My Goddess - NO.5 - A Date?

I... sat quietly on the clouds.

My eyes were slightly crimson.

I reached out my hand, wanting to grasp something tightly.

But...

All I touched was air...

Nothing.

I couldn't see anything.

I couldn't obtain anything...

Lifting my humble head, I looked at the sun high above, radiating warm light, and I smiled...

Blood trickled down my cheek, but the smile on my lips widened.

Why?

Why was I laughing even though I was injured?

Why was I wearing such a blissful smile on my face when I was bleeding profusely?

Heh heh...

Because, above me.

There was someone even lonelier than I was...

Our bodies were tightly embraced, the force so strong it felt like we were trying to meld into each other. Tears welled in my eyes, and at that moment, a single tear couldn't help but fall.

"Artoria..."

A cry from the depths of my heart, with a hint of satisfaction, I slowly fainted.

Bright sunlight slowly rose from the east, and white clouds lazily drifted through the sky.

And beneath those white clouds.

A slightly chilly breeze swept through the streets, causing the passersby to shiver.

The paper door opened gently.

A golden-haired girl in a single robe slowly walked outside.

A gentle breeze met her, softly caressing her face and playfully lifting a strand of her golden hair.

"Even the wind is against me?" the girl said, pouting slightly.

She slowly raised her small hand, intending to smooth the stray hair.

But she found...

A gentle large hand had already rested on her head, smoothing the curled hair for her.

After smoothing it, the warm hand slid down to her waist, gently pulling her into a broad embrace.

"Do as you wish, I won't object." The voice from behind, with a hint of fawning, successfully calmed the girl's pouting expression.

Turning her petite body, she smiled at the black-haired youth who looked somewhat helpless.

The youth then forced a smile back at the girl's face.

The youth and the girl returned to the warm bedroom, lying peacefully together, embracing each other.

A tight embrace, happy expressions, the youth and the girl exchanged glances and smiled from the bottom of their hearts...

"Destiny, thank you."

The lonely me.

Sat upon the clouds.

When I looked up and gazed at the warm light, I was no longer alone...

And when the warm light shone upon my humble body, that solitary, all-encompassing light would no longer be alone...

You ask why?

Heh heh...

Do I even need to say it? Of course, it's because, We have each other.

Pat pat.

The exquisite pastries on the table successfully caught the golden-haired girl's attention.

Her large, sparkling eyes fixed on the youth with a pitiable expression, and so... the youth surrendered.

Ignoring the roar that would come from Taiga later, the youth, with a cheerful expression, pushed the plates of exquisite pastries in front of the girl. Then he watched as the girl happily ate the cream pastries, one by one, with a blissful expression.

The boy smiled and gently wiped the cream from the girl's lips with a clean piece of paper. Then, he received a look from the girl that clearly said, "Don't bother me, I'm enjoying my food."

In a dark corner, a ball of black thread slid down. The boy squatted there with a miserable expression, drawing circles over and over.

"Curse all the world's cream pastries... curse all the world's cream pastries..."

Opening the living room door, Shirou, who had returned from buying lunch ingredients, looked at me squatting beside him with a speechless expression.

"Hmm... what should I say? Did Xia break?" His teasing words earned me an eye-roll.

Shirou walked into the kitchen, put down the ingredients in his hands, and waved at me, indicating for me to come help.

"Gulp... Xia, why does Master call you Xia?" After swallowing the last piece of pastry, the girl asked me with a satisfied expression.

I smiled, pinched Artoria's cheek, and gently shook my head.

"There's no need to worry about such trivial matters..." My answer caused Artoria's delicate eyebrows to furrow slightly. Although she felt displeased, Artoria still chose not to press further. Because... she no longer wanted to bother with so many things now.

"As long as we don't get separated again... you can decide everything else, Xia," Artoria said to me.

"Heh heh... Yes. May. Lord." The slight narrowing of my eyes showed how pleased the master was at the moment.

Deng deng deng deng!!

The hurried footsteps from the hallway outside made Xia turn his head to look outside.

Swish! The door was suddenly pulled open, and a woman in a dark green long dress appeared.

"Yo~! I'm here~!" Her loud greeting made both Xia and Shirou sigh in unison...

"Welcome back, Taiga." Xia, smiling, said to the woman outside the door who was called Taiga. Then, the smile that had been on her face upon hearing the greeting instantly cooled down because of the last word, "Taiga."

Hoo~~!

A hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Xia before he could react.

Taiga, with her fist clenched, squeezed Xia's temple with all her might and angrily said, "How many times have I told you! Don't call me Tiger!! You despicable fellow!"

"Y-y-y-yikes!! It hurts!! It hurts!!! I know I was wrong!! Please spare me, Lady Taiga!!"

"You dare say that?! You damn Xia!"

The blonde girl sat quietly to the side, smiling as she watched the two of them bickering. Although their squabbling resembled a fight, it surprisingly brought a sense of peace and ease. The latter, however, continued their quarrel without any self-awareness.

Helplessly, only Shirou stepped in to smooth things over, saving me from being "honored" out of existence.

"This isn't over yet!" Waving her fist, even though they were separated, the tiger still wouldn't give up, threatening me with bared teeth and claws.

Gently pushing forward a plate of exquisite pastries, the furious beast instantly transformed into a cute neighborhood kitten, eating the pastries with a blissful expression and making satisfied "m-hm m-hm" sounds.

...Seeing this scene, the boy and girl simultaneously gave a thumbs-up to the clever person who had presented the food.

"Beautiful!" Unreserved praise.

"Heh heh... heh heh..." Shirou, who had been praised, hid his slight embarrassment with a silly grin.

Afterward, we began to enjoy the meal in a harmonious atmosphere.

And just halfway through our meal, a girl with beautiful long purple hair rushed in from outside. When she saw the delicious pastries already being shared on the table, she looked at Shirou with a somewhat helpless expression.

"Haha, sorry Sakura, Taiga and Xia started first. I tried to stop them!" Shirou's casual excuse successfully drew unanimous disdain from me and Taiga.

Sakura, understanding her senior's personality, could only smile and shake her head, indicating she didn't mind.

Taking our seats.

Five people(?), with two couples and one tiger present.

This breakfast, which had been delayed, finally officially began.

The warm sun was already hanging high in the sky.

White clouds were also drifting slowly in the air.

The light filtering through the gaps in the windowpanes gently shone upon these five young people.

The laughing boy and girl were happily chatting with the three people in front of them.

From the events in the Fairy Forest to the events of leaving the Fairy Forest.

From relying on each other back then, to meeting but not recognizing each other, and then facing each other with drawn blades.

During this time, both the boy and the girl had suffered, cried, and even raged.

But...

They had never been lost...

"My name is Drake. D. Xia! I am the man who will always stand behind you!!"

The oath that once echoed through the Fairy Forest is still being upheld by the boy today.

Precisely because the boy has always upheld it, every decision he makes appears so decisive and ruthless.

Because, whenever the boy makes a decision, he only considers one thing.

"For my Goddess! This body can become the 'Source of Evil'!"

Listening to the story between Xia and Artoria, a romance as fantastical and fairytale-like as a dream.

The girl with long purple hair stared at Shirou with her beautiful eyes, her gaze radiating a passion that could melt a person alive!

As for Shirou, although he was surprised and found it hard to believe, when the girl beside him looked at him with eyes that held a warmth comparable to the sun, Shirou felt... all his words of emotion suddenly became weak and muddled.

Because he had a feeling that for a long time to come, he would be "tormented" by such a gaze...

The only one who remained somewhat normal was a certain grumpy tiger with no romantic sense.

She chewed on the shell in her mouth and looked at Xia with a sideways glance, saying, "Since that's the case, I have a question for you." The tiger's words successfully drew everyone's attention.

"Have you... been on a date?"

"..."

"Have you kissed?"

"..."

"Have you done... that that?"

"..."

"Alright, I despair at your relationship, which is so pure it's almost ridiculous!" The tiger shrugged indifferently, then with an infuriatingly smug expression, claimed all the food on the table.

"...A date? With Artoria?" Xia turned his head, looking at the equally confused girl.

"A date...?" Xia questioned.

"Um... it's a date, right?" Artoria replied, uncertainly.

Their uninspired exchange revealed their ignorance of the most common activities for couples.

"...What's that?" X2

It's going shopping with the person you love! Young man~!

My Goddess - NO.6 - Berserker

Daytime.

The warm, selfless sunlight shone upon the ground, bringing a touch of warmth to the city that had been ravaged by the cold wind.

Perhaps it was truly because of the warmth sown by the sun, or perhaps it was because people felt the cold that they were more inclined to go out and about.

But regardless of either of those reasons, the city, which had endured several disasters, once again displayed a prosperous scene and bustling crowds.

On the crowded streets, couples intimately embraced each other, weaving in and out of newly opened shops.

Some couples entered fashion boutiques, some entered beauty salons, and some entered love hotels.

Of course, there were also some more... open-minded couples! Cough cough!

But no matter which place or shop these couples entered, their expressions upon exiting were always the same. The man's expression was as if he had been forcefully pushed down by a "tough" brute and thoroughly enjoyed it, while the woman's expression was that of the brute who had forcefully pushed down the man and thoroughly enjoyed it...

Standing on this bustling street were Xia and Artoria, each looking with keen interest at the couples coming and going.

They admired the affectionate displays of the couples before entering the shops, and then their hostile demeanor afterwards, as if they were mortal enemies...

Or perhaps, when a couple, who had been chatting and laughing with each other, entered a peculiar hotel and emerged later, they acted as if they didn't know each other at all.

It was truly strange.

Whenever this happened, Artoria would cast a questioning glance at Xia.

Xia, however, would pretend not to see, ignoring Artoria's gaze that sought to understand.

Walking slowly along the bustling street.

The boy and girl, hand in hand, admired the lively scenery and fashionable sights lining the street.

The boy smiled as he looked at everything around him that felt so familiar, how familiar and nostalgic it all was...

Slightly lowering his eyelids, the boy glanced at the blonde girl beside him from the corner of his eye.

{Heh heh...}

A genuine smile of contentment made the smile on the boy's face even brighter.

"Xia? What are you smiling about?" a clear voice sounded in the boy's ear.

Slowly lowering his head, he looked at the blonde girl who was staring at him with a strange expression, seemingly not understanding why he was smiling so happily.

Quietly stopping his steps, the boy slowly reached out his right hand and gently ruffled the girl's blonde hair under her curious gaze.

Continuing their walk, the smiling boy tightly held the girl's small hand in his large one.

The wind blew gently at this moment, blowing up the girl's beautiful blonde hair, revealing her blushing face hidden by the golden strands.

"Let... let go, Xia. It's strange," a weak voice came from the girl's cherry-pink lips.

"The wind is too strong! I can't hear you~!" The boy's flimsy excuse left the girl feeling helpless.

Her big, emerald eyes swept over the small blades of grass by the roadside, observing the gentle breeze that couldn't even bend a single blade. The girl sighed in resignation. She let the stubborn boy in front of her continue to tightly grasp her hand as they slowly walked forward.

Walk and walk.

The two, who had been wandering aimlessly, unexpectedly found themselves in a lovers' park.

Here, one could freely see couples everywhere, holding hands. Some sat on wooden benches, leaning against each other.

Others sat in the grass, the man casually resting his head on the woman's lap, playfully teasing each other.

They smiled, they were happy, they relied on each other.

They were beings willing to give their lives for one another.

And this, this is "love"...

The wind continued to blow gently.

But the girl's once flushed cheeks slowly cooled.

She lifted her cute face, her eyes looking lost at the back of the person in front of her.

From the moment they met...

It had always been like this...

A gentle smile gradually spread across the boy's back.

Carrying a hint of spring's vitality, it warmed the boy's fiery heart.

The sudden stop of their steps made the girl falter slightly.

He suddenly turned around, and she saw the boy staring at her with a very serious expression.

It was the first time she had ever seen such a serious and solemn expression...

"Wh-what's wrong? Xia?" For the first time since becoming an undefeated king, the girl felt a sense of unease.

"Being able to descend into this world is the thing I am most grateful to the gods for in my entire life."

Bathed in the sunlight, Xia said this to Artoria with such a serious face.

"I am truly, truly, very grateful!"

His fiery gaze was fixed directly on Artoria's eyes. And the way he spoke, enunciating each word, made him seem even more aggressive.

"R-really?! Then, I'll be grateful too! Grateful to the gods that Xia is grateful to..." Artoria replied nervously. Under Xia's intense gaze, she could barely comprehend what she was saying.

"Artoria, I just realized something! As we are now, we've been ignoring something!" Xia ignored Artoria's reply, his face flushed as he stepped closer to the girl.

"Wh-what is it?" As Xia's body drew nearer, his handsome face coming closer, Artoria took a step back uncomfortably and asked.

He reached out a large hand, wrapping it around Artoria's waist. Then, under Artoria's astonished gaze, Xia pulled her into his embrace.

Their eyes met directly, and the gap between their bodies perfectly closed.

"You... you idiot! What are you doing?!" Artoria, her face red, exclaimed anxiously.

However, Xia didn't immediately answer Artoria's urgent question. He merely offered a mischievous smile to Artoria in his arms.

Then he said...

"We're being targeted. A rather strong ant."

Xia's words startled Artoria slightly, and she immediately turned her head to look back in the direction Xia was looking.

The couples who had been laughing and playing in the park had vanished at some point.

The sun, which had been high in the sky, had now hidden itself behind thick clouds.

Creak!

A large dark figure slowly emerged from a patch of woods, followed by a small, silver figure in front of him, as they approached Xia and Artoria.

"Heh heh..."

A clear, bell-like laugh came from the silver-haired girl.

What should have been a pure and innocent laugh caused Artoria's delicate eyebrows to furrow slightly.

"Berserker..." Xia narrowed his eyes, staring at the giant figure behind the silver-haired girl as he slowly spoke.

"Hmph!"

--- OVER ---

My Goddess - NO.7 - Heroes Gathered.

The gloomy sky, the humid air.

The heavy, oppressive atmosphere made it impossible to breathe normally.

People walking on the streets quickened their pace, heading towards their homes. They hoped to return to their warm homes before it started raining.

Drip...

A crisp splashing sound.

The first drop of rain quietly fell from the gloomy sky...

On the silent, empty street, Shirou was hurrying home from the mall.

As he ran, Shirou suddenly felt a cool drop of water splash against his face. He felt its chilling touch, a slick, soft droplet.

He raised his hand and gently wiped his cheek.

"...Rain?"

Looking up at the overcast sky, a mass of dark clouds churned above, occasionally rumbling with distant thunder, interspersed with streaks of blue lightning.

The suffocating pressure and the ominous aura that seeped into his very core coiled around Shirou's heart like a vipers tongue.

Feeling a slight unease, Shirou stared intently at the dark clouds for a few minutes. He then said, "What dreadful weather... I hope Xia and the others get home soon."

With that, Shirou quickened his pace, running towards the Emiya Residence.

Crack!!

A web-like flash of lightning suddenly illuminated the dark clouds! It was immediately followed by a thunderous roar! A deafening sound that seemed to shake the very heavens!

Drip, drip, drip... splash, splash, splash.

One drop of rain fell to the ground, then another, until finally, a torrential downpour erupted from the dark sky.

Running through the storm, Shirou's shoes and clothes were completely soaked. Panting, he finally reached the Emiya Residence.

"Haa... haa... I knew I should have brought an umbrella!" Shirou grumbled in annoyance, placing the groceries in the living room hallway.

After setting down the ingredients, Shirou muttered about his bad luck and quickly headed towards the bathroom. If he didn't change out of his wet clothes soon, he'd be visiting a clinic tomorrow. As for Avalon, the thing that had been keeping Shirou alive, Xia had retrieved it the moment his memories returned.

The hallway was dark and silent. The lightbulb had burned out three days ago. Shirou had intended to fix it, but various things had gotten in the way.

After his bath, Shirou quietly closed the door, changed into fresh clothes, and headed towards the kitchen in the living room.

"Alright! Now for another round of work!" Shirou said, stretching his limbs as he walked. He picked up a duster and a headscarf and began his usual cleaning routine.

Originally, household chores in this house were shared between Shirou and Xia. Xia was responsible for lunch and cleaning. Shirou handled breakfast and dinner. But... that all changed after Artoria appeared.

Xia steadfastly guarded Artoria's room every day. Besides buying daily necessities, he completely ignored the rest of the house's hygiene. Xia even ignored a cockroach that crawled out of the refrigerator, remaining focused on making exquisite cakes and pastries for his Goddess...

"Heh... the power of love is truly terrifying," Shirou sighed, a smile playing on his lips.

Crack!!!

Just as Shirou finished his chuckle, another earth-shattering thunderclap echoed from the sky! The rain pouring down from above showed no signs of stopping; in fact, it was getting heavier. It was as if the storm intended to drown the small town.

Frowning, Shirou turned his head towards the window. He gazed at the torrential rain outside, punctuated by flashes of lightning.

Shirou's good mood vanished in an instant...

The Holy Grail War was a small-scale conflict involving seven Masters and seven Servants. After forming their contracts, the seven pairs would engage in a deadly battle, fighting until only one Master and their Servant remained.

Servants were also known as Heroic Spirits.

They were humans who had achieved great deeds in the past. Before their deaths, they were recognized by humanity's highest consciousness, or the Earth's highest consciousness, Alaya and Gaia, thus forming a contract.

They possessed immense power and eternal life, truly immortal beings.

These great heroes would answer the call of their respective Masters and come to this world, all for the sake of obtaining one thing.

"The Holy Grail...?"

The legendary chalice of the gods, capable of granting any wish.

"But regrettably... the true Holy Grail of the gods was corrupted during the Second Holy Grail War. What exists now is only the Black Grail, defiled by foul black mud. It is a source of evil, filled with destruction and ruin. The great fire ten years ago was also caused by the appearance of this Black Holy Grail." This was what Xia had told him when Shirou had asked.

"...But... Xia, why do you know so much? You're just an ordinary human like me, aren't you?!" Shirou had blurted out, his mind in a chaotic state.

Hearing his question, Xia's face seemed to contort slightly.

"...Because I was a participant in the Fourth Holy Grail War, and so was Artoria." Xia's explanation stunned everyone present. Including Taiga, Sakura, myself, and... Rin Tohsaka.

"Well, the process is too complicated, so I won't explain it all. All you need to know is that the Holy Grail is no longer the same Holy Grail that appeared during the first war. The current cup is nothing more than a sewer filled with foul sludge!" Xia's response undoubtedly displeased some people.

For example... a certain proud young lady who grabbed Xia by the collar.

"Hey! You! If you were part of the previous Holy Grail War, why are you still alive in this world?! And what exactly happened in the Fourth Holy Grail War?! Why wasn't a single Master left standing in the end?! My father... my father was in it too!"

Rin, losing her composure, yelled at Xia, clutching his collar. She shook him violently, her anxious expression intensifying the already eerie atmosphere in the room.

Finally, a Servant in red forcibly pulled Rin away from Xia's collar. Holding a white blade in one hand, he stared intently at the blonde girl who had already raised her Holy Sword, her face a mask of frost.

"No one is allowed to do that to Xia again! Otherwise, I, the King of Britannia, will be your opponent!" Cold words, laced with suppressed anger, echoed in the small house.

Facing the warning from the frosty Knight King, the red-clad Servant could only helplessly restrain his Master, who was on the verge of losing control. He continued to hold the blade in one hand, maintaining a posture of full alert.

The atmosphere became tense for a moment.

Finally, it was Xia's explanation that diffused the crisis. Although his words only made the atmosphere even more rigid...

"...I am different from ordinary Heroic Spirits. If Heroic Spirits are generally those who sign contracts with Alaya after dying from great deeds, then I am somewhat of an anomaly." Xia cleared his throat.

"While it's true I signed a contract with Alaya after death, ...at that time, I was just a kid who had finished his revenge. I had no great deeds that influenced future generations, nor any unparalleled talents. Honestly, I still find it a bit inexplicable that I managed to sign a contract with Alaya in the 'Sea of Goodness.'

Furthermore, I am not a Heroic Spirit in the conventional sense. If you must use a term to refer to me... then please call me a 'Returner'."

"Returner?" Xia's new term caused Rin's head to tilt in confusion. Not only Rin looked at Xia with doubt, but even the red-clothed knight beside her lowered his head in thought, seemingly trying to find information related to this title in his mind.

"..." Artoria, after exchanging a silent glance with Xia, was clearly waiting for an answer.

She slowly closed her eyes, then opened them again a second later.

"The so-called 'Returner' is actually a hypothetical position that skips over the eighth Servant, 'Avenger.' It's commonly known as the 'Ninth' Knight. According to Alaya's original explanation, I was the only one capable of becoming the 'Ninth' Knight class. This is because... the existence of the 'Ninth' Knight class itself transcends both Alaya's consciousness and Gaia's consciousness. You could say it's another form of individual consciousness.

Therefore, I can ignore any rules that no Heroic Spirit can ignore. That's why I could precisely jump through space and time limits three consecutive times to appear here. That's also why I could endure countless cycles of reincarnation without losing a single second of memory. Even the accumulated emotions and stories from those countless cycles couldn't crush me.

This is because I can be considered a third, smaller restraining force, existing outside of the two major restraining forces: human consciousness and Earth's consciousness.

Although in terms of power, I cannot compare to Alaya or Gaia. However, the limitations of a Heroic Spirit do not apply to me.

And as the successor to this powerful class, Rin..." Xia paused here.

After calling out Rin's name, he continued, "Rin, what do you think was the outcome of the Fourth Holy Grail War?"

I have no memory of what happened afterward.

Because, the moment Rin was about to speak, my vision was suddenly filled with a flash of red light, and then I knew nothing...

Recalling his memories, Shirou shook his head slightly and began to put away the cleaning tools he was holding into a storage locker.

Click.

Opening the refrigerator, Shirou took out a bottle of milk and gulped it down in one go.

"Haa..." With a satisfied sigh, he put down the empty bottle and headed towards the dojo.

The sky outside, which had been roaring with thunder, had vanished without a trace at some point. The torrential rain, which had felt like a furious outburst, had also just stopped and was slowly subsiding.

High in the sky, a warm ray of sunlight slowly broke through a gap in the dark clouds. The warm sunlight, once again illuminating the earth, brought a final end to the gloomy and oppressive half-day.

The moist, tender grass and delicate flowers, bathed in the sunlight, gradually shed their wet exteriors. Their clean bodies, washed by the skywater, were exposed to the sunlight, shimmering with faint luminescence.

Shirou walked along the quiet corridor, tightening his daoist robe as he went, a smile on his face as he looked at his courtyard.

After being washed by the rain and dew, the courtyard, which had a slight dusty air, now resembled a place of Buddhist asceticism – clean, tranquil, and serene...

Breathing in the fresh air after the rain, Shirou stretched his arms wide with satisfaction.

"Nnnnngh! Haa!!"

"Although the recent downpour and the gloomy air were quite stifling, it's only after going through something like that that we can welcome such beautiful skies, isn't it?" Shirou said to himself with a smile.

Reaching the edge of the dojo, Shirou smiled and went to pull open the wooden door.

"Seventy-six degrees, Great Cyclone Kick! Hah!!!"

BOOM!!!

Before his hand could even touch the door handle, Shirou was startled by a sudden, energetic shout. Then, the wooden door before him exploded open!

A blue-haired man wearing a Hawaiian shirt flew out of the dojo, whizzing past Shirou's nose!

"Roar!!!"

"As expected of Xia!"

"Tsk... Is he really that terrifying? If this continues, my contract will be in danger..."

"Hahaha! You eternal trash! You've improved again after not seeing you for a while!"

"Hmph, it's a shame you're not a swordsman... What a waste."

"Sakura? Do you need me to help him bandage?"

"Tsk! Archer! Go! You absolutely must suppress this guy's arrogance!"

"Hey, hey... Are you asking me to be a punching bag?!"

And just as the dojo door was shattered, a cacophony of voices suddenly erupted from within.

Shirou, who was momentarily stunned, finally regained his composure after a brief recovery.

Looking into the dojo, he saw everyone gathered around an outrageously luxurious seating arrangement, feasting. Shirou smacked his lips a few times.

"...Have my house been taken over by this generation's Heroic Spirits?"