"Happy Halloween! Trick or treat!"
A few small figures stood at Alexander's door, their cute little hands outstretched, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.
The visitors were none other than little Fran, Remilia, and Kanna.
Looking at the group of little girls before him, Alexander felt a headache coming on. "I have to ask… do you even know what Halloween is about?"
His words were met with blank stares. Alexander sighed. These kids clearly had no idea about the origins of Halloween.
Halloween, after all, was a Western ghost festival.
It's said that on this day, spirits and ghosts roam freely. To avoid harm, people would dress up as Gyūki snake gods or other frightening figures to pray for protection and drive away evil spirits.
"So…" Alexander pointed at them, exasperated. "Little Fran! Remilia! Why are you two vampires so excited about this? And Satania, aren't you a demon? Isn't this your kind of thing we're trying to exorcise? And Kanna-chan! No more candy for you! Who was it that had a toothache and woke me up at midnight yesterday asking for help?"
He shook his head in disbelief at the group in front of him. "Can't you just be like Gabriel? Look at her—an angel, calm and collected, not indulging in this nonsense."
Hearing his words, Remilia glanced dismissively at Gabriel in cat costume. "Oh, please. She's only acting obedient because there's an event in FGO tonight. If it weren't for that, do you think she'd sit still?"
Alexander blinked. "Huh. Fair enough."
"No, wait," he continued. "What about Athena? She's just a kid, but look how quiet and compose—"
But before he could finish praising her…
"Alexander, let's go out and have fun!"
Whoosh!
Athena ran out of her room, a large black sheet draped over her with a witch hat. She had turned herself into a makeshift witch?.
"Alright, never mind. Pretend I didn't say anything," Alexander muttered, shaking his head helplessly.
He wasn't particularly interested in Halloween or its traditions. But then he remembered who he lived with—a house full of mischievous kids and quirky companions.
"Fine," Alexander relented. "Let's go out and have some fun."
As he rose to lead the group, Kanna tugged on his sleeve.
"Onii-chan… Halloween means we have to dress up," she said, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes.
"Dress up?" Alexander frowned. "That's so much effort. Besides, aren't all of you already dressed up?"
Before he could finish, the little girls in front of him began transforming:
Kanna sprouted horns and a tail.Schwi extended her mechanical wings.Fran and Remilia bared their fangs and unfolded their bat-like wings.Satania grabbed her tiny trident, her little tail wagging behind her.Gabriel unfolded her angel wings but quickly retracted them, realizing how bare and unsightly they looked. Flustered, she pulled out her darkened angel halo, polished it quickly, and placed it atop her head.
Alexander stood there, slack-jawed.
"You've got to be kidding me. Is there anyone in this house who's normal?"
"Master! Let's go out and play!"
Nero cheerfully skipped over, looking exactly as she always did. Alexander's face lit up as he gave her a big hug.
"Ah, Nero! You're the best. You're the only one who didn't turn into some weirdo."
Nero tilted her head, puzzled by his enthusiasm. "I wanted to dress up too, but Tohru told me something that made me change my mind."
Alexander blinked. "What did she say?"
Nero smiled. "She said, 'We Heroic Spirits are already ghosts. Why bother dressing up?'"
Alexander froze. "...Fair point."
He sighed in resignation. "Alright, let's just go."
As Alexander led the group out, Kurumi stayed behind with Tohru, her expression uneasy.
"Tohru, I have a bad feeling about this," Kurumi murmured. "Whenever Alexander goes out, something strange always happens."
Tohru shrugged. "Don't worry. It's just Halloween. What could possibly go wrong?"
"No, I mean because it's Alexander, there will be accidents."
Tohru paused. "...makes sense."
Meanwhile, in a dark clearing far away, ominous figures began to gather.
Orochimaru stood among them, a wide smile on his face. Before him, coffins were neatly arranged in rows.
"Halloween? Ghost Festival? If it's a celebration of the dead, how could we not join in? And what better way than with the Impure World Reincarnation technique?"
"Now, come forth!"