Hub World, Earth, Japan, Tokyo.
Fifteen minutes after the manager made his appearance on the shop floor, Tatsuo, Yakumo, and Chiho left the jewelry store. While Chiho continued to look back as they walked away from the store, Yakumo seemed completely unbothered. Tatsuo, on the other hand, was smiling brightly as he repeatedly glanced at his school bag where the purchase he made was.
Not only did Tatsuo buy the bracelet that he was interested in, but he also left with a pair of yellow gold, diamond earrings. Though, he doubted he would ever wear them. They just called out to him as something he had to have.
Meanwhile, the store manager, after sending Tatsuo away with a smile, slowly turned back to his employees while closing his store temporarily. It seemed as if none of the clerks would be having a good time today.
As for the other three young ladies in the store, Kaguya, Ai, and Chika, they were standing outside of the shop, as well.
"Fujiwara-San, you said you knew who that boy was, didn't you?" Kaguya asked while watching Tatsuo, Yakumo, and Chiho leave.
"Yup!" Chika said while popping the P as she looked at the autograph she received a little while ago. "Like I said, he's all over Niconico."
"Interesting." Kaguya said quietly as she turned away from the three middle schoolers in the distance. "Do you think you could show me those videos? If so, we could go to my house together."
"No need." Chika said in her usual, bubbly tone. "I can show you right now. Just give me a second. I'll bring it up on my phone."
Hearing that, Kaguya froze for a moment. Then, her eyes widened slightly as she saw Chika pull her smartphone out of her pocket.
"What is that?" Kaguya asked in a confused tone.
Both Ai and Chika looked at Kaguya strangely when they heard that. However, Chika was more confused than Ai, as Ai had some idea why Kaguya asked.
"You mean this?" Chika asked while holding up her smartphone.
Kaguya only nodded her head.
"This is my cell phone… Or smartphone." Chika said while tilting her head in confusion.
'Ah! I almost forgot how ignorant of technology my lady is.' Ai thought to herself. ''Well, seeing Fujiwara-San try to explain a smartphone and how it works might be fun to see. Unfortunately, we do not have the time for that.'
"Unfortunately, we do not have the time for that explanation, Kaguya-Sama." Ai said, interrupting the conversation before it could go on any further. "We need to return home soon. Otherwise, your brother will make a much bigger fuss than is necessary if you were to be late."
"*Sigh* Yes, you're right, Hayasaka-San." Kaguya replied in an exasperated toen. "Well then, I suppose I will see you at school, Fujiwara-San."
"Oh, but what about the video?" Chika asked, tilting her head to the other side.
"If you don't mind, you can send me a link to the video, and I will show Kaguya-Sama on the ride back." Ai said as she pulled her own smartphone out of the pocket of her maid uniform.
Seeing Ai also pulling out a smartphone, the confusion in Kaguya's eyes only grew. Then, when she saw both young ladies operating their smartphones, that confusion turned into a slight amount of awe. Then, she could not help comparing what she saw to the cell phone that was in her own pocket.
As Ai previously mentioned, Kaguya was ignorant to technology and it's advancements. So, she had no clue what a smartphone was. IN fact, she was still using an old fashioned flip phone from a bygone era. Yet, that was all she ever knew. So, to see something so much more advanced than what she had was quite strange to her.
Meanwhile, Tatsuo, Yakumo, and Chiho eventually found the café they had been looking for originally. When they did, Tatsuo could not help but look around with a smile on his face.
'So, the place Chi-Chan was talking about is the same place where she had her date with Maou-San in the anime.' Tatsuo thought to himself. 'The same place where they were trapped in the mall's collapse. Interesting.'
"This place is quite nice, Chi-Chan." Yakumo said as the trio took a seat at an empty table.
"Yeah, that's what I heard." Chiho said excitedly. She then turned to Tatsuo with a confused expression. "By the way, Tatsuo-Kun, did you buy those earrings for your mom or sister? Or maybe that girl with the scary gaze?"
"Huh?" Tatsuo asked, pulled out of his recollections about the anime. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, you don't wear earrings, right?" Chiho asked while moving from side to side to look at Tatsuo's earlobes. "You don't have any piercings."
"But I bought them for me, though." Tatsuo said, sounding rather confused. "Why do I need to wear them to want them in my collection?"
That question only confused Chiho even further. Yakumo, on the other hand, knew what Tatsuo was thinking, at least a little, though.
'I've read fairy tales about dragons sleeping on piles of gold.' Yakumo thought while watching the back and forth between her friends. 'So, the whole thing about dragons liking treasure was true, huh? And he thought I was someone worth being treasured. But does that mean he wants to possess me?'
As her thoughts reached that point, a slight blush crept on to Yakumo's cheeks. Unfortunately, both Tatsuo and Chiho were too busy with their conversation to notice. Yet, all the other café patrons were mesmerized by the enchanting site. So much, in fact, that a waitress accidentally dropped a cup to the floor, pulling everyone out of their stupors before they could last too long.
"Anyway, the results of the Entrance Exam should be out this weekend." Tatsuo said while glancing curiously at the spill that happened not too far away. "Are you two excited."
"Kind of." Yakumo replied. "I studied hard for this all year long. So, I'm fairly certain I'll get into the school I want to."
"You're so calm about this, Yakumo-Chan." Chiho said, sounding more than a little nervous. "Every time I think about it, I get nervous. What if I didn't pass the cut."
"I'm sure you'll be fine." Yakumo said in her usual tone. "You've been working hard, too. And I've seen how well you did on the mock exams when we were studying for the exam. So, all you have to do is believe in yourself, Chi-Chan."
"I hope you're right." Chiho replied, not sounding nearly as confident as Yakumo.
"Anyway, midterms are coming up, too." Tatsuo said while looking through the cafe's menu.
"Ugh! Don't remind me." Chiho said as she rested her arms on the table and her head on her arms. "I just want a break from all the studying."
"Well, it's almost over." Tatsuo said with a shrug. "There's only midterms and finals left. After that, we move on to high school. Oh, we'll have to study there, too. But it won't be that bad, right?"
"Tatsuo-Kun, you're so mean sometimes." Chiho said, raising her head to glare at Tatsuo.
"I'm just keeping it real." Tatsuo replied.
'Just saying that makes me think of that one Chappelle Show skit' Tatsuo thought to himself. 'When keeping it real goes wrong... Or something. Well, I don't think I'll end up in any situations like that.'
Eventually the topic about all the studying that was on the horizon came to an end. At the same time, someone came to take the trio's orders. Then, they enjoyed some coffee, tea, and pastries before leaving to head home. Luckily, they were near Shibuya Station, So, Tatsuo and Yakumo walked Chiho there before Tatsuo walked Yakumo home and returned to his apartment.
A while later, Tatsuo reached the apartment. When he did, he found Emi, who looked quite tired, entering the lobby while he waited for the elevator to the penthouse.
"Good evening, Yusa-San." Tatsuo said with a friendly smile. "Long day at work, huh?"
"Oh, it's you, Soramoto-Kun." Emi replied. "Yeah, you could say that. I just wanna go up and take a bath then pass out in my bed."
"Sounds rough." Tatsuo replied. "Well, I hope you have a good night."
"Thanks." Emi replied with a small smile. "Oh, by the way, I saw your mother and your... new sister...? While I was on my lunch break today."
"Oh, you must mean Ayane-Oneesan." Tatsuo replied. "She's actually Kasumi-Neesan's half-sister. But they were separated a while ago. But mom adopted her, too."
"Oh, that's nice." Emi said, her smile widening slightly. "Bringing family members together is always a good thing."
"I guess." Tatsuo replied while scratching his cheek. "They don't always get along, though. Sometimes they even fight."
"That's just how siblings are, though." Emi replied.
*Ding!*
Before the conversation could continue any further, however, the bell signifying the arrival of the elevator Tatsuo was waiting for rang. And since it was an exclusive elevator for the penthouse, that meant that the conversation had to come to an end.
"Well, I guess I'll see you later, Yusa-San." Tatsuo said with a smile as he stepped into the elevator. "Get some rest."
"See you later, Soramoto-Kun." Emi said with a little wave as the elevator doors closed.
After that, it did not take long for Tatsuo to reach the penthouse. When he did, after changing his shoes, he made his way into the living room.
"I'm back." Tatsuo said as he entered the living room.
*Thud!*
"Tatsu-Chan~~!" Sumire cried out as she slammed into Tatsuo and wrapped her arms and legs around his neck and torso respectively. "Those mean clerks at the jewelry store didn't make you too mad, did they?"
"No, not really." Tatsuo replied with a smile as he patted his mother's back. "It's just it was really annoying. Especially when they treated the credit card you let me use like a common credit card."
"In their defense, seeing a card like that isn't really all that common." Kasumi said from her seat on the couch. "World Elite Cards aren't for just anyone, after all."
"I guess." Tatsuo replied.
"By the way, Tatsuo-Sama." Tio said with a smile and a curious glint in her eyes. "Would you mind showing us what caught your eye today?"
Hearing that, Tatsuo, his draconic instincts kicking in once again, tightened his grip on his school bag while looking at Tio suspiciously. And when she saw the look in Tatsuo's eyes, Tio could not help but shudder.
Although it was not the cold glare she had come to love over the months, Tio found Tatsuo's distrustful gaze exhilarating in a different way.
"Don't worry, Tatsu-Kun." Mai said in a heroic tone. "If this evil black dragon tries to steal your treasure, I will slay her for you. Have no fear."
"You know, coming from you, that doesn't really sound like a joke." Ayane, who was sitting in a recliner, said dryly. "And if I look closely enough, I can see a glint in your eyes that is begging Tio-San to try and steal Tatsuo's jewelry."
Hearing Ayane's observation, everyone, except Sumire, turned to look in Mai's direction. And sure enough, they could all see the same glint in her eyes. Then, at the same time, both Mai and Tio produced fans to cover their smiles.
However, their smiles both had different meanings, as Mai was trying to hide her intent to get rid of the competition. Tio, on the other hand, was only smiling because she was ready to defend herself. Though, she doubted that anything would come from Mai's hair-brained scheme, especially with Sumire present.
"Alright, that's enough, Mai-Chan." Sumire said while resting her head on Tatsuo's shoulder. "Stop trying to stir up trouble."
Although she said that, Sumire was only partially paying attention to what was going on in the living room. Most of her attention was focused on the situation of Tatsuo's soul and the seal placed over it.
'Hmm... His soul is maturing at a much faster pace than I expected. 'At this rate, his essence will be solidified well before his birthday. In fact, his next mission might be enough. On top of that, his emotions are settling much faster, too. I didn't think killing Christie would have been this good for him. Maybe I should have let him kill her when she first saw him a couple months ago... Hmm... Food for thought. But I'm not gonna go back to change the past. That could cause more trouble than it's worth.'
"Still, I wanna see the treasure you found, Tatsu-Chan." Sumire said after she finished her analysis.
"Okay." Tatsuo said as he put Sumire down. He then reached into his school bag and pulled out the bag from the jewelry store before taking out the two jewelry boxes.
After that, time passed quickly, midterms and finals came and went. Ayane passed the transfer exam for Yagami High School, and Tatsuo had his interview to attend Yagami, as well. And just as he expected, everything went well. He, Yakumo, Chiho, and Ayane would be attending Yagami High School when the Spring term started.
The only thing that confused him, as well as the members of the [Dimensional Chat], was the fact that there had been no [Missions]. It had been almost four full months since the last one, and they were all anxious to know when and where the next one would be.
{[Dimensional Chat]
Lici: When's the next mission gonna be?
Tatsuo (Admin): No idea
Tatsuo (Admin): But I hope the next world doesn't make me go to school again
Tatsuo (Admin): I was supposed to be a student in every mission I've been on so far
James: Well, at least we only had half a day of classes on the last one
Violet: You never even went to your first day when you first came to my world
Tatsuo (Admin): I think going to school would have been better in that case, though
Tatsuo (Admin): I mean, the school was attacked by monsters
Violet: Touché
Alfonzo: By the way, is it okay for you to be talking to us right now?
Alfonzo: You're at your graduation, right?
Alfonzo: And as the highest scorer on your finals, shouldn't you be giving a speech or something?
Tatsuo (Admin): Nah
Tatsuo (Admin): I'm a transfer student, remember?
Tatsuo (Admin): I didn't even show up till almost halfway through the second term
Tatsuo (Admin): They asked Yakumo-Chan to do it
Tatsuo (Admin): And her speech is pretty good, too
Lici: Good for her
Aletia: I wanna go to school with Tetsuo, too
[Notifications]
-A mission is available for the members of the [Dimensional Chat]
Tatsuo (Admin): Huh?
Lici: It's finally here!
Lici: I wanna go on this one!
Alfonzo: I don't mind either way
Alfonzo: Let's see how many people can go
James: Just as long as there's no school, I don't mind going
James: School is too boring
Aletia: If Tatsuo goes, I wanna go, too
Akatsuki: I was out farming when this notification popped up
Akatsuki: Telling Shiroe and Naotsugu why I needed a break was strange
Akatsuki: I had to punch Naotsugu for saying something perverted, too
Tatsuo (Admin): Anyway, let's check the mission details and come back after that}
Naturally, everyone agreed with Tatsuo's suggestion. So, they all made their way to the [Mission] section of the [Dimensional Chat] to see what kind of tasks they would have to complete on this next [Mission].
{[Missions]
[Mission #3]
-Objectives
Summon a Servant Take part in the Holy Grail War Defeat the Servant from the last Holy Grail War Win the Holy Grail War Destroy or purify the tainted Holy Grail Invite one new member to the [Dimensional Chat]
-Number of Participants: 2. Join Quest as Master? Y/N Join Quest as Servant? Y/N
-The quest will start automatically in 6 Days, 23 Hours, and 58 Minutes.
Note: If participants are not chosen by the time limit, they will be chosen at random.
-Reward: 8,000 Coins; Random Reward
[Begin Mission]}