To Become a King and a Magician 566-570

Title: Ritsuka, the Tainted

[Miss Crane’s Custom Clothing Store • Chaldea Branch]

Guided by Naoki for several minutes, Ritsuka finally arrived at the shop’s entrance, marked by a signboard.

Ritsuka had already been astonished by Chaldea’s unexpectedly luxurious cafeteria, but now, their surprise was even greater than before.

“So Chaldea actually has a clothing store too, Chief?”

“Chaldea has a lot of unused empty spaces—warehouses, for example. They’d been left unused for so long they were covered in dust. I figured instead of leaving them empty, it’d be better to repurpose them. Luckily, the shop’s owner here is an old friend of mine, so I turned it into a clothing store and asked her to manage it.”

Naoki said this as he pushed open the door.

Ritsuka followed him inside.

Since the room had originally been an old storage warehouse, the space wasn’t small—probably about the size of three or four bedrooms. However, not many items were placed inside such a large area. Only numerous clothes hung along the walls, and a sewing machine sat at the far end of the room.

In front of the sewing machine, a woman could be seen intently focused on stitching a garment.

Apparently, she hadn’t noticed their entrance.

“Is she the shop’s owner?”

“Yes, her name is Crane.” Naoki replied. “Fujimaru, you’ve surely heard of the legend of the grateful crane, right?”

Of course. Every Japanese person had heard of that tale.

There’s a genre of stories known as “animal gratitude tales.” These usually revolve around birds or animals rescued by humans who later return the favor by bringing good fortune. In Japan, the legend of the grateful crane is especially famous.

“She’s the ‘crane’ from that very legend.”

“Huh?”

“More precisely, she’s an existence formed with the crane as her core motif, which allows her to exist as a Servant. I met her about eight years ago. At the time, Roman rescued her when she was in trouble and asked me to find her a place to stay.”

“You know the legend of the grateful crane. Since Roman and I helped her, she’s been desperate to repay us. But Roman and I didn’t really need her help. So she’s stayed ever since… Until recently, that is. I asked her to come here to create Spiritron Dresses and Mystic Codes. That’s also why I’ve brought you here.”

“That voice… Could it be Mr. Natsukawa?”

At that moment, Crane—who had been sewing clothes in front of the machine—suddenly turned around and looked at the two of them.

Naoki waved his hand. “Long time no see, Crane. Sorry I haven’t visited much after asking you to come here. Are you getting used to living here?”

“Thank you for your concern, Mr. Natsukawa. I’m doing just fine. Chaldea supplies my Mana, so there are no issues.” Crane said with a smile. “But why have you come so suddenly… AHH!”

Mid-sentence, Crane suddenly shrieked, quickly stood up, and dashed straight toward Ritsuka: “Such a cute girl! Her face seems ordinary at first, but the more I look, the prettier she gets—she has that innocent, childlike charm only underage girls possess, and also such vibrant energy—A girl full of vitality! This is what a girl full of vitality looks like! This is the first time I’ve ever seen one!”

Since the people around her when she met Naoki were all adult women, and Gray was the quiet type, Crane had never seen this kind of girl—the type only seen in Japanese anime.

Seeing Crane suddenly become so enthusiastic, Ritsuka instinctively took several steps back, a bit frightened. “Chief… who exactly is Miss Crane…?”

“Oh, I forgot to mention. She absolutely adores cute girls, especially the ‘idol’ type… She’s such a fanatic that she immediately starts thinking about designing beautiful clothes for any cute girl she sees, imagining them wearing her creations, and gets so moved she nearly returns to the Throne of Heroes.”

“EH—!?”

The huge, almost incomprehensible gap between her appearance and personality shocked Ritsuka into exclaiming aloud. When she wasn’t speaking, Ritsuka had assumed Crane was a calm, literary-type girl. But was she actually an otaku idol fanatic?!

Meanwhile, Crane…

“The outfit most suitable for a girl full of vitality is a sailor uniform, but for a minor we must also consider schoolgirl attributes, and a design that highlights the pure, soft figure of a teenage girl…”

“Chief, suddenly I’m feeling a bit uneasy…”

“Hahaha…”

Naoki laughed awkwardly. Truthfully, even he didn’t know how to handle Crane in this state. “Ahem! Crane, get a hold of yourself. Fujimaru is still new here. Please show your true self only after you’ve gotten closer, okay?”

“Ah! You’re right. It’s not good to scare a new customer. I sincerely apologize.” Crane said, suddenly realizing her behavior and bowing deeply. “But seeing this young lady, I understand why Mr. Natsukawa brought her here. It’s about the Mystic Code, isn’t it?”

“Mystic Code? Come to think of it, Chief, you mentioned Spiritron Dress and Mystic Code earlier… What are those?”

Naoki smiled and explained. “A Mystic Code is magical equipment used by Magi. For example, a flying broom used by a Magus—that’s one type of Mystic Code. As for the Spiritron Dress… that’s something Servants need to consider, so you don’t need to worry about it, Fujimaru.”

“Mystic Codes come in many forms—brooms, swords, depending on the situation. Even bullets or pistols can be Mystic Codes. Clothing is no different.”

“Because of her legendary nature, Crane is exceptionally skilled at making clothes. So I wanted her to collaborate with other Servants in Chaldea to create clothing-type Mystic Codes.”

“I’m mainly in charge of the designs.” Crane added. “When it comes to design, I won’t lose to even that genius—anyway, no more delays! Miss Fujimaru, please let me take your three measurements immediately! Then, try on the clothes I’ve made in the changing room over there!”

“Eh? Wait, wait a second—why do you need my body measurements…?”

“Because we’re going to make a Mystic Code for you.”

Naoki’s words caused Ritsuka to freeze momentarily.

“Our goal in the future is to stop the Incineration of Humanity. To achieve that, we don’t just need to defeat Goetia—we must also travel to the seven Singularities to correct them. Therefore, we need equipment capable of handling various situations. Do you understand? This is for your own good. Since you’re going to defeat the Demon King, you’ll definitely need the perfect ‘armor.’”

“Crane, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Understood!”

With sparkling eyes, Crane immediately wrapped her arms around Ritsuka and forcibly dragged them toward the nearby changing room. Shortly after, Naoki heard alternating, flustered screams, accompanied by clothes flying out of the room.

-

Title: Naoki, the Understanding

About half an hour after Ritsuka had been dragged into the changing room by Crane, the curtain finally opened.

Looking as if all her dreams had come true, Crane stepped out from the changing room, her face slightly flushed with excitement, hugging a thick notebook to her chest.

Seeing her, Naoki could only twitch the corner of his lips—Fujimaru wasn’t harmed, was she?

“Crane… what exactly did you do to Fujimaru?”

“Mr. Natsukawa! I’m so incredibly grateful!”

Crane suddenly bowed deeply to Naoki, hugging the notebook tightly as she shouted her thanks: “Seeing her in person is truly incomparable! No matter how many pictures and videos I’ve seen, no matter how much I’ve simulated and imagined, nothing compares to the inspiration a real person brings! Look, Mr.—even though these are just sketches, there are so many of them!”

“With this much inspiration, I’m certain I can create enough Mystic Code designs to fill Miss Fujimaru’s entire wardrobe! Though, of course, finalizing them will take some time… Honestly, I can’t wait to get started! I’ll be locking myself in again now—please don’t peek!”

“Oh, and Miss Fujimaru is still inside. She seemed a bit exhausted. If you could, Mr. Natsukawa, please help her out later.”

After saying this in a rush, Crane immediately disappeared through another door, still hugging her notebook. That door, Naoki remembered, led to the empty storage room next door, which Crane now used as her personal research space.

Seeing Crane like this, Naoki felt slightly relieved—she seemed fine. Now, he just had to wait for her to finish the designs and hand them over to that genius. With her involved, creating the Mystic Code wouldn’t take long at all.

“Well then, let’s retrieve our Gudako now.”

Arriving in front of the changing room, Naoki knocked lightly on the doorframe. “Hey, Fujimaru, are you okay?”

“Ugh… Huh? Chief? I… yeah… I’m fine. C-can you wait outside a moment? I’m still changing—uwaaa!”

Before she could finish, a startled cry came from inside, followed by the sound of clothes hangers clattering to the floor.

Naoki frowned, placing a hand on the curtain. “Fujimaru, are you alright? Did you fall while changing?”

“Ugh… Not changing… more like taking off clothes… The outfit Miss Crane gave me is kind of hard to remove. I can’t reach the knot at the back… I can’t take it anymore! My arms are so sore!”

Inside the changing room, Ritsuka struggled to stretch her arms behind her back, desperately trying to untie the knot. But it was positioned in a spot nearly impossible to reach.

After several failed attempts, Ritsuka, arms aching, let out a resigned sigh. “Haaah… Miss Crane’s clothes are beautiful, but why are they so hard to take off?”

“Then, Fujimaru, would you like me to help you take it off?” Naoki suddenly offered from outside. “If you can’t reach it, I’ll just undo it for you. It’s just one knot, right?”

“C-Chief wants to help me take it off… Ugh… O-okay—”

Ritsuka slightly parted the curtain and turned her back toward Naoki.

And the moment Naoki saw the outfit Ritsuka was wearing, he immediately recognized it. Coincidentally, he had quite a bit of experience removing this particular garment—on the order of dozens of times.

“Uhh… This outfit… Fujimaru, why are you wearing this?”

“Huh? Miss Crane said it was the most suitable for a girl, and I thought it looked beautiful, so I put it on. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing… It’s just that… this outfit… Hmm… Its structure is a bit special. If that knot you’re talking about is undone, the entire outfit will just fall right off.” Naoki said awkwardly.

As mentioned before, Rei could freely alter her body size and create various outfits at will, so she frequently changed clothes.

However, even though she wanted to change, she first needed a design. And conveniently, Crane was always enthusiastic about making clothes. So Rei would visit Crane every so often to restock her wardrobe, then wear the new outfits and show them off to Naoki.

The outfit Ritsuka was currently wearing happened to be the one Rei wore most often. After all… it was the outfit Rei had personally decided to wear as a bride in the future.

As for why Naoki knew the details so well—well, let’s just say practice makes perfect.

Hearing Naoki’s words, Ritsuka’s face, already turned away, flushed completely red.

(I-it’s a jumpsuit?! Wait, now that I think about it, the structure does seem like… Miss Crane, what kind of outfit did you even give me?! It’s beautiful, sure, but why is it designed like this?!)

All girls love beautiful things. Since such a gorgeous outfit was offered without conditions, of course there was no reason not to try it on. But… right now, Ritsuka felt her embarrassment was about to explode.

“In that case, Fujimaru, shall I help you take it off?”

“W-wait a second, Chief—”

Before she could finish, Naoki’s hand had already done the job. Accompanied by a sudden lightness on her back, Ritsuka suddenly felt all the clothing on her body—except the stockings on her legs—sliding down.

“!”

She quickly grabbed at her clothes to keep them from falling, her face burning red. Ritsuka glanced quickly behind her—the curtain was already closed, though she couldn’t remember when, and judging by the indentations on the side, it had been firmly pressed shut.

“C-Chief… did you see anything?”

“No. I undid it with my eyes closed. I’m very familiar with that outfit.” Naoki’s calm voice came from outside. “Anyway, I’ll wait outside. Hurry up and change, then come out. There’s still another place we need to visit.”

“O-oh… okay.”

(Thank goodness he didn’t see!)

Ritsuka, hugging her clothes, felt a wave of relief. If the Chief had seen her in her underwear, she wouldn’t have been able to stay calm for at least a whole day.

(But… the Chief could remove this outfit even blindfolded… Is the Chief just… too skilled at this kind of thing?)

-

Title: A Genius Beyond Gender Itself

After finalizing the Mystic Code design for Ritsuka, Naoki led them out of Crane’s workshop and toward another destination he needed to visit.

“Leonardo’s private shop?”

In another corridor not far from Crane’s workshop, Ritsuka—now gradually growing accustomed to Chaldea’s eccentricities—glanced at the signboard hanging beside the door and turned to Naoki. “Chief, is this also… a Servant’s place?”

“Why do you think that?”

“Well… just a feeling. And Leonardo… aren’t you going to introduce me to Da Vinci?”

Leonardo da Vinci—the renowned historical figure. Ritsuka had studied his life in history class. If someone mentioned a Servant named Leonardo, the only person that came to mind was Da Vinci.

Naoki smiled. “Yes, but the Da Vinci here at Chaldea might be a bit different from the one you know—once you meet them in person, you’ll understand.”

With that, Naoki opened the closed door.

But the moment it opened—

*BAM!*

An explosion suddenly erupted from inside. The force slammed straight into Naoki’s face!

“C-Chief—ah, he’ll probably be fine, right?”

Ritsuka instinctively cried out in shock, but she quickly remembered just what kind of existence the Chief was. She calmed down immediately. After waving away the smoke surrounding him, Naoki stepped into the room, unharmed but looking slightly resigned.

“Miss Da Vinci, and Touko too—what exactly are you two doing now?”

“Cough, cough, cough! Nothing serious. I just got inspired after watching Akuta Hinako’s fighting style and wanted to try making a doll that can explode repeatedly…”

“But as you can see, it only explodes once. A complete failure as a repeating device. As a bomb, though, the power’s not bad.”

Inside the room, amid coughing, two voices responded one after the other. One belonged to a beautiful red-haired woman with glasses, wearing jeans and a cheap-looking T-shirt. Probably due to the explosion, she now appeared disheveled and covered in soot.

And the other…

“Mona Lisa?!”

Seeing the other woman, also sitting on the floor in a rather undignified posture, Ritsuka’s heart filled with shock.

The reason was simple: the woman’s face was strikingly similar to the world-famous painting, Mona Lisa. In fact, they were practically identical!

Hearing Ritsuka’s surprised exclamation, Mona Lisa—still seated on the floor—couldn’t help but laugh. “Ah, this appearance is just too iconic. Instantly recognized. But your reaction was perfect, Fujimaru. That’s exactly the kind of response it should get.”

“Fujimaru… oh, you’re the new one? The person that kid’s been waiting for.”

“Yes.” Naoki nodded, then turned to Ritsuka. “Let me introduce them, Fujimaru. These two are the heads of Chaldea’s Equipment Division. Any future Mystic Code you’ll use—be it creation, repair, or maintenance—you can come straight here and see them.”

“First, this is Aozaki Touko. She’s a Magus, the strongest puppet-maker of the modern age, and my former mentor. I only recently asked her to come to Chaldea.”

Touko pushed up her glasses. “Former mentor. You’ve already graduated. And ‘asked’? You basically forced me here with a bunch of impossible conditions I couldn’t refuse, didn’t you?”

“But you could have refused, right?”

“You little brat, your mouth’s gotten sharper…” Touko glared at her student, then turned to Ritsuka. “Your name’s Fujimaru Ritsuka, right? I’m Aozaki Touko. Just call me Touko. Calling me by my surname might cause misunderstandings. As that kid said, my specialty is puppets. If your arms or legs break, or your organs get destroyed, I can make perfect replacements. Quality guaranteed.”

“Y-yes…”

Touko’s words were so far beyond normal conversation that Ritsuka could only respond in stunned confusion. Naoki sighed. “Touko, don’t say such grim things. First meetings should involve pleasant topics.”

“Fine then… Fujimaru, if you ever need something at night, I’ve also got a stock of WUUUUUUUU!”

Naoki immediately slapped a hand over Touko’s mouth, dragged her to a corner of the room, and held her firmly in place. He turned back to Ritsuka apologetically. “Sorry, Fujimaru. Touko’s been going through menopause lately, and since she’s still single, she’s a bit… off.”

“Who’s going through menopause?! My body’s a puppet—there’s no such thing as menopause! And what’s wrong with being single, anyway? Are you proud of not being single?!”

Feeling insulted, Touko rarely lost her composure like this, her voice clearly laced with sarcasm. Naoki could only sigh in resignation. Seeing this pair fall back into their usual routine, Mona Lisa—Da Vinci—reluctantly stepped forward to introduce herself.

“Haa… I really can’t stand these two. Alright, newbie. As you’ve probably guessed, I’m the all-around genius, Da Vinci. I’d appreciate it if you called me Da Vinci-chan.”

“So you really are Da Vinci…” Ritsuka still found it hard to believe. “You don’t look anything like the portraits in history books…”

“That’s because I altered my appearance when summoned.” Da Vinci chuckled. “To a true genius, gender and age are meaningless. Ideologies and trends change with the times, so to fit modern society, I’ve set my appearance to what I perceive as the most perfect image, with a few modern modifications.”

“But honestly, don’t worry too much about our gender, us Servants. After all, mythology and history aren’t always factually accurate. For instance, some figures in our Chief’s family—by the way, Natsukawa, why did you bring Fujimaru here?”

Hearing Da Vinci’s voice, Naoki—who had been busy restraining the raging Touko—turned and explained. “It’s about the Mystic Code I mentioned earlier. I just took Fujimaru to Crane. The designs should be sent over tomorrow or the day after.”

“Oh, that’s it. Hmm… If the designs arrive tomorrow or the day after, fabrication will take about a week, plus subsequent tuning… so at least ten days.” Da Vinci mused. “But are you sure you want Fujimaru to wait that long before using a finished product? What if she tries a ‘prototype’ first? At least she’ll learn how to use a Mystic Code.”

Naoki nodded. “That’s exactly my plan. Right after this, I’ll take her to the training room.”

“Training?” Touko suddenly laughed. “Is the demon teacher from the Clock Tower returning to their old profession?”

“No. I’ve already chosen someone to train Fujimaru. They should be waiting in the training room now.”

-

Title: Ritsuka’s Future is Extremely Dark

What skill does Ritsuka need to develop most right now?

If you were to ask Naoki, it would undoubtedly be survival ability.

Earlier, when discussing Mystic Codes for ordinary Masters with Da Vinci, he had emphasized prioritizing protection, with the core objective being: “Save the Master at all costs.” After all, there were currently only two Masters at Chaldea.

Hinako didn’t need much worrying about. Even if she died, she could simply resurrect from her grave. But Ritsuka was different—she absolutely had to survive.

Besides the Mystic Code, Ritsuka also needed to develop escape skills. After all, a Mystic Code wasn’t omnipotent. At best, it could only serve as support. The most important thing was Ritsuka’s own ability to flee.

But that could wait. What needed to be done now was teaching Ritsuka how to use her Mystic Code.

In Chaldea’s training room, on the practice field, Naoki looked at Ritsuka, who was now wearing the prototype Mystic Code, and asked, “How’s it fit? Any discomfort?”

“Hmm… my chest feels a bit tight, but otherwise it’s fine. These straps on the chest are for adjusting, right?”

“Yes. This is a prototype based on the standard Chaldea uniform. You can adjust it to your preference.”

Even so, seeing how Ritsuka’s figure was accentuated by the Chaldea uniform, Naoki couldn’t help but suspect Marisbury had some hidden motives when designing it—especially given how the cut resembled a straitjacket.

After slightly loosening the chest straps, Ritsuka looked up at Naoki. “I’m ready, Chief. What should I do next?”

“There are currently three aspects you need to train.”

Naoki raised three fingers.

“First, basic physical endurance. In the future, when fixing Singularities, long journeys are unavoidable. You’ll need to build stamina to remain active for extended periods.”

“Second, escape ability. While I can handle combat, and Mash can handle defense, there may be situations where both Mash and I are overwhelmed and unable to protect you. At that moment, you’ll have to rely solely on yourself. If you die, it would be an extremely serious situation.”

“These two are long-term goals requiring sustained training. We won’t start on them today. Your training instructor will set up a proper schedule later. For now, we’ll focus on the third task—mastering the use of the Mystic Code within your body.”

“Simply put: activating the magecraft circuits inside you.”

Ritsuka was a first-generation Magus with magecraft circuits—a conclusion drawn from a physical examination conducted by an external branch before she arrived at Chaldea. Her circuits were also fairly well-developed, quite impressive for a first-generation Magus.

Of course, magical talent wasn’t that crucial. Chaldea’s Mystic Codes were designed with non-Magus users in mind. Essentially, the magecraft was already pre-programmed; all one needed was to supply Mana to activate the appropriate spells.

Ritsuka had never used magecraft before. Her circuits were still sealed, never activated. So what needed to be done now was to open them and attempt to use the magecraft embedded in the Mystic Code.

“Fujimaru, follow my instructions—first, relax your entire body, and turn your awareness inward. Clearly sense the magecraft circuits inside you, and imagine them opening. This will be the key every time you activate your circuits from now on.”

Honestly, guiding Ritsuka like this brought a wave of nostalgia over Naoki. Twenty years ago, during the Fourth Holy Grail War, Kayneth had guided him in opening his own magecraft circuits in exactly the same way. Back then, he never imagined he’d one day be teaching someone else himself.

Following Naoki’s instructions, Ritsuka gradually turned her awareness inward. As she did, illusory pathways resembling electrical wires appeared in her perception. A faint tingling sensation spread throughout her body along with their appearance.

A sensation like a switch being flipped flickered in her mind.

“Ugh…”

As the tingling intensified, Ritsuka couldn’t help but open her eyes and return to reality. Then she noticed several glowing patterns appearing on her arms.

“These are the magecraft circuits?”

“Yes. Easy, right? Nothing too difficult.” Naoki chuckled. “First-generation Magi like us aren’t good at much, but at least this part is simple. Not many circuits need to be opened. And you should already be able to feel your Mana, right? Try channeling that Mana into your Mystic Code.”

“Channeling? Like this?”

Sensing a thread-like energy within her, Ritsuka gently grasped it and pulled it toward her clothing.

A moment later, after feeling the Mana flow in, a flash of green light briefly appeared and vanished across Ritsuka’s body.

“Huh? What was that?”

“That’s Healing Magecraft.” Naoki explained. “There are three types of magecraft installed in your Mystic Code: Healing Magecraft to treat wounds, basic illusions capable of affecting perception to a certain extent, and Reinforcement Magecraft that boosts physical abilities or enhances equipment performance.”

“Today’s goal—and your goal going forward—is to become proficient in using this Mystic Code. Not just this one, but also the new Mystic Codes Da Vinci and Touko will create. After all, everything is to ensure you can survive the battles of the future.”

“Considering the current pace of events, you probably have about a week of training time left before the first Singularities investigation wraps up. So the training intensity might be a bit high. On top of that, there’ll be physical conditioning and combat drills, so your rest time will be…”

“I understand, Chief.”

Ritsuka cut Naoki off before he could finish. She had already clenched her fists with determination. “The Chief must be thinking of my best interests, right? I can clearly see the reasoning behind your plans. So no matter what the training is, I’ll complete it properly.”

“You’re so obedient—it really puts my mind at ease. Back when I was a teacher, all my students were troublemakers—some spoiled, some couldn’t handle hardship.”

“Hehehe, I’m still pretty well-behaved.” Ritsuka smiled, slightly proud. “So, about the training… will the Chief personally train me?”

“No, I have my own matters to attend to. It won’t be me training you—it’ll be her.”

As Naoki spoke, colorful flower petals suddenly appeared floating in the training room. Then, a pair of pale white arms emerged from behind him. A beautiful, fairy-like girl suddenly appeared from the swirling blossoms, wrapping her arms around Naoki from behind.

“My beloved King, I’ve come~~”

The world’s number one royal trainer, future Grand Caster, and ultimate troublemaker had finally arrived.

“Fujimaru, let me introduce you—this is Merry. She’s my fiancée, and she’ll be your training instructor for the time being.”

“I’m Merry. Nice to meet you~”

-

Title: Merry’s Personal Training

When Ritsuka was first told she’d be undergoing training, though she accepted it calmly, she still felt a bit anxious and nervous inside—perhaps due to some unpleasant past experiences.

However, if the Chief himself were to train her, she felt she could handle it. After all, the Chief seemed like such an easygoing person, and even when tired, she could just look at his handsome face to refresh her eyes. Ritsuka thought that sounded like a great idea.

When she saw Merry appear and was told that she would be the one training her, Ritsuka’s heart grew even lighter—surely it would be easier with another woman!

But in reality…

“Run faster, little Ritsuka! If you slow down, you’ll get caught!”

In the middle of the training field, Merry sat casually, snacking on potato chips. Following her gaze, Ritsuka could be seen desperately fleeing from a group of unknown creatures—pitch-black, covered in tentacles, resembling giant octopuses.

These creatures were Merry’s training tools for Ritsuka. The training method was simple: let the unknown creatures chase Ritsuka, and she had to do everything in her power to avoid being touched until Merry said “stop.”

It sounded easy enough, but—

“Little Ritsuka, you don’t want your whole body drenched in milk, do you? Or have slippery tentacles wrap around you from every angle after capture? Though it’s all just my illusion—it’s actually just milk-filled balloons with little props attached…”

“Teacher, please stop talking!”

Ritsuka screamed in utter agony.

Honestly, if she could go back in time, Ritsuka would insist on having the Chief train her instead. Even if it were more painful, training under Merry felt like being imprisoned! It was torture!

Merry seemed to have a very strange sense of humor. Every day, she could come up with little props with increasingly bizarre additional functions. The first day had been fine, but from the second day onward, the content of the training grew increasingly strange. It got to the point where Ritsuka didn’t dare face anyone else after training, only leaving the training room once she felt mentally stable again.

Today was no different. Even though the “creatures” chasing her were actually just milk-filled balloons with plastic ribbons attached, Ritsuka absolutely did not want to get caught!

She didn’t want her entire body covered in milk and tied up like a turtle’s shell! She still had her dignity as a young girl!

Watching Ritsuka sprint frantically around the training field, Merry smiled and glanced at the time on her phone. “Thirteen minutes… Even though the pursuers’ speed was reduced, running that long shows decent physical endurance and mental determination. Not bad. Besides—”

She turned to the tentacle monster closest to Ritsuka and slightly increased its speed back to the initial level. The creature, which had been maintaining distance, suddenly surged forward!

“Uwaaaah~! Don’t come closer!”

Realizing the sudden danger behind her, Ritsuka immediately channeled Mana into her Mystic Code. A burst of speed enhancement kicked in instantly, allowing her to dodge sideways and sprint back to a relatively safe distance.

(She can handle emergencies and decisively use magecraft… Well, maybe it’s because she’s gotten used to using the same Mystic Code for four or five days now. Still, her adaptability is impressive, and her evasion skills are improving.)

“But still nowhere near as good as the King~ It’s okay, little Ritsuka, you can slow down if you want.”

“I DON’T WANT TO!!”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Several hours later.

Midday, in the training room’s rest area.

“Uwaaaaah~~~~ Mash~~~~ I’m not pure anymore~~~~”

When Mash arrived carrying Ritsuka’s lunch, Ritsuka immediately lunged at her, burying her face into Mash’s chest and bursting into tears.

“Even if it was all just milk… even if it was just plastic ribbons… but… but… uwaaaaah~~~~”

“C-calm down, Senpai, I don’t understand what you’re saying… Miss Merry, what exactly did you do to Senpai in today’s training?”

Asked by Mash, Merry—who was casually eating her own lunch—waved her hand dismissively. “Nothing much. Just threw a few hundred milk-filled plastic balloons at her, made her all sticky from head to toe. Under the arms, inner thighs, collarbones—even in that spot.”

Merry pointed to the slight cleavage visible on her own chest.

“Also, she was tied up in a pose similar to a ‘defeat CG,’ forced to sit duck-legged with her chest and rear deliberately thrust out—no big deal~ You’ll get used to it. And it’ll continue every day, little Ritsuka.”

“Mash, save me!”

Seeing the satisfied expression on Merry’s face and her senpai’s despair in her arms, Mash took a deep breath, preparing to defend her upperclassman. “Miss Merry, isn’t this kind of training a bit too—”

“Oh, right. This is for Mash.”

Merry suddenly slipped a few sheets of paper into Mash’s hand.

Mash frowned. “This is…”

“The defeat CGs of little Ritsuka. I took pictures.”

Ritsuka: “!!”

Mash: “!!”

Seeing both of their faces instantly turn bright red, Merry—having once again absorbed a surge of emotional energy—smiled contentedly.

(Teasing young girls like this is truly more fun. At home, they’re all experienced and unshakable. Even Ayaka got used to it in recent years… haaa~)

“Fou~~~”

At that moment, feeling a tap on her leg, Merry looked down and laughed, picking up Fou, who was scratching at her calf. “Fou’s here too. But I’m not Merlin who abandoned you—hitting me won’t help.”

*PLAAK!*

Fou firmly kicked Merry in the face, then elegantly executed a spinning kick, striking the other side of her face.

“Fou fou fou~~~”

It was punishment for teasing Mash, you damn Merlin—Fou’s cry seemed to scream that very message.

After a brief pause, Merry smiled as she lifted Fou up, then casually tossed her into a trash can across the hallway.

“Fou—!”

“Haah… I really miss my Fou. She was so obedient and cute.”

Merry sighed wistfully.

At that moment, a voice suddenly echoed through Chaldea’s internal broadcast system.

【Attention Fujimaru Ritsuka, attention Fujimaru Ritsuka. Please proceed immediately to the control room, please proceed immediately to the control room. Repeat—】