To Become a King and a Magician 711-715

Title: Defending the City

Over the past half-year since the Demon Beast Front Line was established, today marked the heaviest casualties.

“The number of soldiers killed or wounded reached sixty percent of the total, and the Northern Wall’s damage exceeds forty percent…?”

This was the toll from just over two hours of battle. The sheer number of Demon Beasts had nearly obliterated the entire Northern Wall defense line.

If Naoki hadn’t arrived just in time afterward, the casualties would likely have been far more devastating.

Sitting on his throne, listening to Nobunaga’s report, Gilgamesh nodded gravely: “Understood. Bring all the wounded soldiers back to Uruk. I will personally mourn the fallen soldiers. Gather the severely wounded at the temple for treatment and care. Lightly wounded soldiers will also return for treatment. The same goes for the Servants.”

“Eh? Wait a moment, King Gilgamesh!”

Ushiwakamaru, who had also come to the Ziggurat to report, couldn’t help but speak up: “If all the soldiers are withdrawn, the Northern Wall’s defense—”

“No need to worry about that.” Gilgamesh looked at Naoki. “Holy Sword Bearer, can you hold the Northern Wall alone?”

“If the enemies are just Demon Beasts.” Naoki replied. “No matter how many Demon Beasts come, I can guarantee the Northern Wall won’t be breached. But if Enkidu or the Magical Beast Goddess appears, I can’t make that promise.”

“Hmm, that’s enough. Holy Sword Bearer, from now on, I entrust you with guarding the Northern Wall, assisted by Merlin, Merry, Morgan, and the personnel from Chaldea. The other Servants will return to Uruk and rejoin the Northern Wall after resting for two days.”

“Also, what about the repairs to the Northern Wall?”

“Merlin, Merry, and Morgan are working on it at full speed.” Naoki answered. “At the earliest, it’ll be done by dusk, but that’s just emergency repairs. I’ll reinforce it later using Imaginary Manifestation.”

Gilgamesh nodded: “Good. Then, let’s move on to logistics and supply issues…”

The handling of the aftermath of the first wave of the Demon Beast general assault continued until the afternoon.

Due to the massive casualties, there was a severe shortage of various supplies, such as medical facilities, medicine, bandages, and more. Beyond the confirmed casualties, many soldiers were still missing, requiring the formation of rescue teams to search for them. Add to that the rebuilding of camps, handling of the dead…

These various tasks kept Uruk bustling all day long. The city was enveloped in an unprecedented tension and seriousness, struggling to address the shortages caused by this major battle. Even Naoki, before heading to the Northern Wall, was held back to use his Imaginary Manifestation to urgently create a large number of beds and medical rooms. King Gilgamesh was truly intent on squeezing him dry from now on.

Though Naoki didn’t mind, he felt a bit guilty for not arriving at the Northern Wall in time, despite rushing as soon as he received the notification.

If he had maintained his highly attuned observational senses, perhaps the Northern Wall wouldn’t have suffered such heavy losses.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Evening, as the sun set, at the Northern Wall.

After exhaustive repairs by Naoki, Merlin, Merry, and Morgan, the Northern Wall, damaged from the morning’s battle, was finally restored to about ninety percent of its original state.

Standing atop the wall, looking at the piles of Demon Beast and human corpses in the northern desert, Ritsuka clenched her fists tightly.

“I didn’t expect… something like this would happen…”

Up to this point, Ritsuka had traversed six Singularities. In previous Singularities, she had witnessed horrific scenes like the one before her.

Just recently, in the fifth Singularity, she had seen a mythological war spanning North America.

She should have developed some immunity to such gruesome sights by now, but in reality, no matter how many times she saw them, Ritsuka felt she would never get used to this.

“Today’s battle was the strongest Demon Beast attack ever.” Merlin, standing beside her, explained. “The confirmed number of Demon Beasts killed is nearly three thousand. The actual number involved in the attack was likely closer to ten thousand. It’s as if they unleashed all the forces they’d been hiding in one go.”

A Demon Beast army totaling nearly ten thousand.

Due to this overwhelming number, the Northern Wall suffered such extensive damage.

“Though thanks to Natsukawa’s timely arrival, nearly all the Demon Beasts were wiped out, and there shouldn’t be another attack this strong, the situation is still far from optimistic.”

Indeed.

Now was not the time to breathe a sigh of relief.

The sheer number of Demon Beasts alone had caused such losses at the Demon Beast Front Line. If the Magical Beast Goddess appeared on the battlefield, or if the fake Enkidu joined the fight, the Northern Wall would suffer even greater losses, and total collapse wasn’t impossible.

【The one thing to be grateful for now is that Natsukawa has dealt with two Goddesses. If fighting just one Goddess is already this difficult, if the Three Goddess Alliance attacked together, we definitely wouldn’t have held.】

Roman’s voice came through the communication device on Ritsuka’s wrist.

That was the only good news.

At that moment, footsteps echoed from the nearby entrance stairs. Then Ritsuka, Mash, and Merlin saw Naoki walking up.

“You’re all here. What are you looking at?”

“Nothing, just reflecting a bit on the battlefield.” Merlin laughed. “How’s the situation over there? Has Uruk stabilized?”

Naoki sighed: “That’s hard to say. From my perspective, the atmosphere in Uruk is pretty grim right now. After all, they had just seen a glimmer of hope before, but today they were nearly wiped out. It’s a natural reaction.”

“We probably don’t need to worry about that. King Gilgamesh will manage their emotions well.” Merlin said. “As far as I know, King Gilgamesh has been saying things like ‘Uruk will surely fall’ for the past half-year. The people of Uruk might already be prepared to face the end of the world.”

“Prepared…?”

Ritsuka’s face darkened.

Naoki gently patted her head: “Don’t think too much about it, Fujimaru. It’s okay to feel various emotions about this situation, but don’t get too caught up in negative ones. Instead of spending time grieving here, focus on the current situation.”

“After all, all of Gilgamesh’s Servants are starting to return to Uruk to regroup. Only a few of us are left to hold the entire Northern Wall.”

As Naoki said, after the morning’s battle, the Servants previously stationed at the Northern Wall had sustained various injuries, big and small. Ushiwakamaru and Benkei had numerous wounds. Leonidas had been clawed in the chest, leaving a deep gash down to the bone. Most severely, Tomoe had lost much of her abdomen.

Nobunaga, who had been providing fire support from the air, had the lightest injuries.

As for Hinako and Xiang Yu, neither was injured at all. After all, one was a mechanical creation, and the other was a fairy. They weren’t easily harmed, so they could return to defend the city now.

“Cheer up, Fujimaru, Mash.”

“Our fight in this era is just about to begin.”

-

Title: So Tiamat Is an Alter Creation Machine

At the same time.

At the foot of the mountain, in the deepest depths of the cedar forest.

At some point, the mountain overlooking the cedar forest had transformed into an enormous temple.

After passing through the upright stone root pillars at the entrance and stepping inside, the interior resembled the ovary of an animal.

Dark purple flesh occupied every corner of the temple. Large fleshy orbs hung from the walls and ceiling. Upon closer inspection, the forms of adult humans could be seen inside. As the fleshy orbs pulsed continuously, the human forms gradually disintegrated and reshaped until, one by one, Demon Beasts emerged from the orbs.

This temple itself was a massive Demon Beast production facility.

Humans killed by Demon Beasts, corpses carried off by Demon Beasts, bodies devoured by Demon Beasts… All the remains of soldiers that Uruk failed to reclaim, as well as abducted humans, were ultimately brought to this colossal temple, serving as raw materials for the Magical Beast Goddess to create Demon Beasts.

This was why Demon Beasts could never be fully eradicated. As long as people went missing in battles against Demon Beasts, they were likely brought here to be recycled.

One human could produce three Uridimmu—with such efficiency, the number of Demon Beasts would always surpass the number of humans.

And after the daytime battle, the situation had worsened.

Inspecting the Demon Beast production conditions in the factory filled with Demon Beast eggs, Kingû’s face, which had been suffering from soul erosion pain, looked slightly better.

Hundreds of corpses had been brought back from the battlefield. With this amount, the production speed of second-generation Demon Beasts could be significantly increased.

Unlike the first-generation Demon Beasts used for gathering resources, the second-generation Demon Beasts were entirely based on the Eleven Children once born by Goddess Tiamat, and their individual strength was several levels above that of the first generation.

The estimated production number for second-generation Demon Beasts was—one hundred thousand.

Originally, in Kingû and the Magical Beast Goddess’s plan, the second-generation Demon Beasts were not meant to be used here. The first-generation Demon Beasts were sufficient to destroy Uruk. The second-generation Demon Beasts were prepared for the battles that would follow.

Although called the Three Goddess Alliance, in reality, the alliance among the three Goddesses would only last until Uruk was conquered. Whichever Goddess succeeded in conquering Uruk, the other two would surely launch attacks to seize the Holy Grail.

That was when the second-generation Demon Beasts would be deployed.

But now…

“Ugh!”

Pain struck again from the depths of his soul.

Kingû furrowed his brow tightly several times. Though he had gradually grown accustomed to the pain over the past few days, when it truly struck, Kingû still felt uncomfortable.

Yes.

If it weren’t for discovering the power of the Holy Sword Bearer, Kingû wouldn’t have planned to use the second-generation Demon Beasts so soon. But without them, with the current combat strength of the first-generation Demon Beasts, conquering Uruk would be difficult.

This could be called a forced effort.

After inspecting the production status of the second-generation Demon Beasts in the factory, Kingû headed straight to the temple’s deepest chamber. Inside the mountain, hollowed out into a vast space, there was now a pool filled with thin Black Mud emitting an unsettling aura.

Looking at the colossal figure in the middle of the pool, Kingû spoke softly: “Good afternoon, Mother.”

“Kingu?”

The giant figure in the Black Mud spread its massive golden wings behind it, looking down at Kingû below: “What’s the matter?”

“The inspection of the second-generation Demon Beast production status is complete. I came to check on the condition of ‘that’ modification by the Sea of Life.”

The Sea of Life.

The official name for the substance flowing from the Holy Grail, known in the magecraft world as Holy Grail Mud. The Magecraft King Solomon also called it the Chaos Tide.

This was one of Goddess Tiamat’s authorities.

Anything touched by the Sea of Life would form a contract with Goddess Tiamat on a cellular level, becoming an enemy of humanity and randomly gaining abilities such as self-modification, ecological transformation, ecological fusion, and individual multiplication.

Tiamat was called the Mother of All Beasts, and this authority was a manifestation of that title.

“Oh, that. Yes, the modification is proceeding smoothly.”

The Magical Beast Goddess raised her hands, submerged in the Black Mud, holding up a naked female body. Strangely, this body lacked everything except sexual characteristics. No face, no nose, no hair… nothing.

Kingû wasn’t surprised by this, as not long ago, this body was merely a piece of flesh slightly larger than a palm.

It was one of the war trophies brought back by the Demon Beasts, a fragment of the body of the Servant named Tomoe Gozen, torn apart by Demon Beasts. Originally just a piece of flesh slightly larger than a palm, it had now been regrown to the size of a human body.

With the power of the Sea of Life, the individual fragment was modified, and based on that, multiplication and transformation were performed, creating an entirely new individual.

This was essentially the same as modifying a human into a Demon Beast, but since the raw material was part of a Servant’s body, the resulting Demon Beast’s strength was highly anticipated. Additionally, Tomoe seemed to have some non-human lineage mixed in her body. With the combination of both, a Demon Beast might be born with power surpassing the second-generation Demon Beasts.

Once released onto the battlefield, this would surely deal another heavy blow to Uruk.

What was somewhat regrettable was that Tomoe, who could have been brought back whole, managed to escape despite being severely injured and surrounded. If she had been brought back intact and placed in the Sea of Life, an even superior individual might have been created.

Lowering the human-shaped flesh back into the Sea of Life, the Magical Beast Goddess looked at Kingû: “How’s your condition, Kingu? You haven’t been well these past few days, have you?”

“Thank you for your concern, Mother. My body is fine now.”

“Is that so? Good to hear.”

The Magical Beast Goddess retracted her wings and returned to the Sea of Life.

“Keep having the Demon Beasts collect corpses and humans, Kingu. I hope one hundred thousand second-generation Demon Beasts can be gathered by the dawn of the tenth day from now, to truly destroy Uruk.”

“Of course, Mother. Don’t worry, the Demon Beasts are continuously collecting corpses, and I’ll do my utmost to track down those who escaped. Rest peacefully here, Mother, and prepare for the day of the decisive battle.”

With that, Kingû left the deepest chamber of the temple.

Ten days until the true attack of the Magical Beast Goddess.

-

Title: Awake, But Not Fully Awake

Tomoe woke up on the bed.

As she opened her eyes, she saw a brownish-yellow ceiling.

“Where… am I…?”

“You’re awake, Miss Tomoe?”

A somewhat familiar voice reached her ears.

Tomoe turned slightly and saw Merry, dressed in a white robe, sitting beside her, smiling as she looked at her.

“Merry-dono, what is this place?”

“The bedroom on the second floor of the Chaldea Embassy in Uruk. Since the medical ward was extremely short on space, I brought you here. Besides, standard medical treatment doesn’t work on Servants, so after bandaging you briefly, I brought you here to heal you with Healing Magecraft. Does your abdomen still hurt?”

Abdomen?

Tomoe touched her stomach. Memories of what happened earlier slowly came back.

(Right, I was injured while fighting the Demon Beasts… No, I should say I was injured because of my hesitation.)

At that moment, when Ushiwakamaru and the others promptly followed Naoki’s order to retreat, Tomoe was the only Servant who hesitated.

She was deeply conflicted about whether to retreat or not.

The reason for her hesitation was twofold. On one hand, it was the Oni blood within her. After fighting on the battlefield for so long, the Oni blood, stimulated by the blood and ferocity of the Demon Beasts, greatly affected her sanity. This was an issue that had plagued her since she was alive.

And on the other hand—

“I… survived in the end?”

Unlike the relief and joy of surviving a disaster, Tomoe’s tone carried a hint of sorrow, regret, and shame.

As if she hadn’t expected to survive so easily.

Merry raised an eyebrow: “Gozen… may I call you that?”

“Ah… yes, that’s fine.”

It was a name Tomoe somewhat missed.

Merry cleared her throat: “So, Gozen, are you thinking it would’ve been better if you had died?”

“A little.”

Tomoe explained: “I’m just a Servant, a temporary wanderer in the human world, destined to quietly vanish from it one day.”

This was also why Tomoe hesitated about retreating. Besides retreating, she had considered sacrificing herself, blowing herself up along with a large number of Demon Beasts to go to hell together.

After all, she was just a Servant. No one would care about her life or death. Likewise, she herself didn’t care.

“Hmm… then it seems I shouldn’t have saved you.” Merry sighed resignedly. “Although it was an order from the King, if Gozen feels that way, I didn’t really need to use Healing Magecraft and Dream Illusion on you. I could’ve just left you here half-dead to fend for yourself.”

Wasteful—Merry’s expression seemed to convey that sentiment.

Tomoe’s face immediately showed deep guilt: “I’m truly sorry for troubling you, Merry-dono, for someone like me.”

“Then, want to commit seppuku?” Merry asked with a smile. “I’ve watched Japanese period dramas. It seems samurai and warriors in them would perform seppuku if they felt guilty. You know about it, right, Gozen? After all, you’re Japanese.”

“Also, shall I help you with kaishaku? Seppuku alone seems like a very painful way to die. I can assist with kaishaku to make your death quicker, you know.”

As she spoke, Merry swung her staff, conjuring a light sword resembling the Holy Star Sword in her hand, looking quite enthusiastic.

“……”

Tomoe, whose thoughts couldn’t quite keep up with Merry, fell silent for a moment, completely unsure how to respond.

After playing with the light sword in her hand, Merry quickly dismissed it: “Well~~~ Just kidding a bit. If you died, I’d be in a bit of trouble too. After all, the King gave me an absolute order to save you. If he came back and found you gone, he’d probably hang me from the ceiling and whip me a hundred times.”

“By the way, please don’t ever tell him what I just said.”

“Ha… ah…”

Tomoe nodded stiffly. Honestly, she had no idea what Merry was trying to convey. One moment, Merry seemed deadly serious about helping her with kaishaku for seppuku, but the next, she said it was just a joke, with no trace of pretense in her eyes or tone.

Could it really have been just a joke?

(No, no, I was serious.)

Seeing Tomoe’s confused expression, Merry smiled gently: “By the way, Gozen, what are you going to do next?”

“Go back to the Demon Beast Front Line and keep fighting the Demon Beast invasion.”

Having been saved, Tomoe had no intention of wasting others’ kindness.

“Then continue with your idea of sacrificing yourself, dying alongside the Demon Beasts just like that?”

“……”

Right on target.

Even though she had been saved, Tomoe’s mindset hadn’t changed. If she were allowed to return to the Northern Wall and faced another critical situation, she would surely consider blowing herself up to solve the problem again.

Merry suddenly felt that Tomoe might have some similarities with Hinako.

However—

“If you’re like that, we’re the ones who’ll be troubled.” Merry’s face darkened slightly. “Gozen, you might feel that life or death doesn’t matter, but the problem is our King hates seeing anyone die in front of him. If you try to blow yourself up, he’ll probably slap you unconscious or kick your butt to cancel your self-destruct countdown.”

“Uh!”

Tomoe instinctively covered her backside: “W-Would… would Natsukawa-sama really do something like that?”

Merry shook her head very seriously: “Oh, he would, you know. Though he seems like a guy adored by many girls and admired wherever he goes, he’s actually a cold-blooded man who doesn’t hold back when dealing with women.”

“Eh?”

“I was once tied up like a silkworm and hung from a ceiling fan for a whole day and night. Also, recently, the moment we met, he punched me into the ceiling. See that hole over there? That’s from when I crashed into it, you know.”

As she spoke, Merry pointed to a hole in the corner not far away—it was the mark from when Naoki punched her into the ceiling upon arriving, still unpatched.

“Besides that, things like kicking Aoko dozens of meters away, punching a sweet, beautiful girl with his fist, setting traps to ensnare foreign women… and more.”

As Merry listed Naoki’s “noble deeds” one by one, Tomoe’s face grew paler.

“On top of that, he’s the type who can’t stand seeing comrades die in front of him. So, if you try to blow yourself up, Gozen, the King will probably zoom in at lightspeed, kick your butt, and literally save you—after which, I’d probably have to work overtime to treat you.”

“You don’t want your butt kicked, do you?”

Tomoe, thoroughly stunned by Merry, nodded slightly.

Merry smiled: “Then, to avoid getting your butt kicked, don’t ever think about blowing yourself up again. Find a purpose for yourself and live well—think of it as enjoying a hard-earned second life.”

“A purpose… even if you say that, I… can’t just…”

“[To avoid getting your butt kicked!]—Isn’t that a great purpose! We girls have to protect ourselves when we’re out and about!” Merry clenched her fist and swung it. “But, if we’re talking about a truly serious purpose… [Live for Naoki], how about that?”

“Eh?”

Tomoe froze for a moment.

Live for Natsukawa-sama?

“This… although it’s something from when I was alive, I’ve already dedicated myself to serving Minamoto no Yoshinaka-dono. Serving two masters…”

“I’m not asking you to betray your former master.” Merry explained with a smile. “Just for this manifestation. It should be called [repaying a debt]. Though I’m the one who saved you, if it weren’t for Naoki’s order, I wouldn’t have done it.”

“Think of it as repaying Naoki’s kindness for deciding to save you. For this manifestation only, fight for Naoki—how about that? It’s a normal thing in Japan, right? Following someone to repay a debt for being saved.”

Indeed, Tomoe, being from Japan, was well aware of this. It was quite common in various eras.

After thinking in silence for a long time, Tomoe took a deep breath: “I understand, Merry-dono. Since Natsukawa-sama ordered you to save my life, for this manifestation only, I’m willing to fight for Natsukawa-sama.”

“No, no, not [fight].” Merry crossed her arms. “It’s [live]. You need to pay attention to this.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Mm-hmm, excellent!”

As she said that, Merry gently snapped her fingers.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Tomoe slowly woke up from the bed.

As she opened her eyes, she saw a brownish-yellow ceiling.

“I… this is…”

“You’re awake, Gozen?”

A somewhat familiar voice reached her ears.

Tomoe turned slightly and saw Merry, dressed in a white robe, sitting beside her, smiling as she looked at her.

“Welcome back, Gozen.”

“Did you have a sweet dream?”

-

Title: Natsukawa’s Residence in Uruk

The Northern Wall of Uruk.

When Tomoe followed Merry back here, what she saw was the Demon Beast Front Line, fully repaired and restored to its original state.

“It’s been repaired… Merry-dono, how long was I unconscious?”

“About three days, if I’m not mistaken.”

The entire Northern Wall was repaired in just three days?

Tomoe recalled that the Northern Wall had suffered several breaches from the Demon Beast attack, with its surface damaged in many places. Repairing it would not only require significant manpower and materials but also a considerable amount of time.

Yet, it was completed in just three days?

“Did King Gilgamesh mobilize all of Uruk’s workforce to the Northern Wall?”

“No, not at all. Actually, only a few of us here worked on repairing the Northern Wall.” Merry explained. “But the one who truly completed the repairs was Naoki. His Imaginary Manifestation is just too convenient.”

As Merry said, with Naoki’s Imaginary Manifestation, even if the entire Northern Wall vanished, he could instantly create a new, identical one in its place. Repairing the Northern Wall was a trivial task for him.

“However, there are currently no human soldiers at the Northern Wall. Due to the previous battle, Uruk’s forces are almost entirely incapacitated. Less than forty percent of the soldiers are capable of fighting normally. Some refuse to fight again due to psychological reasons. So, in reality, we only have less than thirty percent of our combat strength.”

“Naoki felt that managing too many soldiers would be troublesome, so he sent them all back to Uruk to care for the wounded. After all, Uruk is also constantly short on manpower. The number of injured is so high that they can’t be properly attended to.”

“So, the only ones left at the Northern Wall are us Servants.”

Merry explained as she led Tomoe toward the camp.

(The soldiers were sent back to Uruk to recover?)

No wonder Tomoe didn’t see anyone. Compared to the bustling atmosphere before, the Northern Wall was now eerily quiet. Many pieces of equipment were left abandoned in place, like the forging tables once used for weapon maintenance, temporary shelters for resting…

Looking at the scene before her, marked by the “scars” etched into the Demon Beast Front Line, Tomoe couldn’t help but recall the massive battle three days ago.

The all-out Demon Beast assault, with numbers so overwhelming that even the presence of multiple Servants was barely enough to hold them back.

“We’re here.”

Merry, walking ahead, stopped. In front of them, Tomoe immediately saw…

“Is that a Japanese-style house?”

Yes.

The only clean area behind the Northern Wall was occupied by a house filled with traditional Japanese style!

Merry laughed: “Since most of the Servants stationed here are Japanese, to make you all feel at home, Naoki built a Japanese-style camp. Though, since he doesn’t know exactly what ancient Japanese architecture is like, it’s basically a modern style.”

In truth, Naoki had simply modeled it after the Emiya Residence in Fuyuki.

As she spoke, Merry opened the entrance door, and what Tomoe saw next was an ancient-style corridor that evoked a slight sense of homesickness. Stepping further inside felt like returning to the grand house where she had lived during her lifetime.

“To create a building that considers us so much… It must have been such a hassle for Naoki-sama.”

“It’s fine. For him, it’s just a matter of moments—only the details need some thought—Hmm? This smell… Looks like we came back just in time.”

Merry’s nose suddenly caught the aroma of cooking. She immediately grabbed Tomoe’s hand and ran down the corridor. After turning a corner, she slid open a closed door—

“Master, I’ve finished cutting the vegetables and meat.”

“Oh, check out this soup I’m making. I’ll prepare the stir-fry next.”

Tomoe saw Naoki and Rei busy in a modern-style kitchen. Meanwhile, on the tatami mats in the center of the room, familiar Servants sat around a table, waiting for the meal being prepared by the two in the kitchen.

It was just past eleven forty, the perfect time for lunch.

Hearing the door open, Ushiwakamaru immediately looked up toward the entrance, then smiled and stood: “Tomoe-dono!? You’re finally awake? Is your body okay?”

“Yoshitsune-kou…”

Hearing her former enemy call her so familiarly, Tomoe felt a bit awkward. After pursing her lips, she forced a smile and nodded: “Yes, I just woke up. Thanks to Merry-dono’s care, my body is now fine. I’m sorry for making you all worry these past few days.”

“No need to worry! I’m so glad you’re awake! If you stayed unconscious, we wouldn’t even be able to split shifts!” Nobunaga stood and slapped Tomoe hard on the back: “Starting today, you’ll have to make up for all the shifts you missed!”

“Y-Yes!”

Though she didn’t yet understand what “shifts” meant, Tomoe instinctively felt it was something very important and agreed with a serious expression.

Meanwhile, Naoki, cooking in the kitchen, turned around while taking a dish from the pan. After wiping his sweat, he said to Tomoe: “Welcome back, Tomoe. Looks like you’ve fully recovered. Thank goodness you’re okay. Have a seat for now. Lunch will be ready soon. Since you’re back, I’ll make a few extra dishes to celebrate.”

“No, that’s too much… Naoki-sama doesn’t need to go out of his way for me. Just the usual is fine.”

“Eh? Naoki… sama?”

Tomoe’s unusual way of addressing him made Naoki pause for a moment. The others in the room were also surprised.

“Why the sudden change in how you address me?”

“Well… it’s just…”

“Ahem! Ahem!”

As Tomoe was about to explain, Merry suddenly coughed loudly twice, then lunged at Naoki: “Forget that, my King~~~~ I’m starving! It’s been three days since I’ve had your cooking. I desperately need some Naoki Energy right now!”

“I told you, you… Alright, alright, get off me first.”

After patting Merry’s head with a hint of resignation, Naoki pulled her off him and tossed her toward Morgan, who wasn’t far away. Then he said to Tomoe: “Sorry, Tomoe, I’ll hear your explanation later. I need to finish preparing lunch now.”

“Ah… alright, please go ahead.”

Catching Merry’s subtle signal, Tomoe temporarily held back from speaking and returned to her vacant seat.

-

Title: This Second Life, Please Guide Me

Due to the return of Tomoe and Merry, the lunch gathering turned into a celebration of Tomoe’s recovery, lasting over two hours.

Although it was wartime, whether by luck or misfortune, no Demon Beasts attacked the Northern Wall during this period. The rare moment of respite allowed everyone to relax properly.

During the banquet, Tomoe also learned what Nobunaga meant by “Guard Shift.”

The defense of the Northern Wall was currently divided into two parts. The first part, the Outer Section, was entirely Naoki’s responsibility—when Demon Beasts attacked the Northern Wall, Naoki would use his Imaginary Manifestation to wipe out most of them at once. If lucky, he might even eliminate them all.

However, if he failed to wipe them out entirely and some Demon Beasts survived to breach the Northern Wall, the second part of the defense would come into play.

This section was handled by several Servants led by Nobunaga, along with Ritsuka and Mash. They were divided into pairs, guarding various entry points of the Northern Wall. If any Demon Beasts slipped through, they were tasked with finishing them off.

Essentially, each person was responsible for one entry point, while Mash and Ritsuka handled one together. Initially, the number of personnel allowed for two groups to alternate shifts, but with Tomoe’s addition, the guard shifts had to be reorganized.

After a series of discussions, the new guard shift schedule was decided—

“Sorry, Tomoe. You just recovered, and you’re already on guard duty.”

At the main entrance of the Northern Wall, seeing Tomoe standing there to keep watch, Naoki spoke with a slightly apologetic tone.

Tomoe smiled and shook her head: “No, it’s fine. Before, I could only lie in bed due to my injuries, but now that I’ve recovered, it’s only natural that I take on the responsibility of fighting the Demon Beasts. The order doesn’t matter.”

“Good to hear.” Naoki said, slightly relieved. “By the way, we were interrupted by Merry earlier. About you calling me ‘Naoki-sama’… What’s with that?”

Previously, Tomoe had addressed Naoki as “Natsukawa-dono.” no different from how Ushiwakamaru and Benkei addressed him, with Benkei at most replacing “Dono” with “Sama.” But this time, Naoki could sense a shift in the distance between them.

It seemed Tomoe’s attitude toward him had become a bit closer than before.

Not only in her address, but during the meal earlier, Naoki had vaguely noticed a slight change in the way Tomoe looked at him.

“About that… it was actually Merry-dono who explained it to me. I was saved because you asked Merry-dono to treat me, and when I was surrounded by the Demon Beast horde, it was you who wiped them out and saved my life…”

At this point, Tomoe knelt on one knee before Naoki: “Such a great debt for saving my life cannot be repaid with mere words of thanks. Therefore, upon Merry-dono’s suggestion, though I cannot pledge my loyalty, for this manifestation alone, I am willing to entrust this life you saved to your hands.”

“Until this Singularity ends, I will live for you, Naoki-sama.”

Hearing Tomoe’s explanation, Naoki fell silent for a moment. After rubbing the bridge of his nose and thinking hard for a long time, he finally understood the context of the situation. Then, with a wry smile, he helped Tomoe stand: “You don’t need to do something this serious. My main goal was to eliminate the Demon Beasts, so saving your life was just a coincidence. As for asking Merry to treat you, that’s only natural. I couldn’t bear to watch you die.”

“So, Tomoe, I didn’t really do anything grand enough to deserve such gratitude. Of course, I appreciate your goodwill, but you really don’t need to act like you’re pledging to be my subordinate.”

(And this is eighty percent Merry’s doing…)

As someone who had shared a bed with her for ten years, Naoki instantly understood the cause of Tomoe’s change in attitude. Merry’s specialty was pushing things along by stating facts, and those involved often didn’t realize they were being swayed by her.

“It’s exactly as Merry-dono said.”

Tomoe suddenly showed an “I knew it” expression.

“On the way here, Merry-dono said you might not accept my request, saying, ‘After all, in his view, he didn’t do anything worth thanking for,’—Merry-dono really foresaw everything, even guessing your exact words.”

Just as Naoki knew Merry was the mastermind behind the scenes, Merry could also predict how Naoki would react to Tomoe’s actions. Naturally, she had prepared Tomoe for what to do in this situation.

“But even if you refuse, I won’t change my decision. This is my honor as a Bushido warrior. If someone receives the grace of having their life saved but doesn’t know how to repay it, that’s a disgrace for a warrior. I’m not a cold-blooded schemer like that.”

“……”

(Oh, come to think of it, that’s true. The Japanese Bushido spirit, repaying kindness no matter what… Actually, isn’t it the same all over the world?)

Though Naoki didn’t feel Tomoe owed him anything, in Tomoe’s eyes, she owed him a great debt for saving her life.

A life-saving debt must be repaid, and the only repayment is devotion—perhaps that was her reasoning.

Sighing softly, Naoki smiled resignedly: “Well… if you insist, alright, I accept, Tomoe… No, should I just call you Gozen?”

“Tch… that…”

The intimate address made Tomoe’s face flush slightly: “If you like…”

“Hmm, then I’ll be counting on you next time, Gozen.” Naoki said, extending his hand with a smile. “As you said, until this Singularity ends, I’ll take charge of your life.”

“Understood. From now on, I will live for you, Naoki-sama. For this second life, please guide me.” Tomoe said, smiling as she shook Naoki’s hand. “Thank you so much for accepting me, Naoki-sama.”

“No problem. I just hope you won’t resent me for acting recklessly later—”

“GGGAAAAAAAA—!!”

Suddenly, before Naoki could finish his sentence, a loud roar echoed from outside the Northern Wall. Immediately after, beyond the lowered gate, Naoki and Tomoe saw Demon Beasts emerging one by one from the cedar forest and plains.

Ugallu, Uridimmu, Mushussu… Though not as numerous as three days ago, a sizable horde of Demon Beasts gathered and rushed toward the Northern Wall!

“It’s starting again…”

Naoki sighed.

“Alright then, I’ll leave this to you, Gozen. I’ll attack from the air. If any get through, it’s up to you to finish them off.”

“Understood, leave it to me, Naoki-sama. I won’t let you down.”