Fate DxD Vol.11
Chapter 58
Tuesday, February 14, 2023.
"Hmmm, a towel, water, my hand protectors..." Senji looks to see if he's forgotten anything in his bag.
"Did you bring a change of clothes?" Fujimura asks.
"Of course. Well, I'm off, besides I should be home a little later tonight, so no need to wait for me to eat."
"It's cold, so be sure to put on your coat, especially after your session okay? It would be a shame to get sick on vacation." Fujimura accompanies him to the entrance, with Chiyo.
"Be careful, don't push too hard, tomorrow's the big day!" Chiyo said.
"Don't worry, I've got it under control..." Senji sighs.
"Good training Senji-sama!" Passing the living room, Inaho waves to Senji.
The girls wave to Senji, encouraging him. Chiyo and Fujimura watch him go until he disappears behind the wall. They then return to the living room, rolling up their sleeves.
"Come on girls, let's get ready!" Fujimura announces.
"Huh? Prepare for what?" Kodama asks.
"A few days ago, Senji-kun talked about taking advantage of the vacations to give the house a thorough cleaning before spring." Chiyo explains.
"But Senji was very busy at the start of the year, in addition to the obvious stress. So Chiyo-san and I thought we'd do it!" Fujimura adds.
"Oh, I see! What an excellent idea! Chiyo-sama, Fujimura-sensei!" Asia stands up, ready to help.
"If it can lighten Senpai, even a little, then it's for the best." Sakura is also motivated.
"What? Really? And why should we participate, the vacations exist so we can't do anything." Kodama grumbles.
"Well, it seems to me we live under the same roof, Himegami-san, so you owe it to yourself to help!" Haruko scolds her.
"Come on Himegami-senpai, it'll be fun to do it all together!" Exclaims Inaho.
After a long sigh, Kodama stands up, accepting despite her evident laziness.
"Alright then, here we go!" Fujimura announces.
"Yes!"
The girls take the vacuum cleaner, brooms and feather dusters from the cupboard and start the big clean-up. Every floorboard is cleaned, and the cupboards, shelves and other desks are dusted with feather dusters.
Then they wash the windows and veranda, open them to dry faster and take out the futons to air them. Once this is done, they separate. Chiyo, Asia and Haruko take care of the kitchen, while Fujimura, Kodama, Inaho and Sakura take care of the bathroom.
While they clean the kitchen, Chiyo is drawn to the TV, watching a cooking show. She stops and sits in front of it, listening and watching attentively.
"Today we're offering an asazuke, made with Japanese ginger and vegetables. Simply chop and mix..."
"Would you like to try?" Haruko asks as he approaches her. "Senji-chan has been shopping again, so we've got cucumbers and eggplant, though not sure about the ginger..."
"Yes, there is!" Asia proudly holds up the vegetable.
"Great! So you need a spoonful of ginger..." While reciting the recipe, Chiyo gets back to work.
They vacuum one last time before joining the others in the bathroom, also almost finished. In her boredom, Kodama grabs the showerhead, declaiming a water fight and splashing everyone. It takes them several minutes to stop and dry off. This done, they take their clean cloths to iron, taking turns with their own clothes.
"Okaayy!" Chiyo gets into the kitchen, donning an apron. "I've memorized the recipe, all I have to do is chop and mix everything."
"Um... Chiyo-sama, are you sure? I know Senji-chan said you've improved but... he's not here to fix it if you break the cutting board so..." Haruko, worried, a cold sweat passing over her forehead.
"Don't worry Haruko-chan! Just chop and mix..." Chiyo picks up the knife, trembling slightly. "Don't force it, or I'll slice the cutting board, but I can still do it fast!"
Suddenly, Chiyo brings the knife down on the vegetable, cutting it into small pieces, the cuts so fast that they become a blur, even to Haruko's trained eyes, who can only watch, not at all reassured, seeing bits of vegetable flying around from time to time.
"Voilà!" Chiyo finally stops, looking at the result.
A real massacre, everything's out of shape, some are broken, others are too big, some look more like cubes than anything else.
"...It was... That was just practice, next one's gonna be the charm!" She motivates herself, picking up another cucumber.
"Chiyo-sama... you have a chunk on your cheek..." Haruko tries to stop her, but Chiyo doesn't listen.
And so, for ten minutes or so, Chiyo tries again and again to cut the various vegetables correctly, without much success.
"One more time!"
"...Chiyo-sama..."
"The next..."
"Go a little more slowly this time..."
"Pfff..."
Chiyo pouts, giving up on the fourth attempt, putting all the chopped vegetables in a salad bowl.
"It's okay Chiyo-sama, you're getting better every day! With all this, we'll be able to make a vegetable salad and then it'll already be ready for tomorrow!" Haruko tries to reassure Chiyo.
"I really wanted to do something for all of you... I really wanted to cook like Senji-kun..."
"You know, I think it was the same for Senji-chan in the beginning, it's by dint of trying again and starting with simple dishes that he became better, am I right Fujimura-sensei?"
"Hmmm?" Fujimura turns her gaze from the screen, letting go of the packet of chips. "It's true, Senji became better through perseverance and training and also because I pushed him quite a bit, but that's another story..."
"You see? So don't lose hope, and then we can always cook together, like you did with Senji-chan last time."
"You're right... But now I'm too frustrated to go on... I'm going to wash everything and leave the place to you Haruko-chan."
"Oh don't worry about it, I'll take care of it, so go get some rest!"
"Very well, thank you."
Chiyo removes the apron and hands it to Haruko, then leaves the kitchen, leaving her to take her place, with Inaho and Asia joining her.
"Oh, I thought about it, but we didn't take care of the room in Senji-kun." Chiyo remarks.
"I took care of it." Fujimura raises her hand.
"Oh, I see. So I'll go and read in my room." Tell Chiyo.
"Okay, we'll let you know when we get to dinner!" Said Fujimura, focused on the game show.
Chiyo leaves the living room and slowly makes her way to her bedroom, enjoying the clean wooden floor, so clean you could almost see yourself in it. Instead of going to her door, she stops in front of Senji's and enters, closing the door behind her. She steps forward, almost on her toes, to the clothes Fujimura had carefully prepared for Senji's return.
Chiyo takes the T-shirt and brings it up to her nose, taking a deep breath, she withdraws, her cheeks flushed. Then she returns a second time, withdrawing with her eyes closed, as if enjoying the scent.
"Fufu!" She stretches out in the soft, cool futon. "It smells like soap and Senji-kun! It's weird, to think a person's scent could be so sweet... Must be that mysterious boyfriend power that movie was talking about... Senji-kun..."
"I'm home!" I announce my return after nightfall.
(Hmm? Smells really good...)
I turn to the incense on the furniture in the hallway, seeing that it's a new one.
"Good evening Senpai, welcome back." Sakura greets me.
"Good evening Sakura, I'm home earlier than I thought. Did you still have dinner?"
"No, we've had a big day too, but dinner's almost ready."
"Hmm? Big day?"
I look at the furniture again, noticing something. I run my finger over it, not a trace of dust.
"Don't tell me..."
"Fufu~ Nothing escapes you Senpai, indeed, we've been doing some heavy cleaning throughout the house."
"I see... I suppose it was Fuji-nee who slipped you all the idea?"
"Yes, but we all agreed to do it, apart from Kodama-senpai who didn't really agree, but she participated anyway." She explained, sliding open the living room door.
"Hey! We said we'd skip the details!" Kodama takes offense.
"Good evening Senji-san, how did it went?" Asia asks me.
"Well, since tomorrow is the last day, they pushed me a little but it went well. So I see you've had a busy day too. Thank you, even if you could have waited for me to do it..." I cast a sidelong glance at Fuji-nee.
"You're welcome big guy, just thank us and enjoy having pretty girls take care of your beautiful home." Said Fuji-nee.
"Oh good evening Senji-chan, you're back just in time, we'll eat in a few minutes! By the way, can you tell Chiyo-sama? She must be in her room." Haruko greets me.
I nod and head in. But first, I go back to my room to change and as I slide my door open, I see her lying on my futon, sleeping peacefully, holding my t-shirt in her hand.
(Seeing her sleep without a care in the world relaxes me...)
I crouch down next to her and bring my hand up to her face, to caress her, but I freeze and pull back, thinking this is a bad idea.
(I'm so pathetic...)
Instead, I put my hand on her shoulder and gently shake her awake.
"Mmmmh..." She rubs her eyes and looks at me, a smile spreading across her face. "Good evening Senji-kun, welcome home."
"Good evening Chiyo-san, why are you in my room?"
"Oh hum! I... I feel comfortable in your room..." she said shyly.
"...I see..." I don't know what to say, turning as red as she is. "In any case I'd like to get changed, if you don't mind, and we'll get to the dinner in a bit too."
"Oh yes of course!" She rises but stops, noticing my shirt still in her hand. "Here!" She hands it back to me before leaving.
"Chiyo-san?"
"Hm? Yes?"
"Thank you."
"...Fufu~ You're welcome!" Then she leaves.
(Yes, thank you Chiyo-san, thanks to you, I feel like nothing will stop me tomorrow.)
Wednesday, February 15, 2023.
(This is it, the moment of truth. This month of training is over, and now it's time to prove myself.)
I take a deep breath in front of the club before entering. I make my way to the changing rooms, greeting members as I pass before running into Inukai, who was waiting for me.
"Hi Senji, so not too stressed?"
"Hi Inukai, a little bit anyway, but I know I've got every chance."
"Confident, eh? Good, you're going to need it, the boss doesn't mess around. Come on, you've still got time to warm up."
"Yes, but first I'd like to see Ryuji, he told me his hand has completely healed."
"Oh no problem. You know the way anyway, but don't take too long either."
I nod and head for the infirmary. I knock and Kaede's voice is heard, inviting me in. When I open the door, I see her, with her green eyes and long blonde hair. She's wearing a red kimono with sakura petals and a purple obi. Next to her is Ryuji, sitting on a chair, working on his brand-new hand.
"Yo Senji! Look at that, good as new! " Ryuji greets me, waving his hand.
"Good evening Ryuji, glad to see you're doing better. Kaede-san, thank you so much." I bow to her.
"Oh but relieve yourself Senji-kun, Ryuji paid me and it's always a pleasure to use my powers if it helps with my healing grace, and then it was included in the agreement you have with my husband." She explained, laughing softly.
"Indeed, on that note, I'll be going."
"So this is it, you feel ready?" Ryuji asks me.
"More than ready." I reply simply before rejoining Inukai.
"Fufu, it's good to see him so confident." Kaede remarked.
"Kaede-san, honestly... do you see him winning against Danjo?" Ryuji asks.
"Don't you trust your leader?"
"Yes, of course! But Senji is still a child..."
"It's true, but this teenager has a huge weight on his back, and he's perfectly aware of it. That's why he's been training so hard for a month. In fact, I suspect he's had other training on the side. But yes, I think he's got a good chance against Danjo. In any case, it's going to be one hell of a show!"
For several minutes, I take the time to warm up every part of my body, in an almost suffocating silence. It's just me and Inukai in this room, probably a move by Danjo, who's set aside this room just so I can be as concentrated as possible.
(I imagine he wants this duel as much as I do.)
"Ah! Danjo-sensei! We've been waiting for you!" Inukai exclaims.
"How's he doing?" He asks.
"Not bad at all! In just one month, he's been able to double his skills and technique. He won't tell me who trained him, but he did a great job. What's more, he's got great reflexes! I've never been able to beat him and he's beaten most of the members of the club."
"It's rare that you compliment someone your age so much!"
"Hey! I've taken enough of a beating from him to recognize that!"
"Good. I let him train here and had Ryuji's hand treated as he requested! Now let him get ready! On to the next stage!"
"All right! Shall we go ahead as planned, or shall I call Ichinose-sensei to test it?"
"I'll take care of it myself!"
"Ah, are you sure?"
"He didn't come to join the club, and he didn't ask to be part of the clan. He approached me as an equal, as a potential ally! Since these are negotiations between chiefs, it's up to me to confront him!"
"Well, it's as we predicted Senji, you're going to have to fight sensei!"
"It's perfect. When do we start?" I put the weight down and stand up, facing him.
"Don't they say in Japan that it's never too early to do the right thing? I want to make sure you're worthy of being my ally! Give it all you've got Senji!" Danjo announces.
"All I've got? Including my powers?"
"Of course! With me, C'est Vale Tudo, no holds barred!"
"Senji? Little surprise question. Can the fist surpass the blade or can it be more effective than a firearm?"
I remember Kiritsugu asking me this question when we stopped at the foot of a mountain, shortly after lighting a fire.
"Well... Whatever his level, someone who fights with his bare hands will at best be able to master an opponent armed with a knife. But he'll be no match for a pistol, or even a sword."
"And why is that?"
"...The differences in range and lethality...?"
"It's all part of the equation, of course, but the biggest difference is speed! The longer the blade, the faster the tip accelerates. A boxer's punch barely reaches 40km/h. Whereas a drawn saber easily exceeds 120km/h! As for the bullets in my revolver, they break the sound barrier. Consequently, a man fighting with his bare hands is too slow to defend himself against an armed individual."
"…"
"But as your air of doubt suggests, it's not always true, that's what we tend to believe... Until you come across someone who has completely mastered the martial arts and/or the powers they possess."
"What are the rules? You said no holds barred, right?" I ask.
Danjo leads us into a large arena, with Greek pillars and stone blocks everywhere.
"Vale Tudo is often misunderstood. It was originally used by a Jujitsu practitioner who claimed to be able to win against any martial art! So the one for whom all blows are permitted is the opponent. I'll fight with my bare hands!" He explains. "Finally, let's set some limits anyway, the fight won't exceed ten minutes and it's forbidden to demolish the building or deliberately kill your opponent!"
"Very well, anyway I don't need to kill to win." [BOOST] I proclaim, summoning my Sacred Gear.
A smile of anticipation appears on Danjo's face as he hears me.
"Inukai! You'll be the referee!" Danjo orders.
"Huh? Me?!" He's surprised. "Seriously? I don't have the level to referee the master's fights, me!" Then he turns to the spectators. "You two, go get me Kaede instead of standing there!"
We move several meters apart between Danjo and me, with Inukai in the middle.
"Well, I've set the stopwatch... The fight stops when one of you is out of the fight or gives up! No killing or destroying the building, is that clear?" Inukai repeated the rules.
"Roger." I nod.
"We already know that Inukai so hurry up." Danjo said impatiently.
"Very well... Here we go!" He lowers his hand, signalling the start of the fight.
I charge my magic circuits, projecting a sword into my hand, but he's much faster, approaching at high speed and swinging his fists at me. I use the blade as a shield that breaks on contact, but protects me all the same, the blow sending me sliding for a few meters.
"Inukai is right, you have good reflexes and you're not afraid of the cold! Good one! Not bad at all... but not enough for you to become my ally!"
"Wait, we've only just started!"
I throw the pommel and what's left of the blade at Danjo to buy me time, which he pushes away as if nothing had happened. Then, having taken advantage of his speech to discreetly charge my energy, [BOOST] I release it to project a dozen swords above me, overcharging them to make them explosive.
I throw them around Danjo, exploding on contact with the ground, creating a screen of smoke and dust.
(I hope I didn't come on too strong, I'm sure it takes more than that to stop him but...)
Suddenly I see him leap out of the smoke, heading straight for me.
(I thought so!)
I dodge on purpose at the last moment, when he slams his fist into the ground, shattering it.
(Okay, I'll need more power to take him on in hand-to-hand combat!)
"Let's see how you react in close combat! There, you can't rely on your explosions anymore!"
[BOOST] I prepare to throw a sword again, but he's back in front of me, swinging his left fist. I bend my body to the side to dodge the attack. I regain my balance then clench my fists and [BLOOD POINTER] sucks in the energy around me, coating my fists with energy, a thin layer of light emanating a white vapor. I respond to his attacks, which he parries with his arms, but each blow leaves red marks. [BOOST] I throw my left fist straight at his ribs, but he pushes me away by raising his leg, which he then knocks down. I let it pass close to my face, projecting a kunai, dashing to get it to his neck, but he leaps back, resetting the action.
(Gosh, I've almost used up all my cards, but Danjo hasn't used his power yet... I've got to get him to do it...)
"Using the element to strengthen and increase your body's power - what a crazy idea! Was that your secret weapon?"
"Go figure, I may have more surprises in store for you!"
I project a dozen swords above me and launch them like missiles. Danjo runs and hides behind a pillar to dodge the salvo of swords.
"Excellent! I'm not bored with you!" Danjo exclaims.
"Hmm... I'm a bit late for the show it seems." Rain descends the stairs to the stage.
"Ah, it's you." Ryuji turns to her. "Did you sort out that thing with the florist's daughter?"
"We're waiting for her call. So this is it, the Boosted Gear, containing the spirit of the Welsh dragon, a power capable of increasing the power of its wearer every ten seconds." Rain watches the duel.
"Mademoiselle is a connoisseur! You're not going to sell info on our boss, I hope!" Ryuji scoffs.
"Who do you think I am? I'm not the type to reveal the powers of my allies!"
"I've been watching Senji train all this month. He had quite a mastery before, but he's taken it to a whole new level, combined with his powers, he'll really have to come up against someone tough to be defeated."
"Sure, but he's got one big weakness. Endurance, Senji isn't capable of fighting for long periods of time. He uses his magic circuits to use his powers, and for some reason that drains him enormously, so on top of the Boosted Gear that if he ever reaches his limit and stops, he'll be finished."
"...You know everything about him, I swear! I'm sure I wouldn't want to have you for an enemy!"
"I'm just observing too, even if I only saw the aftermath of his fight with the florist, but given the state he was in, his own body is his worst enemy, I wonder why... a handicap, an uncurable disease...?"
"Yeah, well... This training will at least have served to increase his stamina and perfect his physical and fighting abilities. He can keep Danjo at bay."
"I'll grant you, he's even got better energy management. As a result, Senji is able to stand up to him. The problem is... He still hasn't been able to force him to activate his Sigil! Until he can do that, I'm not sure Danjo will accept an alliance..."
I stop projecting, but keep my hand raised, ready to act on any movement.
(Tss, does he really intend to stay behind that pillar? If he doesn't want to move then I'm going to make him!)
[BOOST] I clench my left fist, emanating all the energy I have, then swing it straight at the pillar. But Danjo runs to dodge.
"Shit!" (He saw it coming!)
The pillar explodes, shattering many pieces and hitting Danjo, but he continues on his way. He arrives behind a large boulder, hiding again.
(I've completely missed, now I'm out of energy, I'd have trouble withstanding another hand-to-hand assault. I've got to get away fast...)
Keeping my eyes riveted on the stone block, I watch it rise.
"I can't belleve it... Is he serious right now?"
"Hot in front!" Then using the block as a shield, he charges towards me. "Raaaaaaah!"
Seeing this, I prepare to throw a Damascus steel sword but he's far too quick, he throws the block which I dodge but he continues preparing to slam into me. Seeing the situation deteriorate, I clench my left fist, my arm muscles begin to glow with a pale light, then my magic circuits light up with multicolored light and steam is released.
(Easy, I must not kill him, I must strike just enough to push him away!)
"What the?!"
I can see the surprise on Danjo's face, as he sees my arm coming straight at him and puts his forearms forward to protect himself, then finally uses his power, covering his body in hardened steel.
I strike, the contact so powerful that it creates a loud thud, stunning me slightly, I send him hurtling towards the wall on the other side of the arena, creating a crater at the point of contact with the trail of his feet still smoking on the ground. The wall explodes as it meets him, shattering a few pieces and raising dust.
(Damn it! I can't feel my hand and all my muscles hurt, but I can still use them, apart from my burning magic circuits, I can still fight if necessary.)
"I see..." Danjo emerges from the wall, walking toward me until there's only a little over two meters between us. "I'm no longer surprised you survived against A-level players! Speed, power, decision-making, strategy... It's all there!"
"What's your point?" I ask, still on guard.
"You passed the test! I accept you as my ally! But..."
I breathe a sigh of relief when I hear this, but immediately pull myself together as I listen to the but...
"You must still want to have some fun, right?!"
"Is this really necessary?" A bead of sweat passes over my forehead, projecting a sword with difficulty.
Suddenly, all my senses are on alert, a sensation of coldness surrounding me. It seems to be the same for Danjo. We turn towards the source of the aura, to see a woman in a fox mask and holding a katana facing us. I barely have time to see her move her arm before it's too late: her blade pierces our toraxes, leaving a sharp pain.
(I'm going to die!)
Just when I think I'm done, the pain suddenly disappears. I look down at my chest to see it's fine.
"Huh?" I don't understand.
"Your aura is as impressive as ever... I really thought I saw a sword!" Danjo exclaims, bowing his head.
(It was an illusion?)
"Tss, me who was kind enough to respond to your invitation, should I have to hang around while you fool around?"
I turn towards the voice to see her sitting on top of a pillar.
"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to keep the ladies waiting?" She asks sarcastically.
"My apologies! But admit you didn't waste your time coming here!" Danjo retorts.
"Maybe." She jumps and lands gracefully. "That deserves further observation, I'll give you that!"
"Uh, who are you?" I ask, seeing her approach me. "What kind of hallucination was that?"
She places her hand on the mask and removes it. She has violet eyes and long black hair in a ponytail, with two strands on either side of her face. She wears a white one-piece outfit with gold designs, a black waistband, black tights, and red shoes. The make-up she wears makes her face very white, with red eyeshadow in each corner of her eyes.
"My name is Liu Xuelan! Rejoice, I've come to get you!"
