Shido's eyes shot open to the loud cry of an alarm clock, a blaring noise he had grown much too used to. With a yawn, the young man slid off the upper bunk and landed on the ground below as he silenced the device with smooth, practiced movements. Meanwhile behind him, Ana was still fast asleep, undisturbed by the sound of the alarm as she snoozed beneath her covers. His lips curled into an amused yet exasperated grin at the sight of the still sleeping Valkyrie. With a gentle sigh, he went about waking her from her slumber, as had become their daily routine over the past month.
One month. One whole month had passed since he had come to Babylon II. It felt surreal to think how much had happened since he came here: his first meeting with Rita, the revelation of Schicksal and Honkai, his recruitment to the aforementioned organization, Ana and Asterios.
And finally after everything, he would get to go home.
Well… maybe not just yet. He thought to himself, as his efforts to wake her continued. "Ana… Ana. Today isn't the day to sleep in." He cooed, gently shaking her shoulder to pull her from her slumber. "Ana… Huh?" He stared at the sleeping Valkyrie a bit longer, his eyes narrowing into a suspicious glare. "Oi… I know you're awake." She didn't respond, but Shido caught a faint flinch from the Valkyrie. He sighed once more, crossing his arms like a stern mother. "Alright, fine. If you want to skip our final test, go ahead… but I can't even imagine how Rita will react—"
"I'm up!" She exclaimed, interrupting him mid-sentence as she darted up out of bed. It was only by trained instinct that he managed to avoid the incoming headbutt, narrowly side-stepping the attack as she stumbled onto her feet. "Oh, you dodged it…"
"You were trying to hit me!?"
"N-No…" Ana averted her gaze in a rather suspicious manner, whistling a shoddy tune as Shido directed a fierce glare at her. "Hehe… I'm just playing, Shido. But still, you've gotten so much more agile!"
"Half a month spent getting beaten by Durandal does that…" The young man replied with a pained grin. She giggled at his words, earning a more genuine smile from Shido. "Anyways, we should get ready. I—"
"Dibs on the bathroom!" She once more interrupted him as she bolted past him like lightning. A second later, he heard the bathroom door slam shut, leaving him alone in the pitch-black room. With one final sigh, he went about packing his belongings as he grumbled his grievances.
Two hours later…
"Jeez, I'm nervous…" Ana muttered with a dejected expression. Shido nodded in agreement, his palms sweating in anticipation of whatever awaited them. Though originally the plan had been to send him home as soon as the Ratatoskr agent arrived, Durandal made a slight change in their agenda: The two of them would participate in a final exam of her design, one to demonstrate all they had learned in their time at Babylon II. She said it was to exhibit their performance to Overseer Otto… but Shido couldn't help but feel her true motivations were far simpler than that.
In any case, neither he nor Ana actually knew what awaited them. Thus the two stood nervously before the entrance to Babylon II's simulator, where they were told it would be held. As his nerves continued to pile on, Shido gave a glance at his companion. A quick observation told him she was certainly not faring any better than he was. As soon as she noticed, she shot him a thumbs up with a queasy grin on her face. Amused by the gesture, he returned a grin of his own, before turning forward towards the door. Together, they proceeded through the doorway, both of them prepared to face whatever awaited them inside.
Inside, they had expected to find some kind of simulated environment, perhaps a few pre-generated Honkai Beasts, or, god forbid, a simulation of Asterios. However, what stood before them was none of these things: instead, what awaited was none other than Rita Rosseweisse, S-Rank Valkyrie, standing before them in her ever-dignified pose.
"Rita?" Ana called out. "What are… Oh I see! You're going to explain the test to us, then?" The only response they received from the Maid-Valkyrie was a knowing grin.
"Not quite, Ana." The voice of Durandal answered in her place via an intercom. The pair lifted their gazes upwards towards the source of the voice, where they saw Durandal herself looking down upon them from her observation room. "After some debate between Rita and myself, we decided on the form your final examination will take. That is… the opponent which could best bring you both to demonstrate your full potential. It was a difficult decision… but I believe this was the best possible answer."
It took a moment for what she said to register in their minds. But when it did… Durandal's words struck like a bolt of lightning. In sync, their eyes shot from Durandal up above to the S-Rank Valkyrie stood across the room. Rita offered a polite wave from across the room as if she had not a care in the world. She threw her hand out to the side in an elegant fashion as particles of light formed around her arm. From it formed the handle of a great scythe almost twice as long as Rita herself, which the maid Valkyrie twirled as if it were as light as air.
"Itsuka-sama. Schariac-sama." Rita greeted at last as her spinning came to a stop, an ominous glint in her crimson eyes. "I shall be your examiner for today. Please, do your best to succeed."
"…Eh? Eh!?" The pair exclaimed together in pure shock.
"I-Isn't this a bit much for an exam!?" Shido exclaimed.
"Y-Yeah, what he said!" Ana agreed.
"On the contrary, there is no better test of skill." Durandal replied, her tone betraying an underlying mirth. "You've both proven yourselves more than capable of fighting against any Zombies, Honkai beasts, or Mechas. We already know you are both capable of fighting those with ease, simply fighting more of them would do nothing to demonstrate your potential."
"Hence, I shall be your opponent." Rita finished for Durandal.
"Isn't that a bit of a leap in difficulty though!?" Ana retorted.
"On the contrary… the two of you combined managed to defeat an Emperor-Class Honkai beast. With that in mind, the two of you together are at least equal to an S-Rank Valkyrie in terms of skill."
"But that was all Shido! All I did was nearly get killed…"
"That is not what Itsuka-sama told us. Without you, he would have died, just as you would have died without him."
"She's right." Shido spoke up from behind Ana. She turned to him wanting to counter, but the look on his face gave her pause. "And… while I know how you feel… I agree with them." Ana stared at him silently for a bit longer. A second later, she let her head fall dejectedly, letting out a quiet sigh.
"Then… I guess I don't really have a choice here, do I?" Shido gave her a dry grin as she raised her head, a nervous smile upon her face. "Let's do our best, Shido." She held out a closed fist towards him.
"…Yeah. Let's, Ana." He raised his fist to meet hers. They bumped fists, before turning together towards Rita.
"Ara, how cute~" Rita giggled at their exchange, earning a flustered response from both of them. "Now then… whenever you two are ready."
"Right!" They exclaimed together, as Shido called upon Sandalphon and Ana lifted her rifle. The simulator hall was dead silent. The three of them stared each other down, Rita's face stone-cold as the two prepared themselves.
Shido was the first to move, dashing forward with an explosive burst of speed fueled by Raphael, Sandalphon ready to strike as the distance between him and Rita was closed almost instantaneously. Simultaneously, Ana laid down suppressive fire for his advance, intent on keeping Rita in place.
With a graceful flourish of her wicked scythe, Rita deflected each explosive slug launched from Ana's rifle before transitioning into an effortless parry of Shido's attack. Like a practiced dance, Rita didn't miss a beat, planting a swift kick into his gut, throwing him into the air. In the time it took for him to hit the ground, Rita was already making her way toward Ana, dancing through her wild shots with ease. It was all she could do to lift her rifle to block Rita's strike with her rifle, the wicked blade caught by her rifle's stock mere inches away from her face.
Before Rita could follow up, Shido was upon her from behind, Sandalphon poised to strike. Rita was unphased, however, shoving Ana backward before swinging her weapon to meet his own. Once more he was parried… But this time, he was ready for the riposte.
"Zadkiel!" Shido exclaimed, slamming his foot into the ground. Multiple spikes of ice erupted from the ground with explosive force, forcing Rita back to avoid being impaled. "Metatron!" Multiple feather-like pillars materialized behind him at the same instant, each launching a searing beam of light at Rita. Yet, it was as if she was moving faster than his eyes could see, avoiding the beams one after another. He heard the sound of the pillars being destroyed behind him before he even realized she was behind him. A lucky shot from Ana struck Rita's blade just as she was about to swing, giving Shido just the opportunity he needed to turn and face her.
"Fufu~ not bad." Rita teased as she recovered with ease, twirling her scythe for a second attack which clashed with Sandalphon.
"I appreciate it…!" He grunted in turn, surprised by the dainty maid's monstrous strength. The two clashed, broadsword against scythe, both of them unleashing a terrifying display of speed as their weapons struck, sparking and screeching as metal scraped against metal.
Ana watched from behind with a grimace, trying to aim at Rita but unable to get a good shot with Shido in the way. She held her rifle steady nonetheless, waiting for the opportunity as Shido struggled against Rita, his blows being parried one after another. It felt as if there was never a gap in her defense, every gap covered by the maid.
"Itsuka-sama, do you remember what I said about revealing your emotions?" With a coy quip and an upward swing, Rita sent Shido flying back once more. He tumbled to the ground as Ana stepped in between him and the S-Rank Valkyrie, laying down another explosive barrage to halt her advance.
"Ergh… Yeah, yeah…" Shido expressed his frustrations with a grimace. If nothing else, Durandal's training had taught him one thing: how to take a hit.
"Shido, you alright?" Ana asked, her eyes locked onto Rita like a hawk as the maid in question paused her assault.
"…I've been through worse." The young man replied as he stood to his feet. "Seriously, though… I can hardly even phase her."
"Maybe that's what you think. But…" She grinned. "That's not true at all, is it, Rita?" Shido shot her a strange glance as Rita narrowed her eyes… before the maid Valkyrie let loose a sly giggle. It was then that he noticed the ever so faint trembling of Rita's hands.
"Ara, I suppose a ranger like yourself is bound to have good eyes, Ana." Rita replied. "Itsuka-sama's blows pack quite a punch: it's been quite some time since my hands have trembled like this, you know."
"It's a battle of attrition, Shido." Ana continued, her rifle still trained on the maid before them. "She can't keep it up forever… but you need to be able to hang on yourself. Think you can do it?"
"…Well. I've still got some more tricks up my sleeve." Shido grinned. "And taking a beating is my specialty." He readied Sandalphon once more.
Rita's response was little more than a smile.
One hour later…
"… It was a good try, Shido…" Ana muttered, sporting a nasty black eye upon her otherwise dainty face.
"I-Is that what we're calling that…?" Shido groaned in response, sporting more than a few bruises himself, his body aching all around.
"Well… I could call it a complete fail instead."
"…Ugh." He let his head hang, earning a quiet laugh from Ana. "I'll take a good try, then."
"That's more like it~" Silence soon took the place of conversation as the two sat in reflective thought, exhausted after the spar with Rita. "It's been a month, huh?"
"Mm."
"Then… you finally get to go home?"
"Yeah." He smiled, the thoughts of home warming his heart. "Everyone's waiting back home for me. Tohka might explode if I take any longer."
"Hehe, I can totally see it."
"Right?"
Her brows furrowed. "…Then… I guess it's almost time to say goodbye, isn't it? Once your chauffeur arrives." Shido turned to Ana, her expression distant as she averted her eyes.
"…Not goodbye." He corrected. His thoughts again turned to Tohka as he set a hand on her shoulder. "We'll see each other again someday. I'm certain of it."
"…I guess that's true." Yet her tone betrayed her true feelings. Shido frowned slightly when he realized.
"…How are you feeling, Ana?"
"I'm doing ok." She turned to Shido and gave a faint smile. Now it was his turn to remain unconvinced.
"Ana…"
"…I…" She took a deep breath, falling back into silence as he watched her closely. She sat silent for a long time in deep consideration. He waited patiently for her answer.
"I'm better, Shido." She finally broke the silence as she released a long sigh. "I'm not… alright, but… I'm better. I don't know if I will ever really be alright… but I won't stop until I can tell Tianwu the truth. If nothing else, I promise that."
"…" His eyes fell downwards, before he shook his head and met her eyes with a determined look of his own. "That's all I could ever ask, Ana."
"…Thank you, Shido." She turned to him, another smile on her face. A smile more full of life than the one before. "No matter where life takes us, I owe you my life twice over."
"You don't owe me a thing." He replied, before standing to his feet. "And that's not up for discussion."
"…Meanie."
"If that's all it takes, then I'll be the meanest guy I have to."
"Hehe… How very you." Ana stood to her feet beside him, and the two of them shared a quiet laugh. "…Hey, Shido?"
"Yes, Ana?"
"No matter where life does take us… we'll… stay friends, right?" His eyes widened, before his lips curled into a gentle smile.
"Of course, Ana."
"No matter what?"
"No matter what."
She smiled brightly, a smile so beautiful that even Shido's cheeks flushed. It was then that the young man spied an approaching duo, Rita and Durandal, coming from the other end of the hall.
"Shido, Ana. How do you two feel?" Durandal asked.
"Sore." Shido replied.
"In pain." Ana added.
"My apologies, Itsuka-sama, Schariac-sama." Rita bowed her head. "I did not intend to beat the both of you so thoroughly."
"…I think that stings even more if I'm being honest." Shido replied, while Ana nodded in agreement, earning a quiet giggle from Rita in turn.
"Ahem." Durandal coughed, a light smile on her lips. "I'll be reviewing your evaluation results again before I make my report to the Overseer. Once he reviews your performance himself, the both of you will be assigned accordingly."
"Um… is it alright if I ask what you thought of us, Bianka?" Ana asked.
"Nothing final, Ana." Durandal replied. "My apologies."
"Ah, no, don't worry!" Ana waved her arms wildly in turn, her melancholy having all but vanished. Shido held his tongue on the matter as the blonde Valkyrie turned to him.
"As for you, Shido… the agent from Ratatoskr has arrived. I thought it best to see you off personally." His eyes widened, mixed feelings of trepidation and homesickness clashing all at once.
"Already…" He muttered, scratching his cheek. "It feels… a bit surreal to be going back home. I've gotten so used to life here."
"It will certainly feel strange to have you gone." Durandal smiled. "I've already heard some of the Blades contemplating kidnapping you. You're simply too good a cook, Shido."
"You didn't stop them!?"
"It's only playful banter." Durandal chuckled, much to his exasperation. "Fear not, I'll stop them if they do anything more than joke about it."
"T-Thanks…" He sighed. "Then… I guess it's goodbye?"
"Correct." Durandal nodded. "Shido. I'm proud to have had the chance to teach you, even if our time together was short. I look forward to the day we can work together side by side out in the field." Durandal offered him her hand, an offering which he took gladly. With a firm shake, she released his hand and stepped back.
"As for myself, Itsuka-sama…" Rita cut in. "We'll be seeing each other again sooner rather than later. Once the Overseer has reviewed your performance here at Babylon II, I shall be the one to inform you of his decision."
"So… see you soon, then?"
"Fufu." Rita curtsied. "But now, I believe we have kept your chaperone waiting long enough, no?"
"I guess so." He turned back to Ana, his eyes silently asking her a question. She gave him a slow nod in answer.
"I'll be alright, Shido." He answered with a nod of his own as Rita and Durandal watched their exchange curiously.
"Alright. I'm ready." Shido grabbed his bag off the ground, neatly packed by Rita earlier that morning, and slung it over his shoulder. Rita led the way as the front entrance of Babylon II opened before them, a cold wind blowing through the room and chilling him to the bone. There, he could see a black, snow-covered car just ahead, with the Ratatoskr agent standing beside the car waiting for him.
Just as he and Rita stepped outside the main entrance of Babylon II, a cry from behind caught their attention.
"Wait!" Ana called. He turned, confused, just in time to find himself all but tackled by the A-Rank Valkyrie as she pulled him into a tight embrace.
"H-Huh!? Ana!?" Shido exclaimed as his face flushed a bright shade of red. She said not a word as she buried her face in his chest, hugging him as tightly as possible.
"Oh my." Rita commented, daintily lifting a hand in feigned surprise. The young man stood there awkwardly, caught entirely off guard by the Valkyrie's surprise hug. Eventually, he slowly wrapped his arms around her in turn, returning her embrace. They sat there for a long while before she slowly pulled away, an embarrassed smile upon her flustered face as she giggled at his expression.
"Good luck, Shido! Don't forget to send me a text every now and then~"
"…Right. See you around, Ana." He replied with a wry smile. She giggled once more, before turning around and running back towards Babylon II.
"I'm glad to see you two grew so close in your time together~" Rita teased, still hiding her smile behind her hand.
"Y-Yeah. I guess so." He muttered back in response, scratching his cheek as he turned back towards the black car.
And so, at long last, Shido said his final goodbyes to the snowy lands of Siberia.
Later…
Shido stepped out of the car to the familiar sight of home before him, taking the chance to stretch his limbs with a satisfied groan. The air was fairly chilly for Tengu City… And yet for him, the cool air felt like a warm summer's breeze in comparison to the frigid Siberian tundra.
Definitely won't miss the snow. The young man thought as he gazed at his old family home. A wave of nostalgia hit him as he looked over the abode before him; it felt like an eternity since he had last seen it. With a strange sense of trepidation, he took the first step forward, making his way up to the front door. He knocked twice, signaling his presence, before slowly pushing the door open, expecting a wave of noise to greet him the instant the door opened.
To his surprise, however, there was not even a peep on the other side. Confused, he took a step inside and found the house devoid of even trace signs of life.
"…Kotori? Tohka?" He called out as he walked further into the house. Something was up, no doubt. It was just a matter of finding out what before it struck. He pressed forward slowly, taking one cautious step after another. If something were to happen to him, it would undoubtedly be in the living room ahead. He took another step forward.
"Welcome home, Shido!" The house exploded with noise as he turned the corner, nearly giving him a heart attack as he was tackled by multiple spirits all at once. At the same time, the others stood further back inside and cheered excitedly as they set off multiple party poppers.
"Shido, Shido!" The voice of Tohka cried as she wrapped her arms around his. "I've missed you so much!"
"Kuku, welcome home, my dear servant~ We have prepared the most lavish of feasts deserving of mine dearest!"
"Darling~! Ah, it's been so long! I was devastated when I couldn't make it to the going away party!"
"Shido. You didn't make a move on Ana while I was gone, right?"
"Nushi-sama, thy Muku has eagerly awaited your return. Are you well?"
Each of the spirits flooded him question after question, to the point Shido could only awkwardly laugh in response as he was buried under the weight of half a dozen people. But despite it all, he could hear the amused snickering of his dear little sister from outside the dog pile.
"Alright, alright, that's enough." Spoke the girl in question, as Kotori looked down at him with a wide grin on her face. "Give him some breathing room, you lot, you're gonna squish him flat at this rate." The response she received was a unified mutter of mixed dissent and compliance as the Spirits got off of him. "Welcome home, Nii-chan." With an amused grin, Kotori offered her hand to him, who took it with a grin of his own.
"Thanks, Kotori." He replied, looking around the living room at the decorations. The table was lined with a variety of food, snacks, and drinks, while the room itself had a variety of 'welcome home!' decorations of all qualities, ranging from banners to posters, balloons, and more. "Isn't this all a bit much?"
"How rude, Shido-kun!" exclaimed Yoshinon. "Yoshino put in a lot of effort to make this party just for you!"
"Yoshinon!" Yoshino exclaimed, covering the puppet's mouth. "Um… welcome home, Shido."
"Is that so? Then… thank you, Yoshino." Shido patted the blue-haired Spirit's head, earning a bright smile from her and a sly chuckle from her companion.
"I helped too, Shido!" Tohka exclaimed, raising her hand like an excited child. "I was in charge of ordering food!"
"Kuku, and the activities, of course, were the divine task laid upon us twin Yamai, dear Shido!" Kaguya interjected after her. "Tremble in awe before our creative genius, of which even Dionysus would applaud!"
"Translation: Please praise me, Shido, I could hardly sleep at night while you were gone. Fufu." And of course, Yuzuru followed up on her sister's boasts.
"W-Where the hell did you get that second part from!?"
"Matter-of-factly. My statement is far from incorrect."
"It's so incorrect it's not even funny!"
The same as ever. The young man thought, as Kaguya and Yuzuru bickered, before turning over to Tohka. "I'm sure the food is delicious, Tohka."
"Umu! You bet, Shido!"
"Ara, Natsumi-san, surely now would be the time to ask Shido for praise too, no?" Shido heard the familiar voice of Kurumi speaking, and turned to see her looking thoughtfully at a flustered Natsumi.
"H-Huh!? I-I didn't do anywhere near as much as you guys… b-besides, all I did—"
"Hmm? You handled the decorations, did you not?" Kurumi cut Natsumi off mid-sentence, much to the green-haired girl's distress. "And helped Tohka-san pick out food choices. Helped Yoshino-san with shopping, Miku-san with music selection, Nia-san with—"
"Aaaaaaah!" Natsumi shouted out a wild cry as she leaped at Kurumi, her face red as a cherry tomato as she tried to silence Kurumi. The black-haired spirit easily pivoted out of the way of Natsumi's wild leap, leaving the green-haired girl to crash face-first into the couch cushions. She sprung back up, her hair a disheveled mess as she glared at Kurumi. "T-That's…!"
"Fufu, it's far too late now, Natsumi-san. Shido-san already heard you~" Kurumi replied. "So, what shall you do, Shido-san?" Natsumi froze like a deer in headlights as the two of them turned to face him. He stared back at them as a faint grin formed on his face. He stepped forward and placed a hand on Natsumi's head, gently patting the green-haired girl's head as her face turned so red it was almost purple.
"Thank you, Natsumi. You did great." He praised. "You really worked hard, huh?"
"…M-Mm…" Was Natsumi's muted response, her eyes downcast.
"Ara, you're as red as a cherry now, Natsumi-San~" Kurumi teased, poking Natsumi's cheek as she gave him a cheeky wink. At the same time, the slender arm of Nia Honjou wrapped itself around Shido as she pulled him close, leaning up against him with a bright smile on her face and a bottle of alcohol in her off-hand.
"Welcome back, boy~! Ah, it's been such a pain not having you around! My diet has been on a sharp decline, you know?"
"Let me guess, you've only been eating cup noodles and drinking alcohol?"
"Ehe~ You know me so well, boy."
"You're gonna kill yourself if you keep living like that…"
"He's right, you know." Interjected Maria, who was sitting on the couch right beside where Natsumi had face-planted. "If you acted like a responsible adult, learned to cook, and fixed your alcohol problem, this would not be a concern."
"I can be plenty responsible when it counts! And I'm still lively despite everything, aren't I!?"
"For how much longer, I wonder. Now get off of Shido, you reek of alcohol."
"I haven't even been drinking!? Robo-girl!?" With a sigh, Maria dragged Nia off of him before she could even say a word in response. His attention was quickly pulled away as an impish finger began poking at his back.
"Oh my… you've gotten rather toned, haven't you Darling?" Said Miku, her voice almost in awe as she grew more invested in her inspection of his back muscles. "I have to say I'm a fan~"
"M-Miku… could you please not feel me up in front of everyone…?"
"Aww, don't be shy, Darling~" She replied, undeterred. As Miku continued, another pair of hands joined in as Origami, too, took part in the inspection. She scowled as she took hold of his shoulders, much to the young man's discontent.
"…Tch. I missed the chance to document Shido's muscle growth…"
"You document that!?"
"Hey! Stop touching Shido so much you two!" Tohka exclaimed, grabbing Origami and pulling her off of Shido.
"Nushi-sama, do you require thy Muku's aid?" Mukuro joined in, prying Miku off much the same.
"Ah, wait, Darling…!"
"Let go of me."
Things are as hectic as ever… The young man couldn't help but think as he took a seat on the couch.
"Having fun, Shido-kun?" Came a familiar voice from behind the couch. Shido peeked behind him to see none other than Elliot Woodman, sitting in his wheelchair, Karen standing behind him as she always did.
"Woodman-san? You're here too?"
"Mm. I figured I couldn't miss the opportunity. How have you been, young man?"
"Still worn out from all the training. I've got more than a couple bruises to show for it."
"Haha, I'm sorry to hear that."
"…Um… is this about—" He was cut off as Woodman sharply raised his hand, earning a curious look from everyone present save Karen and Kotori.
"You've just come home after a long month. No need to get right to business, Shido-kun. For now, enjoy yourself."
"…Right." Shido nodded. He took a deep breath and relaxed his head against the couch, a smile forming on his face. "I've missed this."
"We've missed you too, Shido." Spoke Tohka, as she took a seat beside him. "You… don't have to leave again any time soon, right?"
"Not for a while." He replied. Come to think of it, he realized, he wasn't actually sure when Schicksal would call on him again. At the same time, there was no point dwelling on what he couldn't know. "I'm here to stay, Tohka." Tohka gave him a bright smile, before stepping forward and embracing him.
"Good! I'd be really angry if you had to leave again soon."
"Of course. I would be too."
"Hehe." The two shared a laugh as Kotori took the other spot beside Shido.
"Now then… shall we get this party started~?" She spoke, leaning forward with a wild grin as the stick of her Chupa-Chups stuck out from her mouth.
"Yeah!" With a wild cry from all those gathered, the festivities really began.
The celebration went on for hours, running from the afternoon to late in the evening, with even the more antisocial members of the Itsuka family sticking it out to the very end. The games were intense, and the food was good, made even more delicious by the presence of all those gathered. Indeed, it was a night to remember for everyone, a grand celebration for the long-awaited return of the wayward Itsuka.
Indeed… As Shido Itsuka found that day, there truly was no place quite like home.
Midnight…
The only two who remained in the Itsuka household now were Shido and Kotori. In comparison to before, it was a profound moment of tranquility, a welcome change to the high energy party before. Now, the two simply enjoyed the silence, as Shido took to idly washing dishes as Kotori sat on the couch, wrapped up in blankets with a mug of milk in her hands…
"Hey, Shido?" Kotori called out.
"Mm?"
"How are you feeling?"
"…Exhausted."
"You know what I mean."
"…" He stopped drying the plate he was holding. "Do you mean my Spirit powers?"
"Mm. We haven't had a chance to talk about that yet, so…"
"I feel fine." Shido set the plate down in the sink and made his way out into the living room. "Surprisingly. Besides the feeling of having all that power back, I feel… pretty normal, honestly."
"Hmm… that's good, at least." She muttered, a distant look in her eyes.
He took a seat next to Kotori. "…Do you think it's her?"
"…I don't know, Shido. We haven't found any sign of her, but at the same time…" She sighed, setting her mug down. "I… a part of me doesn't want it to be, a part of me is desperately hoping it is." The room fell silent as she pondered her next few words. "…I miss her, Shido, but I don't know what I'd even say to her if it was."
"…I do too, Kotori." He replied, pulling his sister into a hug which she gratefully accepted. "We'll figure this out, don't worry."
"Mm. I think so too, Onii-chan."
"…Is this a bad time?" The voice of Woodman spoke, spooking the two Itsuka siblings into an upright sitting position as he was wheeled into the room by Karen.
"Woodman-sama… I didn't realize you were still here." Kotori greeted as she stood to her feet, Shido following suit.
"Haha… I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to interrupt." The two shared a quick glance, before turning back to Woodman.
"No, it's fine." Kotori replied first.
"As you say. Do you have a moment, Shido-kun?"
"…Yeah, I'll be up a bit longer. Can I get you something to drink, Woodman-san?"
"No thank you, young man. Make yourselves comfortable; I'll try to make this brief, but you know how these things are." Shido nodded as he and Kotori took their seats once more. "Now… How has your mission been so far, Itsuka-kun?"
He scratched the back of his neck. "…I haven't learned much yet, admittedly. Most of the time I spent with Schicksal was training." Woodman nodded understandingly as Shido twiddled his thumbs. "But… before I go any further… Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course, ask away."
"Why me?"
"Hmm?"
"An inside agent at Schicksal… There's no way I'm the best fit for that role."
"Aaah. Having second thoughts, Itsuka-kun?"
"No… well…" He would be lying if he said he didn't have doubts.
"Well… before I answer, let me explain why I needed someone on Schicksal's inside in the first place." Woodman's usual smile faded from his face as a more thoughtful expression took its place.
"We've known of their existence for quite some time, thanks to our front as Asgard Electronics. We've done business together on more than one occasion, it was only natural we would discover each other. But as time went on, and our intelligence continued looking into the entity known as Schicksal, we began to notice… certain patterns, you could say. After a while, we grew concerned that these patterns would eventually lead to interference with Ratatoskr's goals, and thus we've kept a close eye on Schicksal since."
"We attempted to get someone on the inside a variety of times, but Schicksal covers their bases well. It seemed we would always be left floundering around in the dark… that was, until, they came along and asked you to enter their ranks. It was an opportunity that could very well never come again, and thus I asked you to join Schicksal for our sake."
"So… not because I was the best choice, but because I was the only choice?"
"A pessimistic way to view it, but you are not entirely wrong. I can understand why you may have doubts, but let me say this at least, you are under no obligation to remain with Schicksal for our sake, or to continue acting as our inside agent."
After a few seconds of quiet thought, the young man let out a deep sigh. He certainly didn't have any reason to stay with Schicksal just because of his relationship with Ratatoskr. After all, he wasn't exactly a Ratatoskr employee. It was his own choice… but that didn't make it any less stressful.
"Onii-chan… You don't have to do this if you don't want to." Kotori gave her brother a worried look as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You've already done more than enough."
"Thank you, Kotori." He placed a hand on her head, rubbing her head gently with a tired smile. "Don't worry… I took this job willingly. I'm not gonna run away just because of a little stress."
"…Alright." Though that didn't do much to help her nerves, she gave him a nod, accepting his resolution. "But you need to start being more careful. Seriously… you were hardly there for a month and you've already had one near-death experience."
"…I'll be more careful."
"I'm pretty sure I've heard that one before." Kotori rolled her eyes. "Alright, Onii-chan."
Shido nodded before turning back to Woodman, who held an amused smile on his face at the sibling's antics. "I didn't discover much… so, uh… please excuse me for that."
"It's alright, Itsuka-kun. Take things at your own rate; we're in no rush."
"Right. Then…" He took a deep breath, before he began to illustrate the entirety of his experience at Babylon II to Woodman. Durandal, Rita, and the strength of S-Rank Valkyries, the existence of the original Babylon, the Schariac bloodline, and more. Woodman listened attentively, as if taking a perfect mental note of every word he spoke without ever losing even a hint of interest. By the time he finished, Woodman had grown entirely silent as he mulled over the information.
"… Very well then." Woodman spoke after a brief silence. "I'm surprised to hear you call this 'not much,' Itsuka-kun. That was plenty of valuable information."
"Eh? Really?"
"Quite so. Thank you for your efforts. You have no idea how helpful you have been and will be. Now then…" Woodman glanced in the direction of the clock. "You two have had a busy day. Let me get out of your hair. You both have earned some well-deserved rest."
"Thank you, Woodman-sama."
"Thank you…"
"Haha. Rest well, Kotori, Shido."
With that, Woodman departed, leaving the two of them on their own. In time, the two said their good nights before departing for their beds, each of them quickly falling into the comforting darkness of a well-earned rest.
Author's Notes:
1. Haha, remember when I said "back to the usual schedule?" Good joke, amirite? Haha… ha… On a more serious note, here's the next chapter after a far longer wait than intended. Writer's block is a bastard and a half, let me tell you…
2. Anyways, with this comes the proper end to Babylon II. For those of you waiting for the Saint Freya characters, I ask you wait just a while longer, their time will come… eventually.
3. Additionally, I'll recommend keeping an eye out for my spin off, "Date A Herrscher: Encore," named in spirit of Date A Live's own spin off series. Basically, for those of you unfamiliar, this will be an anthology of short stories typically focused on the slice of life aspects of the story.
4. With that, I shall bid you all adieu once more. Hopefully, the next chapter won't take a full 6 months, but, well… this time, I won't say anything I'm not sure of. Anyways, I hope you all have a wonderful day!