Well, this one took longer than expected to write, considering that it only has four scenes, compared to the previous chapters.
Either way though, I'm just glad that I finally finished it.
Happy reading~!
"Come on, try to keep up!"
"Why am I still here…?"
"You're getting beaten over here!"
"Why do I still remain bound to her…?"
"Hey! Are you even listening to me?"
"This human…"
Castor narrowed his blue eyes at the human girl that dared to call herself his master, especially as she looked at him with those infuriating pink eyes of hers.
"Come on, you're finally playing with me!" She said with a pout. "Can't you at least try even a little?"
"Tch. Only because you have pestered me, human." He replied coldly.
"Alright~!" His human master cheered, pumping her fist. "Let's restart the round with the same characters!"
She wasn't even affected by his blatant show of disdain towards her.
"I'll show you what happens when you mock me, human." Castor thought, narrowing his eyes. "If it means defeating you in this 'video game', as you call it, then so be it."
The blonde-haired servant turned his gaze towards the flat screen television, which was showing two characters facing each other in a 3D animated world, with two health bars and their avatars on top.
"Come at me, Castor-kun!"
There was also the accursed pet name she had given him, which persisted throughout the dreadful two weeks he had been stuck with her.
"No, I must not let her affect me." Castor thought, shaking his head as he tightened his hold on the controller…
"Let's do this~!"
POW!
"… Huh…?"
POW! POW! SLAM!
"Hehe, is that all you got?" Her irritating smug voice reached her servant's ears.
It hadn't even been a full minute and Castor's character was beaten almost immediately by his master's, who didn't give him time to react.
"Tch. I demand a rematch!" He hissed, gritting his teeth.
"Now you're getting it~!"
POW! SLAM!
"Again!"
SLAM! POW! SLAM!
"AGAIN!"
SLAM! POW!
"I said again!"
SLAM! SLAM! POW!
" … Again!"
POW! SLAM! POW!
"… Again…"
POW! POW! SLAM! SLAM!
" … "
Castor stared blankly at the television screen, as the words "Player One Wins!" was displayed for what felt like the umpteenth time.
"Hehe, that was fun!" His master cheered, seemingly oblivious to her servant's reaction. "Did you have fun, Castor-kun?"
"You dare look down on me…" He thought, clenching his fists as he dropped the controller.
"Uhmm, are you okay?" She asked, tilting her head.
In response, Castor turned to glare at her with thinly-veiled hatred in his blue eyes.
"It was a complete waste of my time." He spat out, standing up. "I have no idea why you still intend to act like we're comrades, human."
His master simply stood up as well and pouted, before boldly stepping forward to point a finger at his chest.
"I know you don't like humans and all, but can you at least call me by my name!" She said with a huff. "It's Momoi! Mo-mo-i!"
"Whatever…" Castor muttered, turning around to ignore the girl completely.
"Don't think I'll give up on you just yet, Castor-kun!"
It had been two weeks since he was unexpectedly summoned to the world known as Kivotos, but he had no clue on what it really looked like as his master was content with staying inside the place she called a "clubroom".
As such, his knowledge of the world around him, apart from the rushed details given to them, was quite limited, much to his great dismay.
In contrast to him, his dear sister Pollux didn't take too long in adjusting to her new position, even accepting her new master with open arms.
"This should have caused problems…"
The Dioscuri was meant to be summoned as one servant, due to how much they're attached by the hip from their shared history. However, upon being called forth, they were somehow summoned as two separate servants with their own masters.
He generally chalked it up to the masters in question also being twins, but he still thought about the implications from time to time.
"That looks absolutely wonderful, master!"
"You think so, I've considered drawing more outside of game design."
Castor looked up and saw his dear sister, chatting animatedly with her master, who was sheepishly downplaying her compliments.
He recalled that her name was Saiba Midori. Pollux had made sure that he would refer to her by name, with the cracking of her knuckles being enough of a hint to just go along with it.
"Could I…" The male twin trailed off with a frown, before glancing briefly at his own master.
Apart from stating her annoyance with him not using her name, she was happily continuing to play her games, as if nothing had happened.
She looked so innocent and perfectly content with what she loved, so much that he felt something inside his chest. Something that gave him a slight pang in his heart even the more he looked at her.
Was this… guilt?
"Saber?"
"Castor."
He felt a hand grasp his shoulder, which prompted him to turn around and see Pollux looking at him with a small frown, while her master was watching from behind with concern.
"We need to talk." She said, her eyes shifting towards her brother's master and then back at him. "Preferably at night, if you please?"
"I should've known…" Castor inwardly groaned.
The conversation was going to be lengthy, he just knew it.
…
Nighttime fell over at Millennium Science School, with both twin students comfortably asleep on the couch of their clubroom.
Castor leaned against the wall, his gaze pointedly avoiding the students in front of him, for obvious reasons.
"Brother," He heard Pollux call out to him, as she stood next to him. "The world of Kivotos. It's quite different from the world we once knew."
Scoffing to himself, the male twin crossed his arms and muttered, "You were always more open and trusting towards humans than I ever will be."
"I believe the humans here would surprise you," Pollux said, glancing at her brother with a smile. "I have explored the city with my master before, and the people have been very accepting and hospitable."
"That's what they want you to think," Castor countered, narrowing his eyes. "Humans have always been skilled at hiding their true natures, what makes you believe that the ones here would be any different?"
"Brother, I know that you have experienced great pain at the hand of the humans you despise, and I don't intend on invalidating your feelings." Pollux said in a reassuring tone. "I only ask that you give the humans here a chance to prove you wrong, especially your master."
"My master…" Castor muttered quietly.
His master was a complete anomaly to him. He had done nothing to repay her kindness by pushing her away, ignoring her, and generally treating her with disdain throughout his two weeks in Kivotos so far.
In spite of that, however, she remained utterly undeterred and continued to extend her friendship to him, no matter how much he didn't reciprocate.
"Don't think I'll give up on you just yet, Castor-kun!"
He couldn't help but recall her words from earlier, and how she sounded confident that she would win him over, even after he refused her friendship once more.
"My master…" Castor said, his voice louder for his sister to hear. "I… don't hate her per se."
"Oh?" Pollux looked surprised by this, and then smiled.
He wasn't sure if he liked the glint in her eyes, yet continued to speak. "She's certainly loud, irritating, childish, and yet…"
Noticing that he couldn't complete his sentence, Pollux finished it for him. "And yet, she's provided you a warmth that even you cannot deny deep down."
Hearing this, Castor gazed at the floor and refused to look her in the eyes, knowing that anything he said next would be used against him.
"Brother, Momoi is clearly doing her best to reach out to you." Pollux said softly, reaching out to hold her brother's hand. "You should at least give her a chance."
" … "
His human master, no, Momoi was someone that only wanted to form a meaningful connection with him. She was someone that decided to keep trying with everything she had.
"… I'll give her a chance first then." Castor relented, closing his eyes. "But only her for now, until I see for myself that humanity here is truly different."
"That is all I ask." Pollux nodded with a smile.
Castor sighed and opened his eyes, looking directly at the sleeping twins, especially Momoi, who was drooling down her dopey smile.
He hoped that he wouldn't regret this.
XXX (The Next Day) XXX
Castor sat on a bean chair as he watched his master was on her desk, looking rather contemplative for once.
Then again, she had told him a week ago that she was the scenario writer of the little club she leads, even though she wasn't the actual Club President.
"Should I…?" He thought to himself.
He didn't want to interrupt her train of thought, as this was the most introspective she had ever been, but at the same time…
"And yet, she's provided you a warmth that even you cannot deny deep down."
"You should at least give her a chance."
Pollux's words from last night still lingered inside his mind, especially as it felt more clear than ever, due to her and her master currently out of the clubroom to explore the city once again.
That was strange. Previously, even when Pollux was out of sight, he still felt a sense of clear distrust towards his human master and his thoughts mostly shrouded by his emotions, yet he was currently thinking more clearly than he's ever been since his arrival in Kivotos.
"Castor-kun!"
His master's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, as she was standing in front of him with a notepad in her hands and an eager grin.
"When did she…?"
"Sooooo, I expanded on Aris-chan's idea from last week and I wanna know what you think!" She said, bouncing on her spot. "Since you're, well, a hero just like Merlin-sensei and everyone he talked about!"
"I see then…" Castor slowly nodded.
"I only ask that you give the humans here a chance to prove you wrong, especially your master."
As Pollux's words entered his mind once more, he knew that he needed to do this.
The blonde-haired servant sighed and said. "Tell me about this premise, Momoi…"
Thud.
"Wha-?" Saiba Momoi was taken by surprise, even dropping her notepad.
"Yes, that's your name, is it not?" Castor said, maintaining eye contact with his master.
He really hoped that he wouldn't regret it.
" … " Momoi continued to stare at him with wide eyes.
"Master…?" Castor called out with a frown, even finally using 'master' as well.
Did he come on too-
"YES~!"
Much to his surprise, he was suddenly tackled against the bean chair as his master leaped towards him with a hug.
"Finally!" Momoi cheered, grinning ear-to-ear. "I knew that you'd come around eventually, Castor-kun!"
"… Don't think too much about it." Castor sighed, clearly feeling awkward yet made no attempt to push his master away. "You would've been far more annoying if I kept calling you 'human', that's all."
"Sure, sure~." Momoi drawled, her tone showing that she was unconvinced by her servant's words. "I'm just happy that we're finally friends~!"
"Friends…" He thought to himself, especially with how his master used it very easily.
Click. Creak.
Before his thoughts could linger, the door of the Game Development Department clubroom opened, with Midori slightly rushing inside as she smiled.
"Momoi!" She called out in an excited tone. "Mom invited us to a picnic tomorrow at the outskirts of the district!"
"Really!?" Momoi asked, finally letting go of her servant.
"Mhm." Midori nodded. "I'm only here to tell you this by the way, Saber is waiting for me outside."
Creak. Thud.
The younger twin left the clubroom almost as soon as she entered it, leaving the unlikely student-servant duo alone.
Momoi turned her attention back towards Castor with an eager grin and said. "I can't wait to introduce you to our family, just so you won't feel alone!"
"Wouldn't that risk my status as a Heroic Spirit?" He asked, furrowing his brows with a frown.
His current servant attire would certainly make him stick out like a sore thumb, though it was only the partial reason.
"I don't know if I can trust this family of yours." Castor kept his thoughts to himself.
He couldn't help but feel apprehensive at the thought of meeting other humans besides his master's little club and the students that occasionally came inside.
After all, he explicitly recalled being willing to only give Momoi a chance for now, so for him to meet others so soon…
"We'll figure things out later." Momoi waved off her servant's concerns. "I don't want you to remain Mr. Grumpy Pants forever, you know?"
"Of all the nicknames you could've given to me…" Castor trailed off, but shook his head. "What is your family like?"
"Welllll, I'm glad you asked~!" Momoi said, placing her hands on her hips. "For starters, Dad is this super strong guy that knows how to wrangle all of us, while Mom loves us and always tries to keep up with our hobbies!"
The blonde-haired servant noted the clear love and admiration in his master's tone of voice.
"Masamune-nii is our big brother that's working for a company, Minoru-nii is someone that loves to work out, Mirei-nee is kinda like Yuuka-senpai but way scarier~," Momoi moved her arms around for dramatic effect. "Mikio-nii is this hermit inventor that has to be dragged out of the house, you already know Midori-chan, and Mizu-kun loves to sing and play the ukulele~!"
"… So you're all a family of nine?" Castor asked, processing the fact that his master's family sounded fairly large.
"Yep! All of us have something that we're good at!" Momoi nodded, before her expression briefly softened. "Though we sometimes fight, we're all ready to support each other and I wouldn't trade them for the world."
Throughout her entire explanation, Castor noted that there was no sign of deceit in her words, much unlike the humans he was used to seeing.
"That's why…" Momoi looked up, with a smile that was more warm. "I can't wait for you to meet my family so you and Pollux-chan can even become part of it."
With how completely earnest she sounded, Castor began to wonder if he truly deserved to meet his master's family, especially as he hadn't gotten to see them in person as of now.
"Will they even like me…?"
XXX (The Next Day) XXX
"Is it too late for me to turn back now, Momoi?"
"Nope! We're in this together~!"
During a Sunday morning, the unlikely student-servant pair, alongside Midori and Pollux, were all walking down a lush green nature park that was located a few miles away from the Millennium district.
Castor was already beginning to regret coming along, especially as he looked down on the casual outfit he was forced to wear by his master.
Instead of his usual Greek-like servant garb, he was wearing a white hoodie over a dark blue t-shirt, light blue jeans, and green sneakers, complete with a bright red baseball cap.
His sister Pollux was in the same boat, also switching her usual servant attire for a white sundress and light brown sandals, complete with a sunhat.
"I can't have our family worry about us, so you and your sister will dress up as normal people!" Momoi said, smiling confidently.
The male twin simply sighed and conceded to her reasoning, before he asked. "Then how do you intend on introducing me?"
"We're almost there, so trust me on this!"
True to his master's words, it didn't take long for the gamer twins and their servants to reach a picnic area, where a group of seven people were waiting.
"Yo, you two finally made it!" A young man in a tracksuit called out with a grin.
"Oh my, you even brought guests with you." An older woman said with a smile, placing a hand on her cheek.
A young man in a sharp waistcoat walked up to the twins. "Are you both feeling tired? Do you want me to prepare some snacks?"
"We're fine, Masamune-nii." Midori said, waving him off with a small laugh.
"Hm, who are these people you've invited?" An older man asked, crossing his arms.
A young boy playing the ukulele simply laughed and said. "I'm surprised Momoi-nee managed to meet a boy~."
"Hehe, who managed to get Mikio-nii out of his workshop this time?" Momoi stepped forward with a cheeky grin.
"I did." A stern-looking young woman raised her hand. "I even had to get him to shower first before we left."
"You didn't have to yell at me that much though…" A young man in a trench coat muttered under his breath.
Castor looked around at the large family, noting that they commonly had either brown or blonde hair, as well as green or pink eyes. So far, they seemed rather civil and he sensed some honesty in their body language.
"Ah, where are my manners!" The older woman turned to face the disguised Dioscuri twins. "My name is Saiba Miyuki, it's a pleasure to meet friends of my little girls."
Saiba Miyuki was a woman of middle age, with a fairly youthful face. She had long blonde hair tied into a braid, soft pink eyes, and a faded neon pink halo that's shaped as two circles with a six-pointed star in the middle.
She was wearing a light gray apron over a beige turtleneck sweater, a dark brown long skirt that reached her ankles, and black flats.
"Saiba Minato, the pleasure is mine." The older man introduced himself next. "Now then, who might you two be?"
Saiba Minato was a middle-aged man with hardened features. He had dark brown hair that was slicked back, narrowed lime green eyes, a five o'clock shadow beard, and a faded neon green halo that was shaped like two squares with four pointed kites on its rim directed inwards.
He was wearing a dark brown tweed jacket over a gray shirt and black necktie, black trousers, and light brown loafers.
Castor looked over at his master with a small frown, who gave him a grin and a thumbs up, as if to tell him it was fine to use his name.
"… You may call me Castor, likewise, Mr. Saiba." He introduced himself, his tone polite yet stiff.
"My name is Pollux, it's nice to meet you both!" Pollux followed after her brother, her tone significantly more light and natural.
"Saiba Masamune, it's a pleasure to meet friends of my younger sisters." The waistcoated young man walked up to the servant and reached out for a handshake.
Saiba Masamune was a clean shaven young man that looked the most mature of the bunch. He had brown hair that was slicked sideways, warm green eyes, and a neon green halo that's shaped as two squares with a six-pointed star in the middle.
He was wearing a light blue shirt, a dark gray waistcoat, light gray trousers, and black leather shoes, complete with a silver wristwatch and black-framed glasses.
"Mmph!" The tracksuit young man was feasting on a chicken leg. "Arreh… mff… they f'ners?"
"Minoru, don't speak while chewing!" The stern young woman scolded.
Castor stared blankly at the messy state of the young man's outfit, which didn't go unnoticed by Momoi as she laughed to herself.
"Hehe, Minoru-nii works out so much that he wolfs down everything he eats~." She said, smiling like the sight was normal. "Mirei-nee tends to yell at him the most for that reason!"
"I see…"
Saiba Minoru was a more built and muscular young man, in contrast to Masamune. He had shaggy blonde hair, vibrant pink eyes, a goatee under his chin, and a neon pink halo that's shaped as two circles with four pointed kites on its rim directed inwards, just like Momoi and Midori themselves, but with the latter's in a different color.
He was wearing a simple crimson red tracksuit that was open to show the white t-shirt he wore underneath, complete with white sneakers.
Saiba Mirei was a young woman with generally stern features. She had long blonde hair styled into a neat bun, sharp green eyes, and neon green halo that's shaped as two squares with a six-pointed star in the middle, just like Masamune.
She was wearing a black blazer with purple accents over a white shirt and magenta ribbon, a dark gray pencil skirt, and black flats with transparent gray tights.
"Hmmm…" The trench coat young man stared at the two servants, narrowing his eyes as he did.
"Mikio-nii, is something wrong?" Midori asked, glancing between Pollux and her older brother.
Saiba Mikio was a disheveled looking young man. He had shoulder-length brown hair tied into a small ponytail, tired pink eyes, very pale skin, and a neon pink halo that's shaped as two squares with a six-pointed star in the middle, much like Masamune and Mirei but in a different color.
He was wearing a dark gray trench coat over a black shirt, dark gray ripped jeans, and brown work boots, complete with black fingerless gloves and brown goggles over his head.
"I don't trust them." Mikio said bluntly. "I sense something off with how they look…"
In response, Momoi let out a forced laugh as she got in front of Castor and waved her arms frantically.
"H-Haha, you must be seeing things, Mikio-nii!" She said, glancing at her servant. "Did you pull an all-nighter again?"
"Yeah, they look pretty fine to me!" The ukulele boy chirped, letting out a few strums. "You say that about every new person we meet!"
"I'm just being cautious, Mizuki…" Mikio muttered, rolling his eyes.
Saiba Mizuki was clearly the youngest as he was the only child of the bunch. He had short messy brown hair, bright pink eyes, and a neon pink halo that's shaped as two circles with four pointed kites on its rim directed inwards, just like Minoru, Momoi, and even Midori, with only the last one being in a different color.
He was wearing a cyan blue waistcoat over a white shirt and sky blue necktie, dark blue shorts with cyan accents, and bright blue shoes with white socks, complete with light blue headphones over his ears.
Minato walked up to Castor and placed a hand on the servant's shoulder, causing the latter to flinch at the unexpected physical contact.
"Forgive me for asking this, but when did you meet my daughter and what is your relationship with her?" He asked in a polite yet stern tone.
"I…" Castor tried to answer, but his words died inside his throat.
The way his master's father was looking at him gave him a sense of awkwardness that he hadn't truly felt before, especially with Pollux nearby and watching them.
"Well?" Minato raised an eyebrow.
" … " Castor attempted to avoid eye contact while refusing to say anything.
This was ludicrous. Even fighting hordes of mindless beasts would be a better way of spending his-
"We met two weeks ago and he's my boyfriend!" Momoi yelled out, before slapping her hands over her mouth.
"M-Momoi…?" Midori blinked in surprise.
"Oh my." Pollux simply smiled at her brother.
Castor himself was frozen upon hearing the ridiculous statement from his master, his gaze slowly shifting towards her instead of her father.
" … " Every other member of the Saiba family was staring at Momoi in silence, each being surprised or shocked to varying degrees.
"Wowie~!" Mizuki grinned, strumming a tune from his ukulele. "I didn't think sis would get together with someone!"
"I'm more surprised that she found someone that can tolerate her…" Mirei muttered under her breath.
Before Castor could say anything, he found himself once again under the stern gaze of Minato, who was joined by Masamune.
"What are your intentions with my little girl, young man?" Minato asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Indeed, my younger sister is a ball of energy," Masamune added, though he was more polite. "I would hate it if someone broke her heart."
Even though he was much stronger than the two humans by so much, Castor felt a chill as he fidgeted under the gazes of the two men before him.
Not helping matters was his dear sister smothering her own giggles at his expense.
"Why did I come here again…?"
"Let's not pressure the poor boy." Miyuki cut in, stepping in between her husband and her oldest son. "The last thing I want is you two scaring him off."
"Yes dear." Minato relented, looking away slightly.
"Sorry mom." Masamune let out a sheepish chuckle.
Miyuki nodded in satisfaction and turned her attention towards Castor, before she placed her hands over his shoulders.
"I ask that you not mind them." She said, shaking her head. "They can be quite protective of the twins in particular."
"Noted…" Castor nodded.
"Hehe, you look pretty stiff there!" Minoru was at the servant's side and clapped him on the shoulder. "Just relax and enjoy the picnic here, we're all friends here!"
Castor made a point to ignore him as he was focused solely on his master, who remained oddly silent for quite a while.
Momoi, for her part, laughed awkwardly under her servant's glare, knowing that she was the one that put him in that position.
Unbeknownst to both of them, Mikio continued to stare at both servants, his eyes narrowed and his hands slightly clenched into fists.
…
XXX (One Hour Later) XXX
The Saiba family picnic started in full swing, as each member were doing their own activities within a small distance from each other.
Masamune had set up a grill and was cooking sausages and patties, with buns for both waiting on a table.
Minato and Miyuki were taking pictures of their natural surroundings, while glancing at their children every now and then.
Minoru was doing push ups a few meters away from the main picnic area, with Mirei standing nearby and holding a timer and clipboard.
Mikio was attempting to fly a modified kite of his own creation, with a small engine right beside him and his goggles worn over his eyes.
Mizuki was happily playing the harmonica as he was content with staying where he was, in which he was near his oldest brother.
"Midori, catch!"
"I got it!"
Midori and Pollux were playing a game where both of them took turns throwing a frisbee and the other catching it.
As for Momoi and Castor, they were currently standing a good distance away from the main picnic area and under a tree, but the two weren't exactly having fun like the others were.
" … " Momoi was fidgeting under the unamused glare from her servant.
Castor understood perfectly that his master did it to hide his, as well as Pollux's by extension, nature as Heroic Spirits, but that didn't excuse the position she had put him in.
It took him nearly five minutes to finally get away from the family's scrutiny.
"At least Pollux was more accepted." He thought, which brought some small comfort.
"Uh, I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that, okay?" Momoi spoke up, awkwardly scratching the back of her head.
This got Castor to roll his eyes and replied. "Do you realize the pressure you put me in? That alone could've given me away, Momoi."
His sarcastic tone when he uttered her name was enough for the master bow in front of him and placed her hands together.
"I'm sorry for what I did, alright!" Momoi apologized. "I panicked and went for the first thing that popped up in my head."
"Couldn't you have said something other than 'boyfriend'?" Castor deadpanned.
Momoi stood straight and let out a sheepish laugh. "You gotta admit, it definitely threw my family off guard and got them to focus on that!"
"I'm glad my suffering was a source of amusement." Her servant said in a dry tone.
"Welllll, at least my family won't be questioning you again for the rest of the day." Momoi twiddled her fingers. "That's gotta count for something, right?"
Castor simply closed his eyes and sighed. "Just don't do it again, if you please?"
"Hehe, pinky promise~!" Momoi held up her pinky finger towards her servant.
He normally would've brushed it off and immediately went on his way, but knew that his master was being sincere with her words.
"… Very well then." Castor reluctantly returned the action.
With that, the initial tension quickly dissipated, as both parties shared a pinky promise, even with one side being hesitant.
"Alright~!" Momoi perked up. "Now let's go have some fun!"
"No thank you," Castor declined. "I am very much fine with just watching."
"Hey, don't be like that!" His master was quick to grab his hand. "The last thing I want is you standing there like a statue for hours!"
"I insist, just seeing Pollux enjoy herself is more than enough." The servant tried to let go, making sure not to come off as rude.
"Come oooooon~." Momoi looked directly into his eyes. "This is even the perfect time for us to bond, pretty please~?"
"Did she really just use…?" Castor thought in disbelief, as his master did what was called the "puppy eyes" and batted her eyelashes for good measure.
He wanted to further decline and simply watch the activities from a distance, yet at the same time, he knew that doing so would only escalate his master's persistence.
"How exhausting…"
Realizing that he had no other choice, Castor sighed once more and said. "… Fine, but I will despise every second of it."
"Heh, sure you will~." Momoi giggled, clearly unconvinced.
It didn't take long for both student and servant to return to the main picnic area, as some of the family members gathered together with baseball bats and gloves.
"Hey! Took ya long enough!" Minoru called out with a toothy grin.
"We're going to play a game of baseball." Masamune said, holding up a baseball glove. "Would you like to join us, Castor-san?"
Just as Castor himself was about to answer, Momoi was quick to jump up and grab him by the shoulders, and then pulled him towards her face.
"You should play with them, Castor-kun!" She said, smiling. "It's a good chance for you to make a good impression on my big brothers!"
The servant looked at his master with an expression of unease, before switching to her older brothers, each of them looking forward to the game to varying degrees.
"… Very well, I accept." He answered with another sigh.
Declining would only encourage his master to speak much louder and potentially arouse suspicion from her family members.
"Cool!" Minoru immediately handed him a baseball bat. "I'll be the first pitch, you'll be up first!"
In a matter of seconds, Castor found himself holding the baseball bat with a look of confusion, while Mikio was crouched behind him and played the catcher.
"I still can't believe they refused the modified gear…" He heard him mutter under his breath.
"Alright then, ya better prepare yourself!" Minoru called out, as he raised his arm with the baseball in hand.
Castor's eyes scanned his surroundings, spotting Midori and Pollux watching the game from the sidelines, alongside Miyuki, Mirei, Mizuki, and Momoi.
His sister simply smiled at him and waved as a sign of showing her support, while his master was much louder in that aspect.
"Woohoo, you can do it~!"
Seeing this, Castor narrowed his eyes and nodded at them, as he steeled himself and got into position, tightening his grip on the baseball bat as he did.
"Three, two, one," Minato stood in place as the umpire. "Play!"
Whoosh!
Clack!
Much to Minoru's surprise, as soon as he pitched the ball towards Castor, the latter responded by hitting the ball hard enough to send it flying high into the air.
"Yeah, that's more like it!" Momoi stood up on the picnic bench and cheered.
"Momoi, get down from there!" Mirei was quick to scold her. "You'll get your feet on the food!"
"Brother, start running!" Pollux called out.
Castor blinked at that for a few seconds, before he shook his head and threw away the bat as he proceeded to run towards each "base" on the field.
Within just seconds, the servant reached the last one and stood firmly in place.
"Save!" Minato called out, even blowing a whistle.
"Damn, that was pretty quick there, dude." Minoru said with a grin.
"Not bad, I suppose." Mikio approached the servant with his arms crossed.
"Go, Castor-kun~!"
Masamune chuckled at his younger sister's cheering and said. "It seems like you have quite the dedicated girlfriend there."
Castor's eye subtly twitched in response, having been reminded of what his master said to hide his servant status.
To Momoi's credit, she laughed sheepishly and slowly sat back down in silence, with Midori watching on in mild amusement.
"Well, you've certainly surprised us there." Minato walked up to the servant with a small smirk. "Think you have more tricks up your sleeves?"
"Huh?" Castor couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Yeah, keep impressing us like this and I can see why my baby sister got together with you." Minoru added with a teasing grin.
The servant narrowed his eyes and said. "Now listen here-"
"Don't mind him, Castor-san." Masamune reassured him. "It's all in good fun."
Castor simply closed his eyes and shook his head at that, yet he felt an indescribable feeling swelling up inside his chest.
He looked up at the male family members casually bantering with one another, ranging from Minoru throwing an arm around Mikio to Minato calling out to his wife.
"Warm…" Was the only thought that came to mind.
Perhaps his master wouldn't be the only one he would let his guard down around…
…
XXX (Three Hours Later) XXX
"Well, that was fun. Wanna do it again sometime?"
"When all our schedules are clear, dear."
"Father, should I send a report at your desk?"
"Of course."
"At least we weren't out for too long..."
"I can't wait to write a song about this~."
"Save that for when we get home, Mizuki."
After a couple of hours, the Saiba family was packing up their things and about to go their separate ways.
Momoi and Midori were no different as they wasted no time packing what little they brought with them and proceeded to head back to the direction of Millennium Science School.
Castor and Pollux quietly followed them from behind, with the former in particular focused on his master's energetic steps.
In that moment, he felt his lips twitch upwards and his eyes soften ever-so slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by his sister.
"Oh my, are perhaps now growing fond of your master?" She asked in a teasing tone.
The male twin looked away and hid his expression. "Don't read too much into it. She's just more… tolerable now."
"Of course, of course~." Pollux sounded unconvinced, but didn't push the matter forward. "I'm glad that you got to bond with our masters' family."
" … " Castor remained silent in response, his mind thinking back to what he had experienced.
So far, the humans of Kivotos were indeed as genuine as his sister said they were, but that was only his master's family thus far.
He would have to meet more people outside of that to truly get a full grasp.
"Uwaah, what a day…"
Momoi leaned back against her chair, her body exhausted by the events of the family picnic, yet her mind was the exact opposite.
Seeing her servant get along with her family in his own way was something that made her very happy, especially when he made no attempt to push them away like he did with her before.
Her first meeting with Castor…
XXX (Two Weeks Ago) XXX
"Whoa…"
Momoi and Midori stood in complete awe when a pair of blonde-haired twins, just like them, suddenly manifested before them in the midst of their exploring for game inspiration.
"W-Who are you two?" Midori asked, obviously wary of the new people that appeared out of nowhere.
"We are the Dioscuri." The blonde-haired girl spoke calmly, before introducing herself and her brother. "I am Pollux, and he is Castor."
"Huh? What's this on my hand!?" Momoi looked down in surprise when red markings showed up on the palm of her hand.
Midori blinked at the sight, before she looked down and saw the markings on her own hand.
"What's this!?" She exclaimed.
Pollux stepped forward with complete grace. "I feel a strong connection with you, so you must be my master."
"M-Master? What do you mean?" Midori asked in confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about!"
Castor, on the other hand, was glaring at Momoi and made no attempt to hide his clear disdain.
"So my master is a mere human once again." He spat, narrowing his eyes. "I ask that you turn around and never show your disgusting face."
He obviously intended on intimidating her, but rather than getting the reaction he expected, Momoi simply smiled and placed her hands on her hips.
"Well, aren't you a tough guy?" She asked, and then pointed a finger at him. "I don't know what your deal is, but since your sister said something about masters, that means you belong to me, right?"
"What are you getting at, human?" Castor narrowed his eyes at her reaction.
"That just means I'm gonna pull out all the stops to max out our bond, that's what!" Momoi declared. "Just you wait, I'll get to you in no time."
"Hmph. Feel free to try then." Her servant scoffed. "I doubt that you will get anywhere."
Oh, little did he know…
XXX (The Present) XXX
Momoi couldn't help but giggle at the memory of how she met Castor and how he tried to scare her off as her first impression of him.
She definitely had a rough time trying to get him to open up, but since yesterday, a lot of progress was made, so her mission was on its way to being complete!
Turning her head, she saw Castor reading a book on a bean chair, trying to make himself more comfortable in the GDD's comfy clubhouse.
"Hey, Castor-kun?" She decided to speak to him.
"Hm?" He looked up at her. "What do you need, master?"
The fact that he was beginning to call her 'master' too was something she considered as a victory for her mission.
"Do you remember how we met?" Momoi asked, as a cheeky grin appeared on her face. "You really laid it onto me and was like: 'Hurr durr, I hate humans because humans are bad!', hehe~."
"I did not say that." Castor deadpanned. "Also, you were quite persistent, so much that it was exhausting."
"Heh, guilty as charged~." Momoi stuck out her tongue, not looking sorry at all.
"However…" Her servant's face became something akin to awkward. "I suppose that I was wrong about you and you are… tolerable…"
"Awww, are you finally warming up to me~?" Momoi teased, even getting up from her seat. "I'm glad to know you're just a huge tsundere!"
Castor narrowed his eyes and said. "What does that even mean?"
"Ah, it doesn't matter!" Momoi waved him off. "What matters is that we're finally friends!"
" … " Her servant gave no response and merely looked away with a huff.
If one looked closely at his face, small hints of red were on his cheeks.
At the back of the room, Midori and Pollux exchanged knowing glances, seeing that the unlikely student-servant pair were on its way to finally bonding.
Millennium students and their servants:
Seminar
Rio and Artoria Pendragon
Yuuka and EMIYA
Noa and Chiron
Koyuki and Red Hare
Veritas
Chihiro and Thomas Edison
Maki and Heracles
Hare and Nikola Tesla
Kotama and Osakabe-hime
Cleaning and Clearing
Neru and Cu Chulainn
Asuna and Gareth
Karin and Arjuna
Akane and Charles-Henri Sanson
Toki and Altera
Super Phenomenon Task Force
Himari and Leonardo Da Vinci (Rider)
Eimi and Roland
Engineering Club
Utaha and Senji Muramasa
Hibiki and Avicebron
Kotori and Charles Babbage
Athletic Training Club
Sumire and Leonidas
Rei and Beowulf
Game Development Department
Yuzu and Mandricardo
Momoi and Castor
Midori and Pollux
Aris and Merlin
NEXT CHAPTER: Reisa and EMIYA Kiritsugu
I hope you guys don't mind my attempts to slowly fill out the world of Kivotos in my own way, while putting the main focus on the students themselves and their servants.
I'm... honestly unsure of how my attempt at writing Castor has turned out, so I hope to receive feedback on it in the comments below!
The next one will certainly be interesting, Reisa and Kerry will require a bit more planning, but I'll make sure to get it done before the second semester begins for me.
Happy reading~!