Okay, so this one took me a long while not just because it has the most amount of scenes, but also because college has really been catching up to me, so I really don't have as much time to write.
Anyways, I'm more proud of this chapter, because a majority of it involves the interactions of the titular Serika and Ishtar, hehe.
Happy reading~!
"This place always has great food~!"
"Uhee, you nearly spilled your drink on me."
"Hmph, I give my sincerest compliments to the chef in charge of this establishment!"
"Hehe, it's become one of our hangout places, your highness~."
"Master, your face is messy!"
"Nn. This ramen was pretty good tonight."
"This restaurant could be used for something much bigger…"
"Caster, I am not going to let you do anything to Master Shiba's home and Serika's workplace!"
Kuromi Serika watched as her fellow students of Abydos High School and the Foreclosure Task Force chatted and mingled with the Heroic Spirits they summoned at various points these past few weeks.
"Why don't I have one…?"
However, she was the only one amongst her team that didn't have a servant of their own, which gave her a weird feeling inside.
Don't get her wrong, she wasn't totally jealous or anything, no siree! She just wondered what it would be like to have a new friend that stayed by her side all the time…
Hoshino was leaning back on her seat with a lazy grin, holding up a glass of water, while her servant Astolfo was happily chowing down on some ramen.
From her left, Izayoi Nonomi was smiling to herself at the sight of the gathering, sitting next to a tall and tan-skinned man that sported short dark hair and wore a fairly detailed golden armor-like outfit that exposed his toned torso and a white cloak with some jewelry.
On the other side of the table, Sunaookami Shiroko had gotten too into the ramen she was consuming, with a dark-skinned woman wiping her master's mouth, and sported long hair that was a mix of golden yellow and dark purple, as well as a pair of ears that resembled a rabbit's, and wore golden jewelry and accessories that barely covered her chest and a skirt-like bottom that was black with golden accents in the front and white transparent flaps on the sides.
At the center of the table, Okusora Ayane was shaking her head with a sigh, all while a tanned-skinned woman with dark purple hair and long jackal ears chuckled next to her master, and was wearing a revealing yet ornate ensemble that resembled a bikini decorated with jewelry and gold, complete with an intricate hooded cape.
All her friends had these unique-looking people that are contracted to them, which was even emphasized by the red markings on their hands.
The fact that she had yet to have one of her own was so-
"Serika?"
She was snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Ayane looking at her with concern, with even Hoshino sparing her a side glance.
"You okay there?" The third-year student asked, her lazy tone having an undertone of worry. "You look pretty out of it."
"I'm fine." Serika's response came out much harsher than she intended. "Just tell me if you guys want seconds."
"I'd love to have more, Serika-chan!" Astolfo chirped, holding up an empty bowl as he stood from his seat.
"Nn. Agreed." Shiroko nodded in agreement.
"I'll pay for it~!" Nonomi added with a smile, pulling out her wallet.
Caster smiled wryly and said. "When you run into Mr. Shiba, do tell him that-"
"Absolutely not!" Ayane yelled in protest, prompting her servant to laugh once again.
Since she already knew their preferences, Serika wasted no time leaving her friends and their servants' table to enter the kitchen.
However, she didn't want them to know that she also hastily left to take her mind off the lingering jealousy that threatened to rear its ugly head.
…
"I'll see you guys on Monday!"
"Bye everyone~!"
"Nn. Caster, let's go find Yuuma tomorrow."
"Uhee, can you give me a lift, Rider?"
Serika watched as her friends and their servants left one by one, until she was the only one left inside Shiba Seki Ramen, as the restaurant itself was in the midst of closing for the night.
"Kid, you're looking pretty stiff there." A gruff voice spoke behind her.
"S-Sir!" She was quick to stand straight and looked at her employer sheepishly.
The anthropomorphic Shiba Inu closed his eyes and shook his head as he grabbed a nearby rag, before proceeding to wipe the counter.
"Your shift is over, so get some rest." He continued, opening one eye. "I expect to see you here full-time tomorrow, since it'll be a Saturday."
"Of course…" Serika bowed in respect, before leaving the restaurant herself.
Ring. Creak.
The dark-haired catgirl made sure to walk through the streets as fast as she could, until she knew that her house was in sight.
Click. Creak.
"I'm home…" She announced in a quiet tone.
" … "
The small, humble house was quiet and empty, with the only sounds being the girl's own faint breathing.
"Of course, he's probably working late again…" She muttered under her breath.
Her father was a very busy man and often worked multiple jobs to support her and himself, which came at the expense of being usually absent.
She knew that he loved her a lot and was quite doting whenever he had time to be around, but most of the time, he barely had time for even small talk.
"If only I had…"
Her thoughts trailed off as she headed upstairs to her bedroom, her steps feeling unusually heavy as she did.
Click. Creak. Thud.
Serika quickly changed into her pajamas and plopped herself on top of her bed, initially laying on her stomach before she turned around to stare at the ceiling.
Normally, the loneliness of her house didn't bother her in the slightest, since she met up with her friends every day outside her home anyway.
"It's not fair…"
However, as soon as each of them became contracted to their own Heroic Spirit, she noticed they were recently spending more time with them than with each other, which made it all the more jarring that she still didn't have one.
"I wish…"
She felt her eyelids becoming heavy as felt the fatigue taking over her entire being.
"I wish I could have a servant like them…"
It didn't take long for Serika to fall asleep, her last thoughts lingering on the desire to have a Heroic Spirit of her own.
"Fufufu~."
Suddenly, a new voice rang inside the catgirl's mind the moment she was fully slumbering, as if it had been waiting the entire time.
"Worry not, little kitten, you shall not be alone any longer~."
XXX (The Next Morning) XXX
"Mmmm…"
Serika mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes, the ceiling being the first thing she saw.
The girl let out a yawn as she sat straight on her bed, even stretching her arms slightly as she did.
Today was Saturday, and it was the one time where she worked at Shiba Seki Ramen for a full day. She didn't need an alarm clock to be able to wake up early enough in the morning, specifically around five to six o'clock.
" … "
The silence from not just her room but the entire house was palpable, which only emphasized how alone she felt nowadays.
"Don't think about it…" She muttered to herself, closing her eyes. "Just get through work and-"
"Perhaps I should finally introduce myself~."
"What the-!?" Serika was quick to yell in shock.
Thud.
"Oof!"
The girl bolted to her feet outright, only to unceremoniously fall off her bed afterwards, her body tangled up in the sheets in the process.
"Oh my, is that any way to greet your newest guest, little kitten~?" The voice purred, which clearly belonged to an older woman.
In response, Serika scrambled to get up and untangle herself, before standing straight up with a stiff posture, her tail even freezing in place.
"W-Who the hell are you!?" She demanded, her cheeks slightly red as she pointed her finger at seemingly nothing. "Show yourself!"
"How utterly amusing~." The woman's tone was something that screamed trouble. "My name is Ishtar, the Sumerian goddess of love and war, it's a pleasure to meet you~."
"Goddess…" Serika muttered, before shaking her head. "W-Whatever! Just show yourself!"
Not to mention, she was already having headaches from just hearing this so-called "goddess" speak.
"Fufu, I would gladly show off my glorious divine figure, but as you can see~," Ishtar said, her tone tinged with slight mockery. "I have made myself comfortable inside your mind, so I look forward to working with you, my adorable vessel~."
"N-No way!" Serika was quick to deny her. "This can't be happening! This has to be a dream!?"
Creak. Thud!
Without letting the goddess respond, the girl quickly ran out of her room and made her way towards the bathroom.
As soon as she made it, Serika wasted no time looking into the mirror and even raised her arm to…
Smack!
"Come on, you must be dreaming!"
The cat-eared girl hissed slightly as she rubbed a spot in her cheek, as she had slapped herself in an attempt to awaken from her supposed "dream".
"Fufu, I assure you that what you're experiencing is a complete reality~." Ishtar remarked in a sing-song tone.
"Shut up!"
Serika gritted her teeth and ran back towards her room, before jumping on top of her bed to cover her face with a pillow.
"Mmmmmmmm…!" Her scream was muffled.
"Ah, the confusion of mortals upon becoming my vessel never ceases to amuse me~." The goddess purred.
Bzzzt.
Hearing her smartphone buzz on the desk next to her bed, Serika slowly lifted her head and wasted no time reaching out to it.
March 20th
Time: 6: 17 AM
Notification:
[Master Shiba: Hey kid, where are you? I'm about to open up and I have customers lined up for your full day shift!]
This got Serika to remember that today was supposed to be her full shift, as the shock from having the supposed "goddess" inside her mind clouded her thoughts.
"I need to get to work!" She quickly hopped off her bed.
"Ah, so my vessel is a hard worker~." Ishtar said, her amusement as clear as day. "Quite the admirable trait, little kitten~."
"Just ignore her, and maybe she'll go away…" Serika thought, shaking her head in an attempt to focus.
It took her a few seconds to finally realize she wasn't dreaming, but didn't want to acknowledge that some strange voice was inside her head…
XXX (Seven Hours Later) XXX
The lunch rush at Shiba Seki Ramen was in full swing for the standards of the current state of the Abydos district, as nearly every seat was occupied by a mix of animals and humans chatting animatedly.
After all, it was one of the few places that came close to resembling the district's former grand and lively population.
"Slow down, kitty~." Ishtar teased. "I wouldn't want to see your cute face affected by how much you've forced yourself to smile~."
"Just ignore her, just ignore her…"
True to the goddess' words, Serika had a forced polite smile in her features as she was about to take yet another order from a table consisting of a bulldog and a gruff-looking man.
She tried her hardest to ignore the constant remarks from this "goddess", not wanting to let her get in the way of helping the school as much as she could.
"M-May I take your order, sirs?" The girl said with gritted teeth.
"Such stiff posture, you have such an adorable look, why not make the most of it~?" Ishtar teased.
"SHUT UP!" Serika yelled, before covering her mouth as she realized she had said it out loud.
"Uhhh…" The anthropomorphic bulldog blinked in confusion. "You okay there, missy?"
"I-It's nothing!" The cat-eared girl stammered, ignoring the goddess laughing inside her mind. "I'm sorry for yelling…"
"Well, like I said," The gruff human man cleared his throat. "My friend and I would like miso ramen."
"O-Of course, right away!" Serika hastily wrote down the order and left, not wanting to risk yelling without realizing again.
"Honestly, you can do much better than that," Ishtar jokingly tutted. "I have certain expectations for you, my cute little vessel~."
"Do you ever stop talking?" Serika muttered under her breath.
Ding. Ding.
"Ah, this place is much more lively than the other buildings."
Just as Serika relayed the order to Master Shiba, the corner of her eye spotted a young man around her age approaching the counter.
He had tanned skin and purple messy hair, and was wearing a light blue courier uniform. His halo was light purple and shaped like a crescent with a star in the center.
"Welcome to Shiba Seki Ramen," Serika was quick to greet him, slightly calmer than before. "May I take your order?"
"I would like the tonkotsu ramen." He quickly answered her. "Ah, where are my manners, I'm Sasamori Yuuki, and you are?"
"Kuromi Serika." The girl replied, taking note of Yuuki's uniform. "So you also have a job?"
"Yeah, I work as a delivery boy," The young man said, taking a seat near the counter. "I heard this place was nice, so I came here for my lunch break."
So Yuuki was someone that worked just like her, Serika realized. The main difference was that he worked as a courier while she worked as a waitress.
This made her wonder if there are other youths that are taking jobs like her in order to help the current state of their home district.
"You seem to care a lot about this home of yours, kitten."
Ishtar's words went unheard as Serika absentmindedly took Yuuki's order and walked towards the kitchen where Master Shiba was.
"Hmmm, perhaps I should step in to boost your reputation here~."
This got Serika to stumble slightly before her expression twisted into a mix of annoyance and anger.
"Don't you dare!" She yelled out loud.
"Kid?" Master Shiba asked, his head popping out of the door. "I could hear you from the kitchen."
In response, Serika's anger immediately faded and was replaced with embarrassment, knowing that she opened her mouth to yell at the goddess inside her mind again.
"I'm so sorry, sir…" The girl bowed in apology.
The Shiba Inu merely shook his head and went back inside the kitchen.
"Stupid goddess…" She muttered bitterly.
It took all of Serika's willpower to not request leaving for today, as she didn't want to miss out on a full day of work, considering that today tended to be the only time for it.
The goddess' laughter and smirk inside her mind didn't help matters at all.
XXX (Later that Night) XXX
"Good job for today, kid."
"Thank you, Master Shiba."
"Be safe on your way home."
Serika bowed towards Master Shiba and then turned around as she began to make the trip home, with her waitress uniform replaced with a casual light purple hoodie over a white blouse, a black skirt, and red sneakers with black tights.
"Well, that was certainly an insight into your life." Ishtar chimed in. "I quite look forward to seeing how much you'll change with me around~."
The girl pointedly ignored the goddess' words and tried to focus on the streets, but the clenching of her fists gave away how she was truly feeling at the moment.
"This is so unfair…" She muttered under her breath.
Why? Why her? Why her of all people? Why couldn't she have gotten a normal contract with a Heroic Spirit like her friends?
Instead, what she got was essentially being possessed by someone that claimed to be a goddess, meaning that she wouldn't have complete control over her own body.
This was unfair. This was complete… bullshit-
"Watch out!"
"Huh!?"
SWIPE!
Serika barely dodged the unexpected attack, her eyes completely wide and her mouth gaping open.
As soon as she came to a stop, the girl looked up to see who was responsible for swiping at her out of the blue, only for her body to completely freeze.
What she saw was otherworldly, as it was almost entirely enveloped in shadows and radiated a malevolent aura, with a vague sight of what looked like clawed limbs, complete with glowing red eyes.
The mere sight of it alone caused Serika to be rooted in where she was standing, as if she couldn't understand how such a thing would exist.
"W-What is that…?" She asked in a trembling tone.
"Dear, I ask that you let me take over." Ishtar spoke up, her voice taking on a more serious tone.
However, the goddess went ignored as the vessel was still rooted to her spot, unable to move or speak, let alone compose her thoughts.
"Little kitten…"
As if sensing her fear, the shadow beast's soulless gaze blinked and let out a distorted roar at the girl's face.
"ROOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRR!"
Was she going to die here…?
"Darling, please respond!"
She couldn't move at all, not when this inhuman being was inching close towards her like a predator approaching its prey.
"Serika!"
The shadow beast roared again and lunged forward, with Serika closing her eyes shut as she dreaded the inevitable.
BOOM! FWOOSH!
However, before it could get the chance to swipe at her, a burst of magical energy sent it flying backwards and caused it to hit the ground hard, leaving behind a small crater.
As the dust settled, a figure stood tall as they raised their arm, with an aura of divine authority surrounding them.
Said figure was Kuromi Serika, yet something about her was entirely different. Something that was beyond the world of Kivotos itself.
Her eyes slowly opened, revealing the normal pink ones being replaced with crimson red, combined with an expression that radiated pure confidence.
"What a complete eyesore~." She spoke, her voice dripping with divine authority. "I shall send you back from whence you came."
BOOOOM!
Before the shadow beast could respond, a pillar of light appeared from the night sky and immediately disintegrated it out of existence, as if it was never there in the first place.
From inside her own mind, Serika felt herself burning from every angle due to the sheer amount of power that was practically foreign to her.
"Agh! What is this-"
She never got to finish her sentence as her world suddenly faded to black.
XXX (The Next Morning) XXX
"Ugh…"
Serika slowly opened her eyes and was greeted to the sight of her bedroom ceiling, much to her surprise.
"Huh…?" She quickly sat up from her bed and looked down at herself.
It was clear that she was still in the clothes she wore from yesterday, yet she was inside her bedroom for whatever reason.
"Maybe… Just maybe it was all-"
"I assure you that it's very much a reality, my dear."
"Wha-!?" Serika widened her eyes upon hearing Ishtar's voice.
"I don't know how you somehow concluded that it was just a mere dream," The goddess said, her tone mixed with amusement and mild concern. "Your body simply didn't handle the sudden amount of power, that's all."
"Why are you still here!?" The girl demanded with a glare.
"Well, it's not like I can just leave your body anytime I want, little kitten~." Ishtar teased with bits of sarcasm.
Upon hearing those words, Serika finally remembered what caused her to end up inside her house after sleeping for who-knows-how long.
"You…" She trailed off, clenched her fists. "You took over my body! Who gave you the right to-"
"If I hadn't, you wouldn't be here right now." Ishtar countered, her tone noticeably more serious.
"What…?"
"You simply couldn't move from where you were because you were consumed by fear." The goddess added, letting out a small sigh. "Calling you out to move would've been fruitless."
" … "
The goddess' response gave Serika pause, as she closed her eyes to process everything that happened yesterday, especially during that night.
As much as she didn't like it, she knew that Ishtar was right. The moment she set her eyes on that horrifying abomination, her body refused to move from its spot and essentially shut down.
If it weren't for Ishtar's forceful intervention, she would've died right then and there.
"You don't need to thank me, by the way." Ishtar remarked, as if sensing her vessel's thoughts. "I am bound to you and will remain so until the very end."
"This goddess…"
The surge of power she felt from last night also made Serika realize that she really was being possessed by a goddess.
Furthermore, in some weird way, she was contracted to her and acted as an annoying companion, somewhat not unlike her friends with their more normal contracts.
"Fine, I'll let you stay…" Serika relented, before narrowing her eyes. "But on one condition!"
"Oh?"
"I get to be in charge and I don't want any surprise takeovers, got it?" The girl said in a stern tone, crossing her arms.
"Fine, fine~." Ishtar replied, her light tone showing that she wasn't taking this entirely seriously. "I will just find other means of entertainment with you, little kitten~."
"Ugh…" Serika groaned. "Close enough, I guess…"
She was going to regret this, wasn't she…?
"Okay, this is far enough."
"I'm a little amazed that you're already taking this arrangement seriously, kitten~."
"S-Shut up! I have a name, you know!?"
Ignoring the goddess' laughter, Serika shook her head and looked around her surroundings, which was a semi-empty desert area with no signs of life in sight.
She wanted a safe place to hone the new abilities that would come with being a vessel for the goddess Ishtar and today being Sunday was a great opportunity for it.
At the same time, she made sure not to stray too far from the district, as getting lost in the desert was the last thing she wanted.
"Okay, what do I do first?" Serika asked, feeling that it was safe to speak out loud.
"First things first, you would have to tap into parts of my divine form." Ishtar instructed. "Specifically, my goddess attire."
"Really?" The girl raised an eyebrow at that.
"Of course, it's very much needed for you to have access to your new power as frequently as you want~." The goddess replied, her tone tinged with mischief. "Now, close your eyes and focus."
"Alright then…" Serika sighed and closed her eyes.
As she did what she was told, the cat-eared girl felt the same surge of magical power from last night, but it was noticeably smaller in scale.
"It's best to start small," Ishtar informed her. "I wouldn't want you to pass out again, kitty cat~."
Serika made a point to start ignoring the pet names she was given, knowing that the goddess wouldn't be stopping anytime soon.
HWWWOOMMM!
A light, divine aura began to surround the girl's body, which prompted her to clench her fists to keep herself grounded and lessen the risk of falling unconscious.
"You're getting closer now~."
FWWAAAHH!
Divine magical energy burst into her body for a quick second, before it immediately dissipated into the air, leaving behind small particles.
Letting out a relieved sigh, Serika opened her eyes and looked down at herself, imagining various outfits that were regal and elegant that befitted the goddess, at least according to her.
However, what she saw instead caused her eyes to widen in comical horror.
"EEEEHHHHHH!?"
In place of her casual outfit, Serika was looking at what she believed to be the complete opposite of what she expected.
The goddess attire itself consisted of a two-piece white and black bikini-style outfit with gold accents, with a golden neck choker, golden armlets and hooped earrings, and a single black stocking with the top shaped like a crown while being completely bare footed.
"W-W-WHAT IS THIS!?" Serika yelled, immediately covering herself up.
"Ah, you look absolutely fabulous, my adorable vessel~!" Ishtar chimed in, her tone indicating she was grinning ear-to-ear. "This is an outfit that highlights your figure and my divine aura~!"
"Like hell it is!" The girl scowled, futilely trying to cover her exposed stomach. "W-Why is this so revealing!?"
"Ahem, I am a goddess of love, after all~." The goddess said in a smug tone. "I must look the part~!"
"That doesn't mean I should look like this too!" Serika exclaimed, her face completely red.
She was more glad than ever that she chose a spot where she was completely alone, because the sheer embarrassment from someone seeing her like this would kill her!
"You're overreacting." Ishtar said with a laugh. "When you enter the battlefield, everyone will know that a goddess has graced their presence~."
"I'll die before I get to that point!" Serika countered, her tail even freezing in place to highlight her point. "Don't you have anything more modest!"
"Hehe, you'll be fine." The goddess reassured her, though her tone made it hard to tell if she was being serious or not. "I'm sure you'll even attract the boys to your side, like that cute delivery boy from yesterday~."
"Don't you dare start-!"
Any focus on honing her new abilities was lost as Serika devolved into an argument with the goddess inside her mind over the revealing outfit she was currently wearing.
XXX (Later that Night) XXX
"Ugh, what a day…"
Serika didn't bother to change into her pajamas as she slumped on top of her bed the moment she entered her room.
While she managed to get some training done, she spent most of her day arguing with the goddess inside her head over the "outfit" she felt forced to wear.
As much as she wished for a more normal contract, she knew that Ishtar would be going nowhere and stick around for an unspecified amount of time.
"So this is my life now…"
Her thoughts faded as she allowed fatigue to take over and fell asleep.
…
"Huh…?"
Serika opened her pink eyes and was greeted with the sight of the night sky, much to her confusion.
"Where am I…?" She whispered to herself.
The girl slowly stood up as she tried to access her new surroundings, until she looked down and jumped backwards with a yelp.
What she saw was that the "ground" she stood on was a reflection of the night sky above her, yet she was standing on it perfectly like it was completely solid.
"Ah, so we finally meet face-to-face~."
Before she could fully process what was happening, her cat ears heard the unmistakable voice of Ishtar, except she felt much closer and more personal.
Letting out a deep breath, Serika turned around and saw a teenage girl similar to her in age, with black hair tied into twin tails and a slender figure, wearing a red sweater with a white cross at the center and a black short skirt, complete with brown shoes and black thigh-high stockings.
The most eye-catching detail was the crimson red eyes that glimmered with mischief and divinity.
"Ishtar…" Serika muttered.
"Surprised~?" The goddess let out a light laugh. "I'll have you know that this isn't my true form, what you're looking at is… my previous vessel."
"Huh?" Serika said, blinking. "So you were in someone else's body before me?"
"Correct~." Ishtar nodded, placing a hand in her chest. "Her name was Rin Tohsaka, and she was quite the feisty one."
The catgirl stared at her for a few seconds and asked. "What was she like?"
"Well, she was certainly brave, more than capable of defending herself, and dedicated to her craft." The goddess answered, her tone tinged with fondness. "Her inherently good soul even tempered my worst traits."
"Really?" Serika was surprised to hear this.
With a soft smile, Ishtar walked towards her new vessel and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Your soul is even purer, so I'm making the effort to behave around you." She admitted, before she grinned. "Your lovely reactions alone are entertainment, Serika-chan~."
"W-What did you just call me!?" Serika spluttered, stepping back slightly. "A-And what's this about me being purer?!"
"It's true~." Ishtar clearly enjoyed the reactions. "Despite this little tsundere act you put up, your soul might be pure enough to completely blind someone~!"
"S-Shut up, you annoying goddess!"
Despite her words, Serika couldn't deny that she was beginning to have a better connection with the goddess inside her body.
Of course, that didn't mean that the annoyances would go away very easily…
XXX (Next Friday) XXX
"This miso ramen is even better than last time~!"
"Uhee, you servants can sure eat a lot."
"Whoever manages the entire kitchen receives my utmost respect!"
"I wonder if Serika-chan also helps."
"My Lord really loves going to this place."
"Nn. I don't blame him."
"Hmmm, I sense something in your friend."
"Huh, what do you mean, Caster?"
Serika let out a sigh as she sat next to Hoshino, leaning against the table with her hand on her cheek.
Her shift had ended a couple of minutes ago and she was currently sitting at the table where her fellow students and their servants were sitting.
"Even now, their constant chatting hasn't gone down one bit." She thought to herself.
"Fufu, it's been a week since we've made contact, kitten~." Ishtar spoke up. "Isn't time for you to introduce me to your little friends~?"
In response, Serika blushed at the nickname, but at the same time, she realized that the goddess was right.
She spent most of her time trying out different abilities as Ishtar's vessel, yet telling her friends about her current status always slipped her mind.
"Well, it's been a while already, so…" Serika mentally conceded, before taking in a deep breath. "I guess I'll tell them now rather than later."
Knowing what she needed to do, the girl stood up from the table and cleared her throat, which caught the attention of her fellow students and clubmates.
"Eh, Serika?" Hoshino asked, opening one eye. "Something you wanna say?"
Nonomi, Shiroko, and Ayane all looked at their fellow student with varying degrees of curiosity.
"It'll be fine, they'll understand." Serika thought.
She closed her eyes and opened her mouth to speak. "Guys, I finally have a servant like you guys."
"Oh!" Nonomi looked delighted by this. "That's great news! Who are they, Serika-chan~?"
Ayane looked more wary and said. "I feel like it won't be the way we expect it to be."
Next to her, Caster merely chuckled and remarked. "It took her long enough to finally reveal herself."
"I…" Serika briefly trailed off, before finding her voice. "I'm more of a vessel and the goddess Ishtar is the one inside me."
Abydos students and their servants:
Foreclosure Task Force
Hoshino and Astolfo
Shiroko and Nitocris
Nonomi and Ozymandias
Serika and Ishtar
Ayane and Queen of Sheba
NEXT CHAPTER: Omake: Hoshino Maid Cafe
Whelp, I hope you guys like this one, especially since Serika won't be the only vessel in this silly crossover I made on a whim.
Also, I decided to end this one on a cliffhanger to let you guys imagine how the other Abydos students and especially their servants would react to Serika being Ishtar's vessel.
The next chapter will be a second omake, which would be inspired by that one skit from the OG Carnival Phantasm where Saber works as a maid in a cafe, so this would be fun to do with a character like Hoshino.
I can't guarantee I'll get this one out anytime soon, since college will take up my free time.
Anyways, happy reading~!