Okay, this chapter should've been released much earlier, but my distracted earlier strikes again, haha.
Well, at least I'll be returning to a semi-consistent uploading schedule for the time being, so that will be good for now.
Anyways, here's the chapter focusing on Aru and Eli-chan, with a few surprises.
Happy reading~!
"Where did I go wrong…?"
Rikuhachima Aru let out a groan as she slumped over her desk, mumbling incoherently as she thought about the last commission taken by Problem Solver 68.
It was supposed to be a simple escort mission regarding an expensive vase for the wealthy client, and there was no fighting involved, so it should've been a walk in the park, right?
Wrong. The hotel they were staying in just happened to get blown up by the Gourmet Research Society after their leader, Kurodate Haruna, was dissatisfied with the food and overall menu.
Problem Solver 68, as a result, ended up being caught in the crossfire as they dodged bullets and explosions left and right, all while scrambling to protect the artifact.
Not helping matters was the fact that Haruna's servant, a blonde busty young woman in a revealing red dress, was gladly assisting her in her endeavors, which added to the challenge of escaping the chaos.
"Of course, just when we were about to finish the job and get paid…" Aru grumbled.
She remembered her clumsy hands dropping the vase right in front of their client when they were close to their goal, and she could still remember his angry reaction to the sight.
"You absolute wastes of space, I should've known better than to rely on uncivilized Gehenna students!"
Oh yeah, did she forget to mention that their wealthy client happened to also live in the Trinity district?
"Ugh!"
Slam!
Click. Creak.
Just as Aru slammed her forehead against her desk in frustration, she barely heard the door of her office open, in which someone peaked their head inside.
"Still feeling bad, puppy?"
"Not the time, Eli…" Aru mumbled, moving her head to look up at her servant.
The servant in question was an adorable-looking young woman, with bright pink hair, light blue eyes, and draconic features that consisted of purple horns, a long black tail with a pink pointed tip, and pointed ears. She was wearing a black and white frilly dress with hot pink accents, with a ribbon-like top that barely covered her flat chest, a gothic corset around her waist, and oversized detached frilly white sleeves, complete with white boots that reached her knees with black accents.
She had the appearance of a gothic pop idol, considering her rather elaborate getup, with her dragon features only adding to it.
"Nonsense, puppy~!" Eli chirped, as she skipped into the office and stopped in front of Aru's desk. "That vase had a hideous design anyway, and your team of peasants deserve a much better job than that!"
This got Aru to snap her head up as she glared weakly at her servant.
"Eli, I thought I told you not to call my friends "peasants"." She scolded with a frown.
In response, Eli had the decency to look sheepish as she rubbed the back of her head with an awkward laugh.
"Ah, sorry about that." The dragon-themed servant said, grinning. "I don't mean that as an insult, just old habits that I can't shake off."
Aru merely sighed as she thought, "Even now, I still have no idea how I ended up bound to Eli, or should I say, Elizabeth Bathory?"
She still remembered the time where she proudly introduced her base of operations to her two weeks ago.
XXX (Two Weeks Ago) XXX
"Well, here's my personal office!" Aru proudly introduced the room to her servant. "This is where clients will take commissions from me personally!"
The newly-summoned Elizabeth Bathory looked around in curiosity, her bright blue eyes taking in each detail of her surroundings.
The office itself wasn't anything noteworthy, as it had the standard appearance of most offices, with bookshelves, chairs in front of the desk, and a bulletin board filled with various fliers and notes.
Aru smirked and spread her arms wide. "Welcome to Problem Solver 68, Lancer!"
She still had no idea how she managed to summon the dragon-themed servant, but she wasn't going to squander the opportunity to recruit new faces to her cause!
"We at Problem Solver 68 strive to take on any job, no matter how dangerous or questionable!" Aru closed her eyes, placing her hand over her chest. "It's all part of my dream to become the greatest outlaw in not just Gehenna, but all of Kivotos!"
Elizabeth merely tilted her head as she took in the words of her new master.
"Well now, what do you say, Lancer?" Aru asked, her eyes glimmering with excitement.
" … "
After a few seconds of silence, Elizabeth huffed as she placed her hands over her hips.
"Hmph! I suppose this will be useful for my dreams of becoming the greatest idol." She said, before looking over at her master. "I expect you to be of great assistance, puppy."
"P-Puppy!?" Aru's confident expression broke, replaced with utter bewilderment as her face flushed and her eyes turned comically white. "N-Now hold on there-"
"This base of yours is no castle for someone as dazzling as myself!" Eli continued, closely inspecting the office as she cut off her master. "However, it shall suffice for now, but once my name is known all over, you peasants will be someplace much better!"
"W-What did you just call me!?" Aru widened her eyes at her servant's casual use of 'peasants'.
"Hm, you have a question, puppy?"
XXX (The Present) XXX
"I still wish she didn't call me that…"
After only a week, Aru had given up trying to get Eli to call her "master" or even her own name, but still felt embarrassment over the nickname of "puppy".
When she introduced her servant to her teammates, Mutsuki had the bright idea of referring to her as simply Eli, and fortunately enough, Eli herself was completely fine with it, as she viewed it as someone becoming a fan of hers.
"If only she spent more time with Mutsuki to really know who she-"
"Puppy!"
Eli's voice snapped Aru out of her thoughts, as the latter looked up and saw her with a huge pout, but her eyes betrayed a tinge of concern.
"If you're gonna keep being like this, then I'll cheer you up with a song!" Eli declared, placing her hand over her chest with a grin.
"Wait what!?"
Aru widened her eyes in complete horror, watching as her servant materialized a microphone in her hands.
"Y-You don't have to do that!" She reached her hand out to try and stop her. "A-Anything but-"
"LAAAAAAAAA~!"
"Agh!"
SHATTER! SHATTER! SHATTER!
Letting out a whimper, Aru covered her ears as she curled up into a ball on the floor, even shutting her eyes tight as if to make it go away.
She would never forget the day she first heard the "singing" from her servant…
Eli's voice wasn't just limited to Aru's own office, as it could be heard all throughout Problem Solver 68's base.
The "singing" could even be heard inside of the lounge room, where the other members were.
Asagi Mutsuki grinned as she covered her own ears. "That must be Eli-chan's way of cheering up Aru-chan~."
"Hmph, did she have to interrupt tea time as she did?" A young-looking girl huffed, looking over the pieces of a teacup.
She sported long purple hair tied into large pigtails, wearing a blue and yellow cloak of sorts over a purple dress with black and yellow accents, held by a blue ribbon.
"E-Even now, I-I still can't handle it…" Igusa Haruka whimpered, having cowered behind a chair.
"Deep breaths, master." A young man reassured her.
He sported short and clean blonde hair and green eyes with glasses, wearing a blue and black jacket over a white shirt, black tie, and gray waistcoat with yellow accents, black trousers, and black and white boots.
Onikata Kayoko simply stood up from where she was sitting and headed for the door.
"You're not gonna stick around?" Mutsuki asked.
"No, I have something to attend to…" Kayoko trailed off, mumbling something under her breath.
Click. Creak. Thud.
"K-Kayoko!" Haruka widened her eyes, having heard her teammate's hushed words.
…
Back inside Aru's personal office, Eli grinned and placed her hands over her hips, as if she had put on a great performance.
"How's that, puppy?" She asked, looking around. "I'm sure you were blown away~!"
"Ugh…"
The dragon-themed servant blinked and looked down to see her master sprawled on the floor, her expression being that of a great grimace.
"Huh, tough crowd." Eli muttered, before she shook her head. "Well, no matter, I just have to keep going!"
"The ringing…" Aru muttered, her tone completely monotonous as she slowly stood up.
Bzzzt!
She blinked at the sudden sound and glanced over at her phone, which had vibrated and turned on with a visible notification.
Aru reached out to grab it and then turned it on, before she winced at what she saw.
April 5th
Time: 12: 47 PM
Notification:
[Dad: Hey kiddo! How's your outlaw life going? Do you plan on visiting sometime, we still miss you at home. Akio especially wants to see you again. But hey, I'm still proud of you for taking the courage to move out! Love you! ;)]
"Hm, was that your father?" Eli asked, looking over at her master's phone.
However, Aru didn't answer her as her mind mulled over the choices she made that led her to where she was currently standing.
She knew for a fact that she made the conscious decision to move out of her old home, as a means to gain independence and chase her dreams of becoming an outlaw.
"Puppy?"
Her family was completely supportive when she decided to move out, though she had to remove Akio from her leg before that. She still remembered the last thing he said to her before she left.
"Aru-nee, you can do it!"
The little sniffle he made after saying goodbye struck something inside of her, which she tried to push away at the time, but has now come back in full force.
"… Maybe coming back for a day wouldn't hurt…" Aru muttered, opening her phone to reply to the message.
Eli noticed this and perked up. "Are you gonna introduce me to your parents?"
Aru looked up at her servant and let out a sigh, before she answered. "Well, I can't exactly leave you alone here, so feel free to follow me."
"Yes!" Eli cheered, pumping her fist. "More opportunities to build up fans~!"
"Why am I not surprised…?" Aru thought with a blank expression.
[Send Reply to Dad]
As soon as she sent the message, her mind began to formulate a plan in dealing with the fact that she was about to introduce a Heroic Spirit to her family.
"Hmmm, perhaps…"
XXX (Two Hours Later) XXX
The Rikuhachima household was a modest one, surrounded by several other houses with a similar style.
It was a household that Aru chose to leave behind.
"Okay, here goes nothing, but first…" She muttered, before turning to her servant. "Eli, I can't stress this enough, but please don't do anything to embarrass me in front of my family, and don't especially call me by that nickname!"
"Hmph, you underestimate me, puppy!" Eli huffed, crossing her arms. "But fine, I'll do my best to behave."
"To keep them from freaking out, you'll just be a school friend I met two weeks ago," Aru said, her attention towards the door of her old house. "Don't ever let it slip that you're a Heroic Spirit in any way, got it?"
"Fine, fine." Eli replied, rolling her eyes. "Can I at least let them know about my plans to become the greatest idol?"
This got her master to pause for a brief moment, before she answered, "Well, as long as-"
Click. Creak.
"Aru-nee~!"
Right away, Aru felt someone tackle against her body, causing her to stumble back slightly but managed to maintain her balance.
"You came back! You really came back!"
Aru felt a smile grace her features as she reached out and gently ruffled the hair of whoever was currently hugging her tightly.
"Yes I'm back, Akio, at least for now." She said in a soothing tone.
Rikuhachima Akio was a young boy, no older than five-years old. He had short and messy white hair with salmon pink roots, bright colored eyes that were a mix of blue and yellow, small brown horns with yellow tips at the back of his head, and a small white halo shaped like a four-pointed star with dark red tips.
He was wearing a light pink t-shirt and bright blue short overalls, complete with red and white sneakers with white socks.
"Mom! Dad!" Akio called out cheerfully. "Aru-nee is back!"
"Awww, aren't you adorable~!" Eli cooed, her usual haughty expression melting as she greeted the young boy.
"Come on!"
Aru felt her hands grabbed by her younger brother's much smaller ones as she was guided inside the house, with her servant following her from behind with a light skip.
"My baby girl!" A new voice called out.
The leader of Problem Solver 68 was suddenly pulled into a tight hug by someone much taller than her, causing her to wheeze slightly.
"H-Hey Dad…" Aru greeted with a strained smile due to the hug.
"Saku, dear, you're suffocating her." A calm voice spoke up.
"Whoops! Sorry about that, kiddo!"
Aru let in a deep breath as her father released her from his strong grasp, before lightly sighing to herself.
"You must be my pu-" Eli cut herself off at the last second, before correcting herself. "I mean, my friend's parents! My name is Elizabeth Bathory, it's a pleasure to meet you both~!"
"Ah, is this a new friend? Then the name's Rikuhachima Saku!"
"My name is Rikuhachima Yoriko. The pleasure is all mine, Miss Bathory."
Rikuhachima Saku was a middle-aged man. He had short dark salmon-colored hair, light blue eyes, brown horns with yellow accents at the back of his neck, a short beard, and a transparent and slightly worn yellow halo shaped like a flame inside a half-circle.
He was wearing a brown sweater over a white collared shirt that fit snugly against his slightly chubby frame, light gray pants, and brown shoes.
Rikuhachima Yoriko was also of middle age, but appeared somewhat younger than her husband. She had white short hair styled in a bob cut, narrowed yellow eyes, and a pure white transparent halo shaped like an eye with a pair of feathered wings beside it.
She was wearing a black blazer over a white shirt that hugged her mature figure, a black pencil skirt, and dark gray heels with light gray tights.
"Yeah, I met her around two weeks ago," Aru said, laughing nervously. "We've stuck together since and I decided to bring her over when I decided to come back."
"Indeed, your daughter is honored to be associated with someone as adorable and glamorous as I am!" Eli grinned, letting out a short laugh. "Your parents look like a nice pair of people, puppy."
"Eli!?" Aru yelled, her eyes widening in horror.
"Puppy?" Akio tilted his head innocently.
Saku grinned at his daughter upon hearing the nickname, but before he could open his mouth, Yoriko was quick to gently grasp Aru and Eli by their shoulders.
"You two must be exhausted, let's head to the living room." She said in a gentle tone.
As she began to guide both girls towards the living room, a young man walked up to them with crossed arms and composed expression.
"So you finally made a friend besides Asagi, huh?" He asked, his calm tone filled with a teasing edge.
"S-Shut it, Sasuke!" Aru spluttered with a pout.
"Sasu-nii, Aru-nee is back!" Akio approached the young man with a smile.
Rikuhachima Sasuke was a young man in his early twenties that appeared older than Aru by a good amount. He had short and clean white hair, icy-looking blue eyes with black-framed glasses, and a white halo shaped like an eye inside a wreath.
He was wearing a black waistcoat over a white shirt and red tie, light gray trousers, and brown shoes.
"Sasuke, please be a dear and guide your younger sister and her friend to the living room," Yoriko requested calmly. "I'll go to the kitchen to prepare some tea and biscuits."
"Of course." Sasuke nodded, before turning to the two girls. "Let's go."
Eli was quick to follow after him, while Aru appeared apprehensive at first but quickly shook her head and followed him.
"Sasu-nii, Eli-chan called Aru-nee puppy!" Akio said, unintentionally choosing the worst time to be brutally honest. "What does that mean?"
"Akio!?" Aru said in shock, her eyes comically turning white once more.
"Puppy, huh?" Sasuke said, chuckling to himself. "She acted like it back then and still does now, I'll have you figure it out on your own."
"This is all your fault, Eli…" Aru hung her head low.
"Hm, what did I do?" Eli looked utterly clueless to her master's change in mood.
…
XXX (The Living Room) XXX
The living room was fairly modest, but large enough to fit many people inside. It was also filled with laughter and smiles all around, at least from one or two of the people inside.
Aru wasn't one of them, as she was currently trying to sink into the couch in a vain attempt at getting swallowed, complete with being as red as a tomato.
Saku was currently holding a slightly worn picture album with a brown leather frame, while Eli curiously looked at its contents as she attentively listened to what the father had to say.
"And this here is little Aru's first birthday!" Saku gushed with a wide grin. "I still remember how it took us an hour to clean the frosting off her hair."
He pointed at a picture of Aru as a baby, wearing a frilly light blue dress and holding a stuffed horned bear, with cake frosting all over her chubby cheeks and parts of her hair and dress.
"Awww, you look so adorable, puppy~!" Eli cooed, as her blue eyes gazed upon each picture of her master in her youth.
"Daaaaaad!" Aru whined, reaching out to cover her face with a nearby couch cushion. "Why are you showing her those!?"
"Here's another picture from back when she was in elementary school!" Saku pointed out, ignoring his daughter's whimpering. "She wanted to prove herself to the other kids on the playground, but ended up stuck on top of a nearby tree!"
"What happened to her next?" Eli asked, her eyes glimmering with curiosity.
"She spent the next ten minutes bawling her eyes out, and Sasuke had to climb up to get her!" Saku answered with a laugh. "Still remember that, my boy?"
Sasuke, who had been reading a book, looked up and nodded at his father with a small smile.
"Of course, Aru was quite the crybaby back then," He said, glancing at his flustered younger sister. "I actually miss the days where she used to be so clingy and refused to leave my side like a lost puppy."
"S-Sasu-nii, you traitor!" Aru stammered, standing up from the couch before covering her mouth with widened eyes. "I mean-"
"I also missed when you used to call me that," Sasuke added with a smirk. "At least there's still little Akio."
"Aru-nee, were you a cute puppy?" Akio asked, tilting his head innocently.
"Okay now, let's tone down the teasing." Yoriko spoke up, entering the living room with a tray of tea and biscuits.
"Thank goodness…" Aru sighed in relief.
"Miss Bathory, how did you meet my daughter?" Yoriko asked, setting down the tray as she sat next to her husband. "More importantly, what can you tell us about yourself?"
Before Eli could answer, her master was quick to place her hand over her mouth, while sporting a forced grin on her features.
"Hahaha, we simply just met by chance and our goals just happened to align, that's all!" Aru answered, even forcing out her laughter.
As she lowered her hand, Eli huffed at being silenced like that before coughing into her fist.
"As for myself…" The dragon-themed servant's eyes sparkled as she jumped up from the couch. "I have a dream of becoming the greatest idol Kivotos has ever seen, the adorable Eli-chan~!"
"Oooooh!" Akio's eyes widened in wonder.
"An idol?" Sasuke said, raising an eyebrow. "I thought my little sister said that your goals happened to align?"
"Good question!" Eli chirped, flashing a grin at her nervous master. "That's because I won't just stop at becoming an idol, but also form an outlaw idol group!"
"Wait… what did you say!?" Aru exclaimed, her eyes widened in alarm.
Saku whistled and let out a hearty laugh. "That's quite the dream you got there, young lady!"
"Does this mean we get to hear Aru-nee sing?" Akio asked with an eager smile.
"I would pay to see that." Sasuke admitted, smirking.
"Eli, I never said anything about forming an outlaw idol group!" Aru whined.
"Dear, take a deep breath." Yoriko instructed, noticing her daughter's face turning redder.
"Trust me on this, puppy!" Eli was undeterred by her master's protests. "We'll make this work!"
"Stop calling me puppy!"
XXX (Later that Night) XXX
"This is delicious! Compliments to the chef!"
"Haha, I knew she'd love my classic pot roast recipe!"
As nighttime came over at the Rikuhachima household, the family gathered at the dining room to have dinner, with Eli as a guest as she sat next to her master.
"Good to know she's enjoying herself." Aru thought, watching her servant happily chatting with her father.
Sasuke had already finished his meal and was sipping tea and Akio was being spoon fed by Yoriko.
The Problem Solver 68 leader sighed, picking up the last of her pot roast with a fork and then popping it into her mouth as she chewed slowly.
"So, Miss Bathory, what's your relationship with my younger sister thus far?" Sasuke asked, looking at the servant as he placed down his empty cup.
This got the other family members to look at Eli with curiosity, while Aru was suddenly sweating.
Oblivious to her master's nervousness, Eli puffed her chest with pride and answered. "Well, puppy has been an excellent friend and manager to my brand as Eli-chan!"
"Manager?" Sasuke furrowed his brows in interest. "Do elaborate on that."
"Well, as her ser-" Eli stopped herself at the second, before she continued. "Erhm, as her new friend, your daughter was a great help in being willing to hear my songs first!"
"I see then." Sasuke didn't look convinced, but was willing to let it slide.
Aru wanted to laugh incredulously. Her servant nearly slipped twice and it looked like her older brother might be onto them.
"Great, just what I needed…"
"So dear, how goes your time with your little group?" Yoriko asked, changing the topic as she gazed at her daughter. "I believe you call yourselves Problem Solver 68, correct?"
"Oh yeah, you told us you all got hired by some rich guy a few days ago!" Saku said, leaning close in curiosity. "How did it go, kiddo?"
" … "
The question from her father brought only silence from Aru, as she stared blankly at her empty plate, her mind flashing back to the failure from what was supposed to be a simple task.
"Aru-nee, are you okay?" Akio asked, his innocent tone filled with concern.
"Can I really do this…?"
Her little brother's words went unheard, though not on purpose. Aru was simply too caught up in the memories that began to flash through her.
Before her Lancer-class servant came along, she couldn't help but think back on her previous screw ups as the leader of a supposed fixer group.
Her initial job in taking Abydos High School ended up with her group being forced to retreat, not to mention the blatant disrespect she and her friends received from their former clients.
Sure, they eventually teamed up with the Foreclosure Task Force and ran the Kaiser PMC Director out of business, but it didn't change the fact that it technically went against what Problem Solver 68 was supposed to stand for.
Not to mention, all the other jobs that ended with their clients losing their patience with them to varying degrees.
It just so happened that the latest one felt like the straw that was about to break the camel's back for her.
"I…" She tried to speak, but her words dried up inside her throat.
"Aru…?" Eli muttered in concern, finally using her master's name for the first time.
Without warning, Aru stood up from her chair and turned around, her bangs covering her eyes as she couldn't bear looking her family in the eyes.
"I'm going to my room…" She mumbled, before proceeding to leave the dining room.
"H-Hey! Wait for me!" Eli stammered, standing up as well to go after her master.
The Rikuhachima family was surprised at Aru's abrupt exit, but it quickly changed to concern.
"Oh dear…" Yoriko covered her mouth.
"Dang, so it must've gone that bad for her, huh?" Saku said, closing his eyes with a sigh.
"Should we go too?" Akio asked, his mouth quivering. "I don't like seeing Aru-nee sad…"
"No." Sasuke said, standing up as he picked up his plate. "I think her new friend will have it covered."
"I just hope that they can talk things out up there." Saku added, as he began to stand up as well.
One by one, all the remaining family members cleared the table as dinner came to an end.
…
Aru was laying on her bed, gazing at the ceiling of her childhood bedroom, which was another thing that she chose to leave behind.
The bedroom itself was fairly childish, with various posters of movies and well-known outlaws all over the walls, along with toys and figures on the shelves.
"Am I… really an outlaw…?" She asked herself softly.
Click. Creak.
"Master?"
Her servant's voice prompted her to sit up with an expression of surprise, especially as she was referred to as "master" instead of "puppy" like she usually does.
"Eli…?" Aru whispered.
"So…" Eli shuffled awkwardly into the room, rubbing her arm as she did. "Do you wanna talk about it? Your outlaw thing, that is."
Her master stared at her in silence for a few seconds, before she sighed and moved to the side on her bed, which the servant saw as a cue to sit next to her.
" … "
An awkward silence ensued as both girls looked away from each other, unsure of what to say.
"What do I even tell her?" Aru thought, glancing at her servant briefly.
Before she could fully formulate her thoughts, she heard Eli clearing her throat, which prompted her to look at her directly.
"I've only known your family for a couple of hours, but they sound pretty supportive," She started, looking her master in the eye. "How did they exactly react when you decided to become an outlaw?"
"Huh, she actually…"
Aru didn't expect that kind of question from her servant, knowing that she tended to act rather self-absorbed and vain about her idol goals from the two weeks she had gotten to know her.
However, at the same time, she realized that two weeks was nowhere near enough time to truly get to know someone, especially when that someone was a Heroic Spirit from another world.
From the way Eli was looking her in the eye and the tone of her voice, it seemed like she realized this as well and was beginning to make an active effort to know her better.
"Well, for starters, I wanted to become a hard-boiled outlaw as early as the age of five," Aru finally answered, bringing her knees to her chest. "My parents in particular were surprised at first, but they eventually decided to give their support."
"Really? Just like that?" Eli blinked at her master's response.
"Akio still has no clue what being an outlaw really means," Aru added, smiling slightly. "Sasuke teases me about it from time to time, but he isn't against it either."
"I see," Eli nodded, processing what she had heard. "Sounds like they're all good people in your life then, keep them close, okay?"
"Huh?" Aru was taken back by another change in tone.
After what she said, the dragon-themed servant faced her gaze away from her, with her lips pursed slightly and her claws clutching the bedsheets.
"Eli…" Aru frowned at her servant's expression.
For the first time since she had met her, Elizabeth Bathory looked solemn and melancholic, as if she were a different person entirely.
"Eli…?" Aru reached out to grasp her servant's shoulder. "Are you okay? You can tell me anything."
In response, Eli glanced at her master and looked hesitant, unsure if she was going to speak or not.
"You don't have to say anything." Aru reassured her. "Just know that… I'm here for you."
"… At the end of my human life, let's just say that I learned to hate feeling alone and unloved…" Eli answered, closing her eyes. "I'll tell you more about it when the time is right, okay?"
"Fine by me." Aru nodded in agreement.
"And master," Eli said, even using 'master' instead of 'puppy'. "You're not half bad, I'm glad that you still want me around."
This got Aru to smile and replied, "You're not so bad yourself either, I'll be rooting for you from here on out, Eli-chan."
"Hmph!" Eli huffed, her lips twitching upwards. "You better. I expect you to praise me once I become successful!"
"Hehe, alright then." Aru giggled, her mood becoming lighter.
She wasn't lying either. While her servant could be full of herself and still wasn't aware of her painful singing, she seemed like a good person all in all.
"Maybe we can make this work, somehow."
XXX (The Next Morning) XXX
"Puppy~!"
"Mmmm…"
Aru slowly opened her eyes with a slight mumble and saw Eli smiling down at her, clearly excited out of her mind.
"What's gotten her so happy?" She thought.
"Come on!" The servant grabbed her master by the hand and proceeded to pull her off of her bed. "You're gonna be late for something special!"
"H-Huh? What do you mean?" Aru asked, standing on her two feet not long after.
She was currently wearing a set of salmon-colored pajamas and black socks, with her hair not in its usual neat style and was frazzled.
Eli grinned wider and placed her hands over her hips. "Puppy, I'm going to sing for your family~!"
"Wait…" Aru muttered at first, before her eyes widened in horror. "H-Hold on, you can't!"
"It'll be fine, master!" The dragon idol reassured with a wink. "Just trust me on this!"
"Not when you'll destroy my family's hearing you're not!" Aru countered, narrowing her eyes.
Undeterred by her master's words, a microphone materialized in her hands and she turned towards the door.
"Oh no you don't!"
Thud.
Eli was suddenly tackled by Aru to the floor, with the latter attempting to reach for her microphone.
"I'm not going to let my family hear that singing of yours!" Aru yelled, gritting her teeth.
"Hey! Let go!" Eli reached out for her master's face and began to push her away in annoyance. "Didn't I tell you to trust me!?"
"After all you subjected me to, I'm not letting my family suffer the same way!" Aru argued.
Click. Creak.
"Sweetie, is something wrong?" Yoriko asked, walking into the bedroom.
"Ah-" Aru widened her eyes in surprise.
Her struggle in trying to steal the microphone from her servant caused her to not hear the footsteps that were approaching her old room.
Taking advantage of her master freezing on the spot, Eli crawled away from under her and quickly stood up.
Aru realized this and reached her hand out. "Eli, don't!"
"Mrs. Rikuhachima, get your family into the living room, please!" Eli requested with a confident grin. "You're all going to witness the adorable Eli-chan in action~!"
"Oh," Yoriko blinked in response, and then smiled. "Very well then, I look forward to further seeing the kind of friend my daughter made."
"Mom, wait-" Aru tried to stop her.
Thud.
As the door closed in front of her, she slowly turned towards her servant with an expression of complete nervousness mixed with fear.
"Eli, do you realize what you've done!?" Aru yelled, grabbing Eli by the shoulders and shook her. "You're going to render them completely deaf!"
"Hah, trust me on this, I know what I'm doing!" The dragon idol huffed with a smirk. "You're gonna be blown away by my brilliance!"
"Oh, we're going to be blown away alright…" Aru muttered under her breath.
She was not looking forward to yet another session of her nearly blown out, especially as her family will also get involved.
…
XXX (Ten Minutes Later) XXX
"Yay, I can't wait to hear Eli-chan sing~!" Akio cheered, bouncing from his spot on the couch.
"Slow down there, champ." Saku said with a deep chuckle. "Wouldn't want you to waste your energy before she even begins."
It didn't take long for the Rikuhachima family to gather into the living room, with its fairly large space allowing for speakers to be set down, as well as a microphone stand.
"You're shaking like a leaf." Sasuke remarked, noticing his younger sister trembling in place. "Are you really that nervous to hear your friend sing?"
"You have no idea what I've been through…" Aru mumbled with a slight whimper.
"I'm sure she'll be great, kiddo!" Saku reassured her, placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder.
"Miss Bathory, are you ready now?" Yoriko asked calmly.
"Of course I'm ready!" Eli replied, grinning as she turned on the microphone. "Rikuhachima family! May I have your undivided attention?"
"Ooooh~." Akio widened his eyes in wonder, finally sitting still.
Sasuke merely glanced at Aru, who was looking closer and closer to a nervous breakdown.
"Now then, here's a classic that has always won the people's hearts," Eli declared, getting herself into a cheerful pose. "Akogare~Tion!"
As music began to play on the speakers, Aru immediately shut her eyes and gripped onto her seat, bracing herself for the absolute worst.
"Like the sun (Always),
I must shine (never changing),
Sadness, eternity, popularity, I want to make sure,
I love? You love? More~!"
"Huh!?" Aru thought, as her eyes shot open in complete shock.
"Find you!"
"Is she…"
"Feel you!"
"… actually singing great!?"
"This immature, young love was getting stronger,
This everlasting sound, the bell of my heart,
These contrary feelings, like a knife biting into my chest have burst into red,"
Aru blinked as she processed the lyrics behind the song's cheerful tone.
"(Forever) Because we are connected,
(Softly) When I will make you know,
(Surely) You will save me!"
The backing vocals from the speakers added to the song's quality, as Akio was moving his body to the beat.
"Like an idol (If you),
It's okay if it doesn't work (are with me),
Love, eternity, popularity, I want to make sure,
I love? You love? More~!"
"These lyrics…" Aru thought with a frown.
"Find you!"
"Is this how you really feel deep down?"
"Feel you!"
"How long were you feeling this way?"
"I want to be by your side!"
"I feel like I misjudged you." Aru thought, as she watched Eli sing her heart out.
"More than anything this beautiful place, even if it is what I longed for,
This feeling of guilt pains me,
These reassuring eyes, are hurting my tightened chest,
Shooting through the sky,"
"Wowie, look at her go!" Saku cheered, clapping for the idol singer.
"(Barely) I finally arrived,
(Firmly) Even if looking to the ground,
(Surely) You will accept me!"
"There's more to her than what we saw yesterday," Yoriko mused, having also caught onto the lyrics.
"Like the sun (Everything is),
I must shine (Illuminated by me),
Sadness, eternity, popularity, I want to make sure,
I love? You love? More~!"
"So my little sister made another troubled friend," Sasuke remarked under his breath.
As the music faded slightly, Eli looked up at the watching family and cheerfully waved at them.
"Everyone, thank you for coming today!" She said, her tone filled with gratitude. "I'm so happy you had all the time to watch me perform in your home! I hope you all continue to support me~!"
"Go, Eli-chan!" Akio cheered.
Hearing this, Aru allowed herself to smile as she slowly started to clap for her servant.
"More, more, allow me to brighten all your days today~!" Eli grinned, even catching her master's reaction. "More, more! You want to hear more, right~?"
"You can do it, Eli!" Aru couldn't help herself and joined her little brother in on the cheering.
"Like an idol (Because I am),
It's okay if it doesn't work (not alone),
Love, eternity, popularity, I want to make sure,
You love? You LOVE? MORE~!"
"I have a great feeling about how things will go moving forward." Aru thought with a confident nod.
"Find you!"
"Don't worry Eli, you won't be alone."
"Feel you!"
"I'll take your dream more seriously."
"I want to hug you~!"
"And maybe… I'll even consider the outlaw idol group."
The music stopped and Eli immediately bowed elegantly in front of her audience of five.
In response, the Rikuhachima family stood up and all clapped for her, each showing their support in their own ways.
"Yay! Eli-chan~!" Akio innocently cheered. "That was so good!"
"Haha, you have quite the voice on you, little lady." Saku complemented with a chuckle.
"We can see why you're passionate about your dream." Yoriko nodded, smiling calmly.
Sasuke turned his gaze towards Aru, his icy blue eyes softening slightly. "Aru, take care of her like you did with Asagi."
Aru herself nodded and then walked towards her servant.
Eli noticed her master approach her and quickly puffed out her chest in pride. "How was that, puppy? Now you see why I want this so badly?"
"Alright, you got me there." Aru raised her arms in mock surrender, shaking her head with a smile. "Although, how did you do that?"
"Do what?" Eli tilted her head cluelessly.
"You know, sounding this good!" Aru pointed out. "You usually blow out my eardrums everytime you practice on me!"
"Oh that?" Her servant cupped her chin in thought. "I honestly have no idea, I just felt like singing for your family, that's all."
"You mean you don't even know how you sounded good!" Aru thought in disbelief, before letting out a sigh. "Well, at least what you did was a great first step."
"Hmph! I expect more praise from you once our names are known throughout your home!" Eli grinned and did a peace sign.
Aru snorted at that, but didn't deny her. "I'll keep that in mind then."
Her servant's self-importance was still there, but this time, she was willing to share it with her master.
XXX (Last Night) XXX
It was eleven o' clock in the main city area of the Gehenna district, as a lone cloaked figure walked throughout the empty streets.
"Master, is it really wise to go out all by yourself?"
"I know what I'm doing, Assassin." The figure replied in a decidedly composed tone. "The others shouldn't have to go through this without any prior knowledge."
As if on cue, the sounds of broken whimpering caused them to stop in their tracks, prompting them to look around for the source.
"Someone's in great distress." They muttered.
Without another word, the figure proceeded to run towards the source of the whimpering, their steps careful yet speedy.
They soon came to a stop inside an alleyway, as their eyes were laid upon a middle-aged man in a fetal position, covering his face as he cowered in complete fear.
Realizing that their current appearance might startle him, they reached out to pull off the hood of their cloak.
Afterwards, Onikata Kayoko proceeded to walk towards the cowering man, her steps gentle to ensure that she wouldn't frighten him.
"Hello, sir." Kayoko spoke up, her tone calm and soothing. "What are you doing around here?"
"H-Huh…?" The man looked up at the white-and-black haired girl.
"What are you doing here all by yourself?" She asked again, her tone remaining even.
The man's lips trembled as he tried to come up with an answer, but no words came out of his mouth.
"It's okay," Kayoko reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever you tell me, I'll believe you."
"… You will…?" The man asked in a feeble tone.
The girl quietly nodded at him in response.
He looked down at himself for a few seconds, before he spoke. "I saw something… It wasn't a human nor an animal, it was something else completely…"
Kayoko frowned at this, yet gestured for him to keep going.
"T-That thing…" The man trembled, even chattering his teeth. "I-I couldn't see what it looked like, but it killed my wife and children before I could do anything…"
Hearing this, Kayoko subtly clenched her fists and faintly reached out for her handgun.
"I… I ran…" The man trailed off, before grabbing his own head. "I ran away and hid because I didn't want to die!"
" … " Kayoko processed the man's explanation, and then said. "Sir, I would ask you to admit yourself to a psychiatric ward."
The man looked at the girl with widened eyes in response.
"It's clear that you're not safe around here if what you described is still out there." Kayoko continued, putting her hood back over her head as she did. "The doctors over there will give you the treatment you need and keep you secure, I promise."
"W-Well…" The man looked hesitant for a brief moment, but ultimately stood up. "I don't want to die like this, so thank you…"
He turned around and shakily walked away from her, his steps becoming more and more distant until he disappeared into the night.
At that moment, a new figure materialized behind Kayoko.
Said figure was a slender young woman, with very dark skin and short purple hair, complete with a skull mask that covered the upper half of her face and a black leotard that revealed a lot of her skin.
"Assassin," Kayoko said, briefly glancing at her servant. "Have you noticed anything that surrounds us?"
"Yes, master." Assassin took off her mask and bowed obediently. "While you were speaking to the man, I detected several abnormalities within the area."
"… Of course…" Her master closed her eyes and sighed. "Assassin, prepare yourself in case of a battle."
Her servant nodded but her eyes were twinged with concern and said. "Master, are you sure that we should leave your teammates out of this, especially your leader?"
"No, they can't know, especially Aru." Kayoko shook her head and narrowed her eyes. "At least, not right now, until we find out more about what we're possibly dealing with."
She proceeded to walk her way out of the alleyway, and called out. "Assassin, let's move!"
Assassin nodded once more and went into Spirit mode.
"Strange things have been happening in Kivotos, not just Gehenna." Kayoko thought, her hand resting over her handgun. "I intend on getting to the bottom of it."
If it meant going in alone, then so be it. As long as it meant that her friends would be safe and out of trouble.
Gehenna students and their servants:
Pandemonium Society
Makoto and Gilgamesh
Satsuki and Euryale
Chiaki and Saint Georgios
Iroha and Enkidu
Ibuki and Quetzalcoatl
Prefect Team
Hina and Siegfried
Ako and Semiramis
Iori and Zenobia
Chinatsu and Asclepius
Problem Solver 68
Aru and Elizabeth Bathory
Mutsuki and Wu Zetian
Kayoko and Hassan of the Serenity
Haruka and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde
Gourmet Research Society
Haruna and Nero Claudius
Junko and Castoria
Izumi and Tamamo Cat
Akari and Artoria Pendragon Alter
School Lunch Club
Fuuka and Beni-enma
Juri and Boudica
Hot Spring Department
Kasumi and Oda Nobunaga
Megu and Oda Nobukatsu
Medical Emergency Club
Sena and Nightingale
Twinkle Twinkle Club
Kirara and Sei Shonagon
Erika and Paris
NEXT CHAPTER: Momoi and Castor (Millennium)
Hehe, Akogare~Tion was the song that kept me going in finally finishing this chapter.
Well, I hope you guys like Aru's family as much as I did, and there will be more in the future.
The next chapter will focus on one half of the gaming twins, as well as the male half of the Dioscuri. Expect to see more family members of the students, particularly ones of the Saiba twins.
Happy reading~!