Ana. "I believe descriptions went along the lines of… 'too passionate,' 'too hairy,' and… 'smelly toe nails,' I think it was?"
"Poor guy…" Ana giggled quietly. "Were you on the list?"
"Not… of my own choice." Shido said, glancing away from Ana. She tilted her head curiously before continuing.
"…What number were you?"
"Uh… I think Tonomachi said… 52nd?"
"That's really high!"
"W-well… I actually only got one vote." Shido scratched his cheek bashfully. "Descriptions for me were pretty one note: 'He doesn't seem interested in girls' and 'probably gay'."
"…And now you're a playboy?"
"Geh—" Shido wanted to deny her words, but… Well, he couldn't really deny it at this point, could he? Shido glanced at Ana to see a bright smile on her face. "…Y-yeah. I guess you could say that." He gave a faint smile of his own.
"Well…" Ana paused, as if thinking over her words. "…There are worse people to date." Ana winked at Shido, earning a light blush from the young man.
"Err… thanks…?"
"Hehe. You're welcome."
So the long night continued, with Shido telling various strange stories from throughout his life, and Ana listening intently to each and every one. Though he found himself still concerned for the young lady, by the time morning came, all signs of her despair had all but disappeared… at the cost of the two sacrificing any and all remaining chances they had at a good night's rest.
The next day, Durandal assembled the Immortal Blades.