Chapter 717
"Arisu, have you arrived?"
Liddell's voice came from the restaurant.
A few seconds later, she also appeared in the entryway.
Of course, she was only wearing underwear.
Her fair and radiant skin and curvaceous figure left Arisu speechless, completely stunned.
"Why did Arisu come?" Shirou asked in a low voice.
Liddell answered softly, "I invited Arisu to my Lord ceremony because I wanted to reconcile with her."
"Do you think you two still have a chance to get back together?" A chill ran down Shirou's spine.
"What's going on? Liddell, why is Shirou dressed like this in your apartment?"
The black-haired witch exuded a chill as she glared at the pink-haired witch and questioned her.
Before that guy could spout nonsense, Shirou spoke up, "Miss Arisu, this is actually..."
"Shirou, please be quiet. It's definitely Liddell's doing again."
Arisu made a judgment without hesitation.
The extent of her trust in Shirou surprised even Shirou himself, leaving him unsure whether to be happy or sad.
Faced with her childhood friend's questioning, Liddell...
"I am now Shirou's woman too. Nice to meet you from now on, Arisu ~"
Liddell naturally embraced Shirou, her bare, white breasts enveloping his arms.
Shirou..."Sir"?
The black-haired witch turned to the boy. "Is that so, Shirou?"
Shirou kept shaking his head frantically.
Arisu didn't doubt a word Shirou said, and coldly replied to Liddell:
"You're lying, aren't you? Shirou is very troubled right now, please let him go immediately."
"Whew, although I'm not Shirou- sama's woman yet, it's only a matter of time before I win him over."
"That hasn't happened yet, has it?" Arisu raised an eyebrow.
Liddell smiled confidently, "Is there anything I want that I can never get in the end?"
"..."
Arisu fell silent.
It seems Liddell wasn't exaggerating; she herself is the biggest victim of this Pink Witch.
What does Shirou think?
Arisu suddenly asked her lover, "What do you think of Liddell?"
"Ah?"
Shirou glanced at Liddell, then replied, "She's Arisu- san's friend; I can't just leave her alone."
"..."
A faint blush appeared on her Arisu -like white face. "Do you really... think that way?"
Shirou nodded solemnly, "Yes, if it weren't for Miss Arisu, I would never have met her."
"... All right."
Arisu sighed softly.
Huh? What's going on?
Shirou was a little confused, but Liddell beside him looked smug.
Could this be...?
Arisu accepted Liddell's decision and allowed her to continue pursuing her lover.
Wait! Arisu! I'm not your PLOY! Don't give up so easily!
Liddell: "That's wonderful, Shirou... No one can stop us now?"
Shirou: "Don't joke around! Even if Arisu agrees, I still won't agree!"
"Hehe, it's alright... I'm just an accessory to Arisu, and I'm satisfied that Shirou- sama sees me this way."
Liddell chuckled as she plotted an evil scheme.
"But one day, I will replace her and become an important person in Shirou's heart... Hehehe?"
"That kind of thing is absolutely impossible," Shirou and Arisu thought at the same time.
After that, Arisu and Liddell went out together to buy Shirou new clothes.
In the afternoon, the three of them went together to a private estate owned by the Achelot Family near the Magecraft City to attend Liddell's Lord ceremony.
When Liddell, dressed in her finest attire, approached the previous "Witch of Soot," ready to receive her title—
"May Liddell Achelot! I challenge you to a duel!"
Accompanied by a loud female voice, a woman stood up from the audience.
"..."
For a moment, Shirou had the illusion that he had traveled back to Britain during the time of the Knights of the Round Table.
The commotion lasted only a few seconds, and the attendees did not seem particularly surprised.
In fact, duels between Magecraft are not uncommon in the Clock Tower, and the association even encourages this behavior.
The leader of democracy, Lord Trinberia, was a proponent of Magecraft duels.
Although Magecraft are scholars, they all have a certain degree of admiration for power, which is why Kenshinnes participated in the Holy Grail War in the first place.
The woman who challenged Liddell to a duel at the ceremony was, not long ago, one of the leading candidates for the role of Lord Achelot.
A few days ago, her forces were crushed by Shirou, and her remaining subordinates were won over by Liddell with money. Now she is all alone.
It was clearly because they were unwilling to give up so easily that they decided to give it one last shot.
Voices of rebuke came from those around her.
This is to be expected, as the guests at the ceremony were all Liddell's allies, and she had complete control over the Achelot Family.
The old woman from the previous generation also showed her dissatisfaction, thinking that this practice was too unseemly and that the loser should admit defeat with dignity.
However, Liddell generously offered to accept the duel as a form of entertainment during the ceremony.
The group moved to the outdoor courtyard.
"Liddell seems very confident..."
Arisu murmured, sensing that this challenger was quite strong and that Liddell might not be able to win easily.
If a Lord cannot easily defeat Magecraft of his own generation, it will greatly affect his reputation.
Arisu still doesn't know --
After practicing with Shirou, Liddell's Black Magic improved by leaps and bounds this week, and she was no longer at the level she used to be.
This duel ultimately became Liddell's stage, where she won with a one-sided, overwhelming victory.
The challenger was knocked to the ground and immediately lost consciousness, but was not seriously injured.
The audience erupted in gasps of amazement, and the previous "Witch of Soot" nodded in satisfaction and applauded.
"What a boring opponent."
Liddell gracefully tossed her pink ponytail, then looked at Shirou in the crowd.
The two exchanged a knowing glance and a smile, a scene that Arisu also witnessed.
"Shirou, I'd like to talk to you later..."
"... Ah, yes." Shirou's face turned deathly pale.
And so, Liddell inherited the seat of the Twelve Lords of the Clock Tower.
The Magecraft Crest transplant surgery is scheduled for next week.
Once the Magecraft Crest is officially implanted, Liddell will henceforth refer to herself as the "Witch of Soot".
Today is just a gathering within the Achelot Family, so there will be no personnel changes at the Clock Tower.
The inauguration ceremony for the head of the Department of the Botany Department (Yumina) will not be held until next spring.
Following the Lord succession ceremony was a social dinner hosted by Achelot.
Arisu disliked the social banquets of the nobility, so she went home early. Shirou was also planning to leave early, but Liddell caught him and brought him back.
Since Achelot comes from a family of witches, most of the guests attending tonight are witches or female Black Magician.
Are you the legendary "Nameless" master?
Who on earth leaked my name...?
Shirou looked at Liddell, who was chatting with the previous generation.
Now that all the enemies have been dealt with, there's no need to hide Shirou's identity anymore.
Liddell announced at the ceremony that Shirou Amamiya was her external supporter, thereby consolidating her Lord position.
"She's even cuter than the rumors say... Heh, no wonder even the witch of Kuonji was smitten."
"Shirou, could you please demonstrate the legendary Projection Magic?"
"Yes, yes, we all want to see it!"
"Could you tell me the story of the Holy Grail War? What was your battle with that Lord, El- El-Melloi?"
"..."
It seems tonight is destined to be a night of hardship for women.
Shirou was surrounded by the witches, who kept asking him questions, and it took him a long time to finally break free.
Having escaped the witches' pursuit, Shirou went to the mansion's balcony to enjoy the night breeze.
Just then, a voice came from behind.
"Are you Shirou Amamiya?"
Shirou turned around and saw a young girl who looked no more than ten years old.
She wore the same high-class gown as the other Female Magus, exuding the air of a well-bred lady.
However, the presence of a crow perched on her shoulder creates a strange harmony, giving the impression that she is an extraordinary being.
Shirou comes to know this young-looking but cunning and experienced Black Magician by chance.
She is known as "Yatagarasu" in the Mage's Association. Although she looks and sounds young and cute, she is over eighty years old.
Even in the face of Shirou's "Ultimate Magic Eye," she perfectly maintained the demeanor of a young girl, indicating that it was not a cognitive distortion achieved through Magecraft, but rather some kind of innate special ability.
"Yatagarasu" stared at Shirou's face with neither humility nor arrogance and asked.
"You've been staring at my disciple since just now. Is there something bothering you?"
The blonde girl standing behind the "Yatagarasu" is close to Shirou's age, and unlike the loli-old woman with the crow, she has a childlike innocence befitting her age.
Nevertheless, his eyes were filled with a look of equanimity toward everything in the world, and the faint glimmer within them burned with a dark fire of hatred.
She is the Black Magic girl who was Ishtar's follower and Humbaba's Master in another Parallel World's Holy Grail War that Shirou participated in.
"Haruri Polzak."
"...!!"