Published at 17th of August 2019 8:35 am

Volume 14, Chapter 1: Shizuka's 'Path of the Dragon'

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Part 1

As the date approached the middle of June, the summer began setting in properly. But despite the change in season, the landlord for Corona House was feeling a little sad.

“This season is back again...”

Staring at the calendar on the wall, a deep love, sadness and loneliness resonated in Shizuka's eyes. One of the days on the calendar had been circled with a red pen, and Shizuka was gazing at that date.

“It's already been almost five years since that day...”

Shizuka peeled her eyes off of the calendar and picked up a photo placed on the top shelf of her bookshelf. On the photo was an elementary school girl wearing a karate' dougi and holding a trophy, together with her parents. Behind the smiling trio was Corona House. This was a commemorative picture after Shizuka had won a karate tournament.

“Dad, mom, I'm doing just fine...”

Next to where the photo had been was a small memorial tablet. Two months after the picture had been taken, Shizuka's parents passed away. Ever since then, Shizuka had been protecting Corona House on her own. To her, Corona House was her parents’ legacy, and at the same time, a place full of memories. That's why Shizuka couldn't forgive anyone that would bring harm to it.

As Shizuka was staring at the photo, Sanae's face popped out from the floor at her feet.

“Hey Shizuka, tea is ready so come down.”

Sanae poked up from the floor below, from room 106, to call Shizuka. As a former ghost, astral projection was a piece of cake to Sanae, making her perfect for communicating between the floors.

“Thank you, Sanae-chan. I'll be right there.”

Shizuka decided to head to the floor below and put the photo back. As she did, Sanae managed to catch a glimpse of it.

“...That's a photo of your papa and mama right?”

Sanae could tell that it was a picture of Shizuka's parents at first glance.

“Yes. You can tell?”

Shizuka was a little confused as she had never shown Sanae a picture of her parents before.

“Yeah. Because Corona House has plenty of... residual memories I think?... those things in it.”

“That might be because they treasured it so much.”

Shizuka didn't start living in Corona House until after her parents had passed away, but she would often help cleaning it. That might be why her parents’ eagerness remained as memories.

“I think so. That's what it means when I can see lots of those memory things.”

Sanae could sense Shizuka's parent's enthusiasm in a spiritual way. Sanae had said that lightheartedly, but to Shizuka, those words served as proof of her memories, and tears filled her eyes.

“...Well anyways, hurry on down, Shizuka. There won't be any snacks served if you don't.”

“Yes. Thank you, Sanae-chan.”

Seemingly sensing Shizuka's feelings, Sanae quickly left the room. Shizuka believed that Sanae was doing so out of courtesy for her, as being a spiritual being, there was no way Sanae wouldn't be able to see Shizuka's feelings.

Shizuka turned back towards the bookshelf, wiped away her tears and smiled at the photograph.

“... Dad, mom, I was lonely ever since you died... but I'm fine now. When Satomi-kun and everyone else came, they were a handful at first... but I am really happy now. I wish that these days could continue forever...”

Shizuka's expression was far from dark. The sadness from having lost her parents wasn't gone, but she had been able to form new bonds. That's why sadness wasn't the only thing inside of her anymore. There was also joy.

“... I'll go into details when I visit your graves. So sorry, but I'm going now. Everyone is waiting for me...”

Drinking tea, eating snacks and chatting. That was something natural, but Shizuka felt joy in having regained that natural state after giving it up several years ago.

A creaking sound could be heard.

“... Hmm, I really do feel like I've gotten heavier... I should go on a diet...”

As a result, she regained her composure and was able to worry about the sound of her floor creaking. Shizuka was living her everyday life to its very fullest like she had never done before.

“Fufufu, maybe I should ask everyone...”

With a bounce in her step, Shizuka left room 206.

Truth be told, not even Shizuka knew if she was really all that worried about her weight. All she was thinking of was that it would be fun to talk about weights with everyone else.

Part 2

Having come back from room 206 through the ceiling, Sanae floated slowly towards her body that was sitting in front of the TV.

“... Hey, Sanae, how do you even do that?”

“Heh?”

Sanae was planning on merging with her body, but Koutarou's word stopped her midair, and she turned her head towards him.

“Your body is sitting there playing games, but you're astral projecting.”

At this time, Sanae's body was sitting in front of the TV while playing video games. Yet, Sanae had just left her body to go up into room 206 to call Shizuka down. This was a mysterious spectacle to not just Koutarou, but everyone in room 106.

“Oh, that's what you mean.”

Sanae understood what Koutarou was wondering about and spun her finger around as she boastfully explained her trick.

“This is my god skill that I've recently learned.”

“A new technique?”

“Yeah. Hey, you, stop acting like a stranger and turn this way too.”

“O-Okay...”

The Sanae floating in the air called out to the Sanae playing games, causing her to put down her controller and turned towards Koutarou. However, her cheeks were flushed and she cast her glance downwards. She had a somewhat embarrassed and troubled atmosphere too her, completely different from the normal Sanae.

“Huh? Could that Sanae be... Sanae-san?”

Koutarou had seen the Sanae playing games before. That was how Sanae had been when she had lost her memories.

“Bingo!”

“W-Wait a moment, what are you splitting up for?!”

Koutarou began panicking, but the Sanae floating in the air was calm. In an attempt to soothe Koutarou, she showed her normal smile and shook her hands around.

“Calm down. We didn't really split up. Look.”

Next she turned her rear towards Koutarou. There, a tail-like thing extended out from around her waist, and connected to the Sanae in front of the TV.

“It's a safety cable.”

“Then you didn't split up again? You're okay then?!”

Though Sanae gave him an explanation, Koutarou couldn't calm down just yet. He worriedly looked over the two Sanaes and recalled the events when Sanae had regained her body.

“Yeah. If it was bad, I wouldn't be this carefree.”

“What... don't scare me like that. Last time was bad enough.”

It wasn't until when Sanae nodded at him again that Koutarou was able to calm down. Tension left his body in an instant and his shoulders dropped.

“Nyahahaha~, sorry.”

Sanae wanted to show off her new move, but she didn't want to cause Koutarou to needlessly worry. That's why she honestly apologized.

“So, how does that work?”

After confirming that she was safe, Koutarou finally got a little interested.

“Ehm, I only noticed recently, but this is what happens when I alone try to leave my body. Isn't it cool?”

However, she only reflected over her actions for a few seconds and soon began boastfully puffing up her chest. She was sorry, but she still wanted to brag to Koutarou.

“I don't think that's something to really brag about...”

The Sanae sitting in front of the TV dropped her shoulders in embarrassment.

“This kind of party trick is just the kind of thing you should brag about! With all your might!”

The Sanae in the air puffed her chest up and boasted like a child. It was completely opposite of the more mature Sanae sitting in front of the TV.

“... Anything goes with you, doesn't it?”

“That's not true. Since the soul is sticking together, the parts we use together can't leave the body, and on my own, I can't astral project properly.”

Koutarou was dumbfounded by Sanae who had turned into two again, but the Sanae in the air seemed to be having fun. To her, having Sanae-chan and Sanae-san exist at the same time was a fun and welcome development.

“Sanae-chan, hurry back. I can't settle down alone.”

However, that wasn't true for Sanae-san, and she seemed troubled. The sensation of having a part of her separated outside left her uneasy. And with her timid personality, she felt embarrassed when she was around Koutarou and the others. That was why she was continuing to play games even when Koutarou called out to her.

“Come on now, you're me too, so you should be bolder.”

“Even if you say that...”

“It's not like you hate Koutarou and everyone else, right?”

“T-That's true... but...”

Even though their personalities were different, they shared their memories and thoughts. The only difference between them was the way they expressed their feelings. In the end, they were still the same person.

“But... saying I like them is kinda... you know... so hurry and come back, Sanae-chan!”

“You need to stop relying on me because you're feeling troubled. If you don't become more independent, you'll never become a magnificent and ideal woman.”

“I can't become one right away!”

“Geez... what can I do with you?”

The Sanae in the air dropped her shoulders like she was an older sister with an overly timid little sister as she approached the other Sanae. She was planning on returning to her body like she had been told. The other Sanae spread her arms wide open, welcoming her.

“Thank you, Sanae-chan.”

“Starting tomorrow, we'll start working on your problems with being with others.”

“It's okay, you don't have to do that.”

“No way. We need to get Koutarou to love you too.”

“That's impossible.”

“Shut up, I said we're doing it.”

“You're kidding~~”

The ghost form Sanae entered her half-crying body. The next moment, Sanae's expression completely changed to a somewhat dissatisfied expression. It was the expression, the ghost form Sanae had been showing.

“So there you have it Koutarou. Tomorrow we'll start training that girl.”

“...Sanae... you're crazy...”

“How?”

Confused, Sanae repeatedly blinked and looked at Koutarou. As she did, the tears that had been forming in Sanae's eyes from before fell.

“How? Come on now...”

Koutarou felt a headache coming on as he wiped away Sanae's tears. But Sanae was indifferent to Koutarou's pain and instead cheerfully kicked her legs back and forth and smiled.

“But the training is necessary.”

“Why?”

“That girl is me too. I want her to get used to you as well. I want you to love everything about me. Everyone else too, of course.”

“Uhm...”

The conversation had been relatively outrageous up until now, but Sanae's reason was very logical. Sanae-chan and Sanae-san were the same Sanae. So only getting along with one of the Sanaes was indeed a problem. Wanting Sanae to stay as Sanae-chan was the same as only wanting that part of her because it was convenient. Something like that might get in the way of Sanae's merging of personalities. In the end, Sanae was correct.

“You don't want to?”

Sanae lightly tilted her head and quietly looked at Koutarou. She then pushed her cheek into Koutarou's palm that was wiping her tears away. Both Sanaes loved Koutarou after all.

“It's not that I don't want too, but... uhm, but when you're like that, it might be bad for your body, so we can only do it when Korama and Karama are around, okay?”

“Understood Ho-!”

Sanae copied the haniwas’ speech pattern and spun around to Koutarou's back.

“I wonder if you do understand or not...”

“I do understand. Love is all.”

“...Convenient words.”

“Ehehehe.”

Sanae jumped at Koutarou's back and swung her arms around his neck.

Part 3

As Koutarou and Sanae's conversation reached a conclusion, Koutarou returned to his own work with Sanae on his back. He was currently in the process of maintaining a certain tool he was using.

“... By the way, Satomi-kun, why are you polishing a rope?”

Harumi who had been showing some interest peeked at what Koutarou was doing with his hands. He was ardently polishing the bamboo handle of a traditional insect catching net.

“How good of you for asking, Sakuraba-senpai.”

Koutarou stopped polishing the handle and presented the net to Harumi. Both the handle and Koutarou's eyes were shining.

“This Maximilian's true value is revealed during the summer season!”

“Maximilian?”

Harumi didn't understand the meaning of the word.

“... Sakuraba-senpai. Maximilian is the name that Satomi-san has given to that net.”

Confused by the term she had never heard before, Yurika who was sitting next to Harumi whispered to her. Just a few moments before, Harumi had been teaching Yurika how to solve problems.

“Ah, I see...”

Understanding the situation, Harumi slightly nodded and smiled at Koutarou.

“Satomi-kun, are you going out insect hunting?”

“Yes. When you think of summer, of course you would think of insects. And the king of the summer insects is―”

Koutarou suddenly realized what he was about to say and looked around his surroundings. Fortunately, he wasn't in a situation he needed to be alarmed of, and was able to continue.

“―The king of the summer insects is the beetle. My season has finally come!”

Koutarou tightly gripped his insect catching net and his eyes sparkled. This year, he was planning on capturing beetles. He had his trusty net, Maximilian, his insect cage, Henrietta, and the bottle filled with sap that he had been using from the start, Geraldine. It was still early in the summer season, but Koutarou was already in attack mode.

“But, but, Satomi-san, even if you capture beetles, you can't keep them here, right?”

Yurika worried for the safety of any beetles brought to this room. Based on her experiences up until now, she couldn't imagine that they would have a bright future.

“Fufufu, fear not, Yurika. I'm different this year. After all, I have princess Clariossa with me this year.”

“Hm? Did you call, Bertorion?”

Clan reacted to Koutarou's words. However, her voice could be heard from a place close to the ceiling. Clan was using one of her inventions to use one of the walls in room 106 as the floor, and she was lying on it, reading books. This was a highly useful device now that the small room 106 had more people in it.

“I did. I was telling everyone how I'd be keeping beetles at your place.”

“Ah, that's what you were talking about. We did indeed make that promise. I have some interest in the life forms of this planet too.”

“So that's why you were making preparations while looking so happy.”

Beetles couldn't be kept in room 106. That's why Yurika had only been able to keep a beetle in room 106 for a little while. But this year was different. With Clan here, they could keep the beetles on her spaceship instead. That was why Koutarou's eyes sparkled as he eagerly waited for summer to come.

“You have my love, princess Clariossa.”

“Geez... You only treat me like a princess at times like this...”

Despite Koutarou confessing his love to Clan, she couldn't take his words at face value when he was holding an insect catching net and his eyes were sparkling. On top of that, Koutarou had officially become Theia's vassal a while back. Having gotten a delayed start, Clan's train of thoughts were complex.

“Satomi-kun, if you want I can keep them in my home.”

Seeing Clan's bitter expression, Harumi offered her assistance. While Harumi was scared of aggressive animals and insects, she didn’t harbor any hatred for harmless insects.

“It's okay, Sakuraba-senpai. Clan has a fully automatic breeding cage at her place.”

“...Clan-san, then why do you look so reluctant?”

Since she had specialized equipment for it, it wouldn't be much of a pain. Yet, Clan had a reluctant expression, which caused Harumi to give her a confused look.

“...It's not like I’m reluctant... but...”

Clan blushed slightly and looked down. That gesture was all it took for Harumi to understand.

“Oh, so that's why.”

Harumi quickly smiled at Clan and glanced at Koutarou.

“...”

That made Clan turn even redder and she turned her face away.

“What do you mean?”

“That's a maiden's secret.”

Koutarou didn't get it like Harumi had and asked for an explanation , but she simply smiled and declined Koutarou's request.

Part 4

The conversation about beetles continued for a while, but it naturally stopped once Theia, Ruth and Kiriha who had gone out to buy ingredients for tonight's dinner came back. At the same time, Shizuka entered the inner room with Maki, who was preparing the tea. With that, there were a total of ten people. They were a little too many for such a small room, but as of late, this was a common scene in room 106.

“Oh? Did you get better at preparing the tea, Aika-san?”

“Thank you, Kasagi-san. Actually, I've learned how to enjoy making proper tea.”

“Koutarou, feed me a waffle. Ahh~”

“Sanae, stop playing games and get over here instead of trying to be lazy.”

“Clan-sama, have some tea.”

“Thank you, Pardomshiha. Please leave it there.”

“Sakuraba-senpai, how does that even work? The cup is sideways.”

“I don't know... I can't believe it's not magic though...”

“Kiriha, could I have one of these snacks later? I'd like my mother to try it.”

“I understand. It’s best I reserve one for her now.”

With this many people talking, room 106 was always bright and noisy. There were also cases when the civilians who had escaped from Forthorthe with Theia, and Elfaria who was on board the Blue Knight, would join in. If the room hadn't been made soundproof and vibration-insulated through magic and science, the other tenants would surely have busted down the door and shouted at them.

“Kiriha-san, can I have a moment?”

Waiting for Kiriha to get a snack ready to give Elfaria, Koutarou approached her.

“I don't mind.”

Kiriha nodded, and after handing Theia a piece of wrapped snack, she turned towards Koutarou who was crawling closer.

“Could you strip?”

“Okay.”

Kiriha nodded once more, and started removing her school uniform that she hadn't changed out of.

“Kyaaaaaaaaa!! Satomi-kun, what are you just casually demanding?!”

“S-Satomi-sama?!”

“Yeah, Koutarou!! That's not how a Japanese man strips someone!! You grab their sash and spin them around!!”

“...Uhm, Sanae-chan, I think you're getting angry over the wrong thing.”

“Sakuraba-san, does Satomi-kun want to see naked girls? In that case I'll...”

“No, stop!! Aika-san, you're misunderstanding!! Don't take your clothes off!!”

Thanks to Koutarou telling Kiriha to take off her clothes, a riot broke out in room 106.

The first ones to get angry were Shizuka and Ruth, followed by Sanae. After that, Yurika, Harumi and Maki joined in, making the situation worse. This was a fuss that brought the soundproofing and vibration-insulation to their limits.

“Show me.”

“Look as much as you want.”

However, Koutarou completely ignored them and leaned forward and gazed at Kiriha's white skin. It was an awfully serious gaze, even for a pervert.

“Kya kya kya!! Stupid Satomi-kun!! I thought you were different!!”

Trembling with anger, Shizuka swung her fist towards Koutarou. As she did, Koutarou's expression brightened up and he sat back down. As a result, Shizuka's blow cut through the air.

“Phew... looks like your wound has properly healed.”

Unaware of the danger he had been in, Koutarou smiled at Kiriha who still had her top off. Because of his relief, his smile was calm. Kiriha smiled back and nodded.

“I told you at school, didn't I? There's no trace of the wound left....You've always been so pessimistic about these kinds of things, Onii-chan...”

Kiriha whispered the latter half so that only Koutarou could hear, and showed an expression that reminded Koutarou of how she had been when she was little. That was a special word, and a special smile, for Kiriha. She felt like Koutarou was too worried, but at the same time, she was happy that he was.

“Even if you say that, a wound is a wound. If I don't see for myself, it would be hard to believe.”

Koutarou understood what Kiriha was saying, and in truth there was nothing left of her wound. But Kiriha had received the most serious injury during the battle a while back, and Koutarou recalled the horrible wound that she had at the time. That's why he found it hard to believe her, even after she told him that there was not a trace of it left, until he confirmed it with his own eyes.

“... Onii-chan, do you hate girls with wounds...?”

Kiriha giggled and whispered into Koutarou's ear.

“That's not true. But that's not what this is about.”

“... That IS what this is about. Fufufu...”

Seeing Kiriha's innocent smile, Koutarou felt happy that the wound hadn't been anything serious. At the same time, he felt a big weight drop off of his shoulders. With this, everything was back to normal.

“... Hm?”

That was when Koutarou noticed that everyone's gazes were focused on him, and that Shizuka was standing behind him with a blank look of surprise. Unable to understand the situation, he tilted his head to the side.

“What's wrong, everyone?”

“Satomi-kun... Y-you were checking on Kiriha-san's... wound?”

“Yeah... Is something wrong, landlord-san?”

“I-I-It's nothing, nothing at all!! Right, everyone?!”

Shizuka hurriedly tried to dodge the question and turned to everyone else in the room. As she did, all the girls involved in the fuss nodded their heads as one. This action confused Koutarou even further.

“Well, something like that.”

“... If Bertorion could be seduced then things might have been a little easier.”

The only two that had remained unmoved were the two princesses from Forthorthe. They figured that there had to be a reason behind him asking Kiriha to strip. Harumi was the same, but she had been occupied by Maki who began stripping as well.

“...? Oh well. So Kiriha, does it hurt if you move your arm around?”

“There's a minor pain on rare occasions, but that'll heal soon enough too.”

While the wound had healed on the surface, it still hadn't fully healed inside, and moving the arm in a certain way would cause pain.

“I see. Then, Yurika... is out of the question. Aika-san, could you cast some healing magic on Kiriha-san just in case?”

Yurika, because of her organization, Rainbow Heart, was forbidden to use magic for private reasons. But that wasn't true for Maki, who was part of Darkness Rainbow. So when it came to treatment, it was more convenient to have Maki do it.

“Yes, leave it to me, Satomi-kun! Come, Night Walker!”

Happy to be needed by Koutarou, Aika joyfully summoned her cane.

“... I don't have to be out of the question.”

Yurika on the other hand was pouting. While she was forbidden from using magic for private reasons, she was willing to look past that for the sake of treating a close friend. She was happy that Koutarou was taking her rules into consideration, but she didn't like not being relied on.

“Don't get angry, Yurika.”

“I'm not angry.”

“You are angry.”

“... I'm not really angry.”

“You don't have to use something like magic.”

“... I-It's unfair when you put it like that... geez...”

However, with Yurika's personality, she didn't dwell on it for too long, and by the time Kiriha was pushing her shoulder towards Maki, her expression had returned to normal.

“I'm in your care.”

“Yes, leave it to me, Kiriha-san.”

Maki held her cane in both hands and began her incantation.

“Cure Serious Wounds, Permanent Regeneration.”

Maki cast two spells. One was a spell to seal her wounds, and one to improve Kiriha's regenerating abilities. Just sealing the wound meant that it might open again, so Maki improved Kiriha's regeneration to speed up the healing process. They were calculated and polite spells that fit Maki perfectly.

“... Okay. That should do it.”

“Thank you, Maki.”

“No, it's nothing.”

Maki showed an embarrassed smile.

This kind of thing is really nice... How wonderful it would be to spend the rest of my life like this...

A sensation she had never felt before while in Darkness Rainbow filled Maki's chest. She was happy to be needed and thanked by someone. While she still wasn't used to it and still felt a little embarrassed about it, but she began to feel like she wanted to spend her life like this. Maki felt like she could understand why Yurika was fighting.

That's right, maybe I should ask him...

Maki put her cane away and boldly spoke.

“Satomi-kun. There's something I'd like to ask.”

“What is it, Aika-san?”

Koutarou drunk his tea and nonchalantly looked towards Maki. But noticing that her expression was serious, he put his cup down and properly turned to face her.

“Looks like it's something serious.”

“Yes. I believe there is something we need to do for the future.”

“Something we need to do?”

“Yes.”

Maki nodded and pulled out something from the bag she was always carrying around.

“I want you to place a curse on me.”

Maki handed what she had pulled out to Koutarou. It was a belt made from thick leather, but it was too short to be worn around the waist. If anything, it looked like a collar for a large pet.

“A curse?!”

Koutarou's eyes opened wide in surprise.

“Wait a minute!! Why do I need to do something like that?!”

“That is what Darkness Rainbow believes you would do since you've captured me.”

“A-Ahh... You're probably right.”

When Koutarou had fought against Maki's master, he had told Maya that he had captured Maki. That's why to Darkness Rainbow, Maki was supposed to be Koutarou's prisoner.

“Yet, I am still walking around freely like this. At this rate, Darkness Rainbow will begin to suspect something.”

“I see, I didn't think of that.”

While not much time had passed since Maki joined Koutarou and the others, Darkness Rainbow would eventually realize that Maki wasn't deprived of her freedom. Since a captive wasn't normally allowed to walk around freely, Maki might end up in a tricky spot, and there was a high chance that she would be deemed a traitor and disposed of.

“That's why I want you take away my freedom, Satomi-kun. Be it through brainwashing, curses or contracts, whatever you want.”

“W-Wait a minute, that's far too violent!!”

Koutarou understood what Maki wanted. She wanted to have her freedom deprived in a clear and obvious way so that Darkness Rainbow wouldn't suspect anything. For the means of doing so, she had prepared the collar. Placing a curse in the collar would make it look like she was under control.

“A curse that would kill me if I disobey you or that would choke me on command, something unreasonable like that, that gives off the impression that Satomi-kun is dominating me would be good.”

“N-No, there's no way I'd do something like that!!”

Koutarou refused in a fluster. He couldn't even imagine himself doing what Maki wanted.

“If you don't, we'll be found out sooner or later.”

“If you died because of me talking in my sleep, I wouldn't be able to live with myself.”

Curses, brainwashing, contracts. Regardless of what she called it, Koutarou was against carelessly doing something like the sorts to Maki. Of course, even with a curse or something in place, Koutarou wouldn't make use of it. Killing Maki was completely out of the question. But he couldn't endure pointing a gun at Maki even though he wasn't going to fire it.

A method like that would make both Maki and Koutarou unhappy, and he simply couldn’t accept that.

“Theia, Clan, Kiriha-san, help me think of a way to deceive others without using a real curse.”

“That's more like my vassal. Very well, I'll help as much as I can.”

“I guess it can't be helped. I'll help too.”

“Hmm... Those magical girls are lacking in scientific knowledge. I believe they could be fooled by making a device in the shape of a collar and adding in a function that would let them misunderstand.”

Koutarou quickly asked Theia and the others for advice. Maki simply stayed quiet and watched over them. The only thing she did while waiting for Koutarou and the others to reach a conclusion was to pick up the collar that had been left lying around.

“Aika-san...”

Seeing Maki grasp the collar, Shizuka imagined how Maki must have really felt. Since they shared the same room, she knew of Maki's true feelings.

Aika-san wants something she can rely on, doesn't she...

Maki would no longer return to Darkness Rainbow; that was why she no longer had a place to return to. While room 106 was a place for her to return, it would take more time for her to truly feel like it. Making a place to call home wasn't something that could be made in a day.

That's why Maki wanted Koutarou to deprive her of her freedom. She wanted a clear connection to him, and she used Darkness Rainbow as a means to make it happen, even if it was an unfortunate connection that meant having a gun turned at her at all times.

I have to do something... if not, I'll feel sorry for Aika-san...

Knowing Maki's feelings, Shizuka couldn't just leave her be. That's why she began thinking of a way to save Maki.

In the end, the countermeasure for Darkness Rainbow ended up making use of Kiriha's idea. They would use a scientific device to make it look like Maki was being held captive.

The ones that would make it were Clan and Ruth. It would have the appearance of a collar and would be able to make it look like Maki was being choked. Of course, it wouldn't have a function to actually choke her, just make it look like it. In return, it would have the same functions as Theia's and Ruth's bracelets.

Koutarou and the others concluded that using a scientific device that made it look like Maki was being choked would make the magical girls misunderstand the situation on their own.

The problem was that it would stand out in school, but this was resolved by concealing it using magic. It wouldn't be hard to make it invisible so that other students couldn't see it, and being unable to normally see it, would make it seem more real to Darkness Rainbow.

Part 5

Once a conclusion had been reached, Koutarou and the others spent the rest of the time in their own ways. There were those who began playing games, those who did their homework and more. Amongst them, Koutarou was in a kitchen holding a knife. However, that wasn't room 106's kitchen, but the kitchen on the Blue Knight.

The reason as to why he was holding a knife was Kiriha. When she tried to make dinner like normal, Koutarou told her that she didn't need to until her wound had fully healed and took the job from her. In response, she made a request for a roasted chicken like he had made for her before. But he couldn't have a large flame in an apartment, not to mention that room 106 lacked a large enough oven. As a result, Koutarou ended up preparing dinner on the Blue Knight.

“Theia, how's it going? Are you almost done?”

“J-Just wait a little longer. I've never filleted a chicken before.”

“Then should I do it?”

“I don't want to just watch. I’ll do it.”

“Nice guts. You can do it.”

“Yeah, leave it to me.”

“Master, I've finished preparing the herbs.”

“Ruth-san, please mix them in with what you made before. That'll finish up our sauce.”

“Okay, I understand. But still, these herbs sure are a bit on the strong side.”

“Ahahaha. Back then, ingredients couldn't be conserved very well, so it was necessary to use stronger spices.”

“I see, her majesty Elfaria might want to try it too.”

“Ah crap... She'll definitely complain later. She'll say that I should have called her sooner.”

“Fufufu, my mother just might.”

Theia and Ruth were helping Koutarou with the dinner. Since this was a Forthorthe-style dish and since he didn't really know how to use their kitchen, he needed their help. The three of them were cheerfully making dinner together.

Tonight's dinner was a roasted chicken like Kiriha had requested. On the side, there would be bread and soup. Since it was something Koutarou had learned during his travels, they were all simple to make. They were currently in the middle of preparing the chicken while waiting for the bread to ferment. Everything was proceeding smoothly and would soon be done. Or so it should have been.

“Ouch?!”

The chicken's legs bounced and crashed into Theia's face. Surprised by this, Theia flinched backwards a great deal.

“What's wrong?!”

“Your highness!!”

Hearing Theia's scream, Koutarou and Ruth came running.

“Did you cut your hand?! Or was it somewhere else?!”

Koutarou took the knife out of Theia's hands and looked over them to see if there were any cuts. Ruth wiped away the dirt to make it easier for Koutarou to examine.

“I-I'm fine, I just put a little too much force into it and the leg hit my face! I'm not hurt anywhere!”

Theia hurriedly explained the situation to the two that were awfully worried. At the same time, she moved her fingers around to show that she wasn't hurt.

“I see... don't scare me like that.”

“Sorry. My hand slipped a little.”

“Anyways, as long as you are safe.”

“Yes, sorry for the trouble.”

Theia was more concerned about the two worrying in front of her than her own mistake. Fortunately, smiles returned to Koutarou's and Ruth's expressions. Seeing that, Theia felt relieved and gripped the knife again.

“Alright, just a little more.”

Theia continued her work. Her knife handling was still unsteady, but she was steadily making progress with it.

“I'll ask again, but do you want me to do it? You only have to sit back and give me orders.”

Koutarou offered to take Theia's place once more, thinking that preparing a chicken was still too early for a beginner like Theia.

“No, I will do this.”

However, Theia shook her head. She stopped her work and stared at Koutarou.

“Indeed, I could order you whenever, wherever and whatever I wish.”

Koutarou had pledged his loyalty to Theia, so she could order him to do anything.

“Then just leave this―”

“But what I want is not a puppet that looks like you. I want to see and feel the same thing as you do as you move of your own free will. That's why if you cook, I will too. That is the path that I and Ruth have chosen.”

Theia smiled very happily. She was full of confidence, as if saying that was her everything.

“... It's just as you say, your highness.”

Ruth nodded next to Theia. She had the same expression as Theia. The two of them had chosen the same path in life.

“If you ask me to order you even now, then...”

The smile on Theia's face disappeared and she peered into Koutarou's eyes.

“Koutarou, live the way you wish. Laugh, hate, cry and love like you please.”

After saying that, Theia smiled again.

“This is the only order I can give to you as your lord right now.”

“Theia...”

Her smile was so beautiful that Koutarou couldn't answer her and he just vacantly stared at her.

“This might be the last order though. Fufufu...”

Theia believed that Koutarou would treasure the same things she did. That's why she wouldn't need to order him. While she might need to give him information and instructions, she wouldn't give him orders.

“That's why I will do this. I might not be able to do it like you, but I want to do it with my own hands.”

Still gripping her knife, Theia's expression turned a little childish. Thanks to that, Koutarou was able to return to normal and showed a wry smile.

“I get it, I get it, you're so stubborn...”

“Fufu, your princess is selfish.”

Koutarou gave up on trying to convince Theia. Since she's said this much, he wanted to let her do as she pleased. If he didn’t, it would feel like he's rejecting her, which he didn't want to do, both as Koutarou and as Theia's knight.

“But I'll help too. At this rate you might cut up your hand.”

“That's not true! I'll show you I can safely do it to the end! Don't take me for a fool.”

“Theia, I will live as I please and protect who I want to protect.”

“A-Au... then I guess it can't be helped... I will allow you to assist...”

Theia instinctively blushed and cast an upward glance at Koutarou. Theia's heart began beating faster and blood rose to her head. Normally, this was only natural for a master and servant, but Theia got carried away being told he wanted to protect her.

“I am most honored.”

“G-Good, then let's start.”

Like that, Koutarou and Theia began their work. As time passed, Theia was able to calm down. Her knife handling was the same as always, but with Koutarou by her side, there was no danger.

“Wait Theia, you'll cut your fingers like that.”

“Oops, then what do I do?”

“Form your hand like this.”

“Like this?”

“No, not like that, like this.”

“I am doing that!”

“You're not! Take a proper look!”

“I did, and I am! You're misunderstanding!”

Having entered a relationship of master and servant, Theia and Koutarou acknowledged and respected each other, forming a strong master and servant relationship. Yet, the atmosphere between them was the same as it was before. They would loudly argue, glare at each other and sometimes even resort to violence. Despite their relationship, they were still just a teenage boy and girl. Before they knew it, they had already gotten past their difference in status and the planets they were born on.

But I'm sure her highness and master both don't know how wonderful of a thing that is...

The relationship between a normal teenage boy and alien girl, and the relationship between a knight and princess existed without any contradictions. Ruth had never seen anyone else in a relationship like that before. This could surely be called a miracle amongst relationships, and compared to this, Ruth and Theia's relationship was far more realistic.

“Don't get so full of yourself because people are worrying about you!”!

“Fine! I'll show you who the master really is!”

Raw emotion was clashing in front of Ruth's eyes.

If possible, I'd want you to share just even a small portion of that...

Being able to join in that clash was currently Ruth's biggest wish. Ruth already knew that Koutarou and Theia's fights only served to confirm their bond.

Part 6

With the chicken in the oven, Theia and Ruth went to take a bath since it would take some time before it was finished. Once the two were done, Koutarou would take his turn.

Because of that, Koutarou positioned himself in front of the oven, peeking at the chicken and adjusting the temperature from time to time.

“Right... the temperature should be fine like this...”

Since this was different from roasting something over an open flame, it took Koutarou a while before he could properly adjust the humidity, but the chicken was now cooking the way he wanted it to. All that was left was to avoid overcooking it.

“Hm?”

That was when Koutarou felt the presence of someone behind him.

“That was fast, are you done already?”

Koutarou figured that the presence was Theia and Ruth and he turned around to look in the direction of the entrance to the kitchen.

“Huh?”

However, he didn't see Theia nor Ruth. The sliding door simply opened, but nobody was behind it. As Koutarou was wondering why the door had opened, several faces appeared by the frame of the door and peeked at him. Those faces belonged to young boys and girls.

“Is that the Blue Knight?”

“It is.”

“But, he's not blue at all?”

“Stupid, it's not like he's always going to be wearing his armor.”

“I think his face is the same.”

“Then it must be the Blue Knight. But why is the Blue Knight cooking?”

“Why I wonder?”

The children were talking about something while looking at Koutarou. However, since Koutarou couldn't understand the language they spoke in, he wasn't sure what they were saying.

I shouldn't have left the bracelet behind...

They were children from Forthorthe who had come to Earth with Elfaria, and they were speaking in their native tongue. Koutarou would have been able to understand what they were saying if he used the translation functions in his bracelet.

However, he had left it behind in room 106 since it might get in the way of cooking, and his armor had been stored in the hangar after the repairs on it were completed. As a result, Koutarou had no way of communicating with the children.

“Do you have any business with me?”

That said, he couldn't just stand there and watch them. He had to talk to them in order not to scare them. In the worst case scenario, he'd have to try and talk to them using gestures.

“Wah, he's saying something.”

“What did he say?”

“I don't know, I couldn't hear it because he's far away.”

“Let's go. He doesn't look that scary either.”

“He's cooking after all.”

“Yeah, let's go.”

Koutarou still couldn't understand what they were saying, but he did understand that they seemed to have reached some kind of consensus. Based on the fact that they were now coming closer, he figured they must have been talking about that.

“What is it? Did you smell the food?”

Koutarou figured that the children must have smelled the chicken in the oven during their exploration of the ship.

“So this is the Blue Knight...”

“Yeah. Papa and I both saw him, it's definitely him.”

“He's not as big as I thought.”

“Everyone, we have to greet him properly or sensei will get mad at us.”

“Hello, Blue Knight.”

“Hello.”

However, the kids surrounded him and began talking about something. They weren't so much as glancing at the chicken in the oven. That made Koutarou stumble. If they weren't here for food, then he wasn't sure why they had come.

“Just what did you come here for?”

All he could manage was tilt his head in confusion.

“What is he saying?”

“Ah, could it be that he doesn't understand what we're saying?”

“They spoke a different language in the past, didn't they?”

“Doesn't anyone speak old Forthorthe?”

“I know a little! I studied it together with my sister!”

“Good, then try talking to him!”

“Okay. Then... 'Nice to meet you, I am Myuraua.'”

However, amongst the children there was one girl who could speak a language Koutarou could understand. She was speaking old Forthorthe, the common language used 2,000 years ago. Having spent several months in the past, Koutarou had a somewhat decent understanding of the language. Having finally found a means to communicate, Koutarou responded in old Forthorthe.

“Hello Myuraua.”

“He understood it! He said hello!”

“Try talking some more to him!”

“Ask him if he's the real Blue Knight!”

“Okay, I'll try. 'Are you the Blue Knight?'”

“Hmm... I am the Blue Knight, but I am princess Theiamillis's Blue Knight.”

Koutarou honestly answered the question.

“It was hard for me to understand, but it seems like he really is the Blue Knight.”

But unfortunately, the girl's understanding was imperfect, and Koutarou's intentions weren't properly conveyed.

“It's the real one!”

“I told you!”

“Sorry.”

“I want to take a picture of the Blue Knight! I'll brag about it to everyone!”

“Me too! Myu, ask him!”

“Wait a second... 'You, us, make portrait!”

“Portrait?”

Koutarou was confused by the seemingly random word. But once he saw the small device one of the boys was pointing towards him, he understood its meaning.

I see. Picture wasn't a word back then.

The boy was holding a camera. It was a cutting edge camera from Forthorthe, but its shape and size was similar to the ones on Earth. He had also seen Theia and Clan use them, so he quickly realized that it was a camera.

“I don't really mind...”

Koutarou figured that the children only wanted to take a picture of the alien that had become Theia's vassal. He never suspected that the children, and the adults too, were completely convinced that he was the Blue Knight.

“'Thank you!'”

“Alright! We get to take a picture with the Blue Knight!”

“Give one to me later too!”

“Sure!”

“Line up!”

“'Blue Knight! Come!'”

“H-Hey.”

The girl that had spoken to Koutarou grabbed his hand and pulled him over to a more open area in the kitchen. The children were going to take a photo there. However.

On the way there, the girl came into contact with a shelf. Koutarou and the others had flung that shelf open so they could cook. Inside it was a lot of cooking utensils, and the impact from the girl coming into contact with the shelf threw several of the cooking utensils off balance, making them start to fall towards the girl. Since these included both sharp and heavy utensils as well, it was a disaster in the making.

“Look out!!”

Koutarou was the first to notice it and brought out the spiritual energy within him. Thanks to Sanae clinging onto him on a daily basis, the spiritual energy strengthened his body in an instant.

Five things are falling!!

A kitchen knife, a pot, a frying pan, a large platter and a bottle of alcohol.

Koutarou started by reaching his hand out towards the knife. Since the blade was faced down and the knife was falling straight towards the girl, it was the biggest danger.

Koutarou grabbed the grip of the knife with his right hand and punched the pot with his left.

The impact sent the pot flying in a direction away from the children. Since it was such a large pot, the impact and pain from punching it that hard would have been quite considerable. If Koutarou hadn't focused spiritual energy into his fist, he would surely have screamed out in pain.

Next is–!!

Koutarou then slammed the knife's grip at the frying pan.

The force behind the impact was enough to dent the frying pan and sent it crashing into the ceiling.

And finally–!!

All that was left were the large plate and bottle. Since they were now both directly above the girl's head, Koutarou didn't have the time to deal with them separately. Instead, he spun his body around and launched a kick.

Koutarou's leg passed just a few centimeters above the girl's head. At the same time, the plate and bottle collided with his leg. There was barely enough time, but thanks to the utensils colliding with his leg, their direction changed and fell onto the floor without so much as touching the girl.

The plate and bottle crashed into the floor and shattered. The remaining cooking alcohol left in the bottle splashed across the floor.

“Did I do it?!”

After finishing it up with a kick, Koutarou checked the girl in question for any injuries. The girl's eyes were wide open from surprise, but she seemed unharmed.

“... Phew... You don't seem to be hurt...”

After confirming that she was okay, Koutarou dropped his shoulders from relief. He then returned the knife in his hand to the shelf and fixed it firmly in place, making sure that it wouldn't fall again even if someone bumped into the shelf.

Once Koutarou closed the shelf, the sound of it returned the children who had been standing perfectly still to their senses.

“Did you see that...?”

“I did... but I couldn't see it...”

“But. Even if we couldn't see it... there's no doubting it...”

“Yeah. This person is definitely the Blue Knight...”

“It looked like a cartoon I saw the other day.”

“Hey, did you get that on video?”

“Probably. I was recording from the start.”

“Give me a copy later.”

“Sure. Let's show everyone else. I bet they'll be surprised.”

Having witnessed Koutarou's power upfront, they were more overwhelmed by him than the girl's crisis. Even though they had been told that Koutarou was the real Blue Knight before, it wasn't until this moment that they became fully convinced of it.

“'U-Uhm, Blue Knight, thank you for saving me...”

“Owowow, I messed up, I put too much strength in it!!”

However, the legendary person that had surprised the children and gained their respect recalled the pain from punching the pot and was too distracted to even notice their gazes.

Part 7

When Koutarou's cooking was brought into room 106, the girls got noisy. The food presented to them looked far more delicious than they had assumed.

“K-K-Koutarou! Did you really make this?! You didn't just let Ruth do it for you?!”

“Yeah, I made it.”

“You're lying! That's definitely a lie!!”

“Put some faith in me! Anyways, calm down, Sanae. You're troubling Sanae-san.”

“Come back, Sanae-chan.”

“Ah, sorry.”

The most surprised of all was Sanae, who was so surprised she jumped out of her own body. However, her reactions weren't exaggerated. Apart from Kiriha, Clan, and Theia and Ruth who had been with him in the kitchen, everyone gathered around the table stared at the dishes in surprise.

Tonight's menu consisted of roasted chicken, bread and soup. They were very simple, but the smell from the chicken and herb sauce enticed their appetite. The bread looked very light and airy, and the stock from the soup that used the chicken's bones had come out well.

Consideration had clearly been put into all of the dishes. Since this was so different from the normally crude Koutarou, it was only obvious for everyone to be surprised.

“Fufu, Koutarou wanted to keep this part of him a secret too...”

Kiriha had a cheerful expression on her face.

“Kii, it looks like the parts we get to keep to ourselves are gradually decreasing.”

Clan on the other hand pouted slightly.

Kiriha and Clan knew of Koutarou's hidden talents such as cooking and cleaning. This was because they had seen him in the past. Since Clan in particular had been with him for a long period of time, she felt very strongly that only she knew what Koutarou was really like. That's why she felt exasperated every time a different part of Koutarou was revealed.

“...S-Sakuraba-senpai, Satomi-san can cook...”

Yurika was crying.

She was well aware of her low degree in girly skills. However, that was just amongst the girls, and she didn't think that she'd lose to a boy, especially not to someone who was normally as crude as Koutarou. However, now her absolute confidence had been shattered. She didn't think she could make something as delicious as what was placed in front of her.

“...J-Just how could I be of use to Satomi-san...?”

Since Yurika imagined she would be of some use to Koutarou through cooking, she couldn't do anything but cry at the scene in front of her.

“Nijino-san...”

While Harumi sympathized with Yurika, she was able to accept that Koutarou could cook.

“But... if you calm down and think about it, it's not strange for him to be able to cook.”

“... Why is that?”

“He's ardent about knitting, and he treasures the equipment he uses for baseball and insect hunting. So if a person like that had to cook, I think it's only natural for him to be good at it.”

Harumi could actually think of one more reason as to why Koutarou was able to cook so well.

Satomi-kun grew up in a motherless family... He must have had the groundwork for housework covered even before he went to Forthorthe...

However, that reason was far too sad to speak of. That's why Harumi pretended she didn't notice that and closed her mouth.

“Harumi, Harumi. Does that mean that someone who half-asses everything like Yurika would never be able to match Koutarou?”

“Uhm~~ that's~~”

“Sakuraba-senpai, could you please deny that right away~!”

Harumi found herself unable to deny Sanae's cruel words and Yurika's tears continued to pour out.

Part 8

Yurika wept bitter tears, however, that was only until dinner started. Once it was time to eat, her tears stopped and together with Sanae, she started stuffing her mouth. The two looked like they hadn't eaten anything in days.

“Come on now, both of you. If you keep eating like that, your stomachs will ache.”

Shizuka stopped eating her own food and worriedly watched the two.

“Ahm, nom nom, hahm.”

“Mham, hom nom, mm.”

Yurika and Sanae both answered, but with their mouths filled with food, it didn't make a lick of sense. But since neither of them showed any signs of slowing down, they were probably saying that they were fine or something of the sort.

“Geez... don't come crying to me later then...”

Shizuka smiled wryly before tearing her bread and putting a piece in her mouth. As she did, Maki who was sitting next to her gave her a pondering look.

“Kasagi-san, do you not like Satomi-kun's cooking?”

“That's not true.”

Shizuka shook her head. All of the dishes were delicious, and Shizuka liked the fluffy texture of the bread in particular.

“But... you don't seem to be eating a lot.”

Maki had noticed that Shizuka hadn't been touching a lot of the food. That's why she figured that she might not like the taste.

“Hahmn?”

“Mah?”

Hearing that, Sanae and Yurika stopped eating and turned to look at Shizuka. To Shizuka, it looked like they were offering to eat her portion as well. Figuring that this was a good chance, Shizuka began explaining.

“Actually, I've gone up in weight lately, so I was thinking of going on a diet.”

Shizuka had been worried about her weight for a while. When she walked on the floor it would creak from time to time. That had never been the case in the past, so she figured that she had gone up in weight and decided to go on a diet.

“A diet?”

That was an unfamiliar word to Maki who hadn't give much care to health and beauty in the past. To Maki who had grown up in the slums, getting fat was not a bad thing at all. If anything, it could be called a status for being rich. Maki had a slender build because she was devoting herself to battle, but the thought of losing more weight than necessary had never occurred to her.

“This is important, Aika-san. You might be wearing swimsuits in the coming season, right?”

“That... might be the case, yes.”

“If at that time, your flab sticks out, the person you love would lose interest in you.”

“... Swimsuits... Flab... The person I love...”

The feminine thought patterns in Maki's brain that had been dormant activated and began working.

That... wouldn't be very cute...

Maki looked down on her own body and reached that conclusion. Just like Shizuka said, she didn't have the courage to wear a swimsuit with flab sticking out in front of the person she loved. Then, for the first time in her life, she reached the possibility that the roasted chicken in front of her could be a sworn enemy. Facing its devilish temptation she shivered.

“Kasagi-san. I will diet too.”

“I think that's for the best. It's good for your health too.”

Having gained an ally, Shizuka was already making plans for their diet.

“... Kasagi-san, you say you've gotten fatter, but how much weight did you gain?”

Harumi stopped eating and looked at Shizuka. To her, it didn't look like Shizuka needed to go on a diet. Her complexion was healthy and her figure was beautiful. Truth be told, Shizuka's current figure was Harumi's ideal.

“I don't know yet. The scale is currently broken, like when I stand on it, it shows more than 200 kilos... That's why I'm going to go out and buy a new one tomorrow.”

“Ahaha, let me know when you find out.”

The sickly and thin Harumi always wanted to become like Shizuka. That's why she was interested in her fluctuating weight. Shizuka on the other hand wanted to become like Harumi.

“A diet huh...”

Listening in on the conversation, Theia touched her own body while deep in thought. Theia was a girl as well, so she was also concerned with her figure. Her childish body type was round in places, and she began thinking of joining in on the diet.

“Theia, you shouldn't do it.”

However, Koutarou was against it.

“Why?”

“Rather than worrying about your weight, you should worry about your height. Eat more and grow. If you go on a diet, you won't grow any taller than that.”

“Wha...”

Theia was speechless from Koutarou's strict opinion.

“It's too early for you to go on a diet. You should wait until you're at least as tall as Ruth-san.”

“Grrr, here I listen to what you say and what is this?! Just whose sake do you think I was thinking I wanted to diet for?!”

Theia was thinking that those serving her would be happier with a cuter princess. And yet, her vassal was telling her that it was too early for her to become cuter.

“I get it, it's for the people, right? This is just my opinion, but I think the people would feel more at ease with a tall princess than a thin one.”

“Guh... y-you're right...”

However, with her citizens being brought up, she was unable to argue with him. Theia very reluctantly backed down. However, large tears formed in her eyes from her chagrin.

“...O-One day... one day I'll make this idiot eat his words...”

“I sympathize with your feelings, your highness.”

“I'll captivate with my sexy body one day. Until then, Ruth, you do something.”

“I will try my best.”

Ruth accepted with a bitter smile.

But truth be told, Ruth wasn't that confident. It was quite clear that when it came to a 'sexy body' that Ruth was no match for Kiriha. But even then, Ruth remained optimistic.

I can't imagine Master's opinion would change depending on a person's figure...

The situation wasn't actually as bad as Theia imagined it to be. But taking it so seriously was one of Theia's cute sides. Knowing that, Ruth didn't say anything more, and simply watched over the irritated Theia.

Part 9

Once dinner was over, Shizuka's diet plans became more tangible, and all of the girls of room 106 decided to take part in it. Since they were all girls, they wanted to maintain their figures. It was going to be a diet consisting of both exercise and restrictions on eating.

Of course, since there were differences in health between them all, some wouldn't have any food restrictions, such as the sickly Harumi and the short Theia. However, the both of them would take part in the exercises. That's because they thought it would be good for their health.

“Being a girl sure is a hassle...”

Being a guy, Koutarou didn't understand the subtleties of the girls' hearts. He simply thought it must be a lot of work as he watched over them from the side.

“Why are you acting like this has nothing to do with you? You're going to do it too, Satomi-kun.”

“Eh?! I have to join too?!”

“Isn't that obvious? There's no point in doing something like this if everyone doesn't join in.”

Since the day he began training with Ruth, Koutarou's weight had remained relatively the same. He had no need for a diet, but Shizuka was going to impose one on him anyways.

Oh well. Having everyone strive for the same goal does seem like fun...

However, Koutarou had no objections with joining. Being the only one left out would be boring, so enjoying it with everyone else was the correct choice.

That was when the low pitched voice of a man reached his ears.

“Can you hear me, Blue Knight?”

At the same time, the crest on the back of his hand began faintly glowing.

Since male voices were rare in room 106, Koutarou was surprised at first, but once he noticed the crest he quickly understood what was happening.

“Alunaya-dono, you've awakened.”

The one calling out to him was the dragon he had summoned the other day, the Fire Dragon Emperor, Alunaya. Back then, Alunaya had used up all of his energy and entered a dormant state for a while. Today, Alunaya had recovered enough to be able to talk to Koutarou.

“It seems I have caused you to worry. Forgive me.”

“Don't think anything of it. You saved us after all.”

Koutarou could speak to Alunaya in his mind thanks to the crest on the back of his hand. That's why no one else could hear what they were saying. It was a discussion that not even Alunaya's host, Shizuka, could hear.

“But are you okay?”

“Yes, that was what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Is something the matter?”

Koutarou grew slightly uneasy. He began thinking that Alunaya had struck up a conversation with him because he had a serious problem.

“There is no need for worry. There are no problems with myself. Mary... that wasn't it. The girl I am residing in... Shizuka I think it was. She is in no danger either. Everything will return to normal in a while.”

“I see...”

Koutarou was relieved.

He had been worried for Alunaya who had used up all of his magical power, and for Shizuka who had become the host for Alunaya. But fortunately, there was no need for worry.

“However, there is one minor problem.”

“And that is...?”

“It's about the weight management that Shizuka is about to do... Diet I think she called it... It will fail without a doubt.”

“Eeeeeeeeeeeehh?!”

Surprised by Alunaya's unexpected words, Koutarou instinctively let out a cry of surprise. As he did, all of the eyes in the room gathered on him. They all wondered what was wrong.

“What's the matter, Satomi-kun?”

Shizuka, who was leading the discussion on dieting, served as the representative of the girls and asked Koutarou.

“N-No, it's nothing. Sorry for interrupting your discussion.”

“Really? Then that's good. So anyways...”

Koutarou hadn't offered a decent explanation, but the girls were so interested in dieting that they quickly forgot about him.

“... Geez...”

With the girls having lost interest in him, Koutarou let out a sigh of relief and began talking to Alunaya again.

“Sorry for startling you.”

“No, it was just so unexpected... So will landlord-san's dieting really fail?”

“Yes. The reason for why Shizuka's weight has increased is me.”

Adhering to Koutarou's request, Alunaya began explaining the situation.

Alunaya was so powerful that he had an effect on his surroundings even if he didn't do anything. Since that would be bad, he was normally using magic to neutralize the effects. It was thanks to this that nobody had noticed Alunaya who was inside of Shizuka for all this time. However, having used up the majority of his powers in the previous battle, Alunaya was no longer able to fully neutralize the effects on his surroundings.

“...and that's how it is.”

“So landlord-san hasn't gone up in weight, it's just her surroundings that have become weird?”

“That's right. Because I can't correct the distortions in the space surrounding Shizuka it looks like she had gone up in weight.”

“So, lowering her weight through dieting is...”

“Impossible. There's no way to lower her weight except waiting for me to regain my powers.”

Shizuka hadn't gotten fatter, yet the space around her being distorted caused her weight to increase. Lowering her physical mass would have no effect on the distortion. That was why Alunaya had said that the dieting would fail.

“If we leave it like this, Shizuka will eventually notice the abnormality with her body. She'll probably find out the next time she gets on a scale. What do we do, Blue Knight?”

“T-That's bad! Do something!”

By summoning Alunaya, Koutarou had, strictly speaking, involved the unrelated Shizuka into the battle. He felt that it was his duty to make sure that Shizuka could live her life like normal.

That's why he hadn't told her about Alunaya. Nobody would be happy to learn that there was another creature inside of their body after all. That's why Koutarou needed to keep Alunaya a secret to protect Shizuka's everyday life.

Part 10

Koutarou's first problem was to keep Shizuka from getting on a scale. However, that had been resolved thanks to Clan's assistance, offering to take more accurate measurements with her spaceship. As a result, Shizuka put aside her goal of buying a new scale. Instead, she was given fake data for her weight, or rather her estimated original weight. Shizuka was currently using that data as a basis for her dieting plans. The crisis had been averted for now.

“Sorry for always causing you trouble.”

“You can say that again. Do you really only remember I exist when you have troubles?”

The only remaining problem was Clan's sulking on the other end of the communication device. Clan didn't like that she was recently seen only as a convenient woman. She puffed up her cheeks and sent a grudgeful glance at Koutarou.

“That said, I can't just casually offer princess Clariossa to go insect hunting. You're not Yurika, you know?”

Clan was a princess of a galactic empire, and Koutarou was showing her consideration in his own way.

“That's a big mistake. I am not planning on treating you like a legend, you know?”

“Then will you come if I invite you?”

“Of course. I am your partner, Clan. I have no way of being princess Clariossa around you anymore.”

“You know, you're a really great girl!”

Lately, Kenji hadn't been coming with Koutarou, so anyone willing to come with him held great meaning. And if that person was a girl, she would be like a goddess. Koutarou's eyes were shining as he looked at Clan with admiration.

“I would have liked you to notice that sooner too. Geez...”

“Sorry, sorry... Anyways, keep your weekends open during July and August. We'll be going all of summer.”

“I understand. I'll start thinking of insect traps.”

A smile returned to Clan's face.

Now that I think about it, it's been awhile since we've been like this...

Clan recalled her time travelling together with Koutarou and was in a great mood. Clan loved her current life surrounded by many friends, but she couldn't resist the temptation of just her and Koutarou walking through the mountains. This was a considerable change for a girl who used to lock herself up in her laboratory.

“Thanks. But in the end, I'm just causing you trouble.”

“You can't call something like this trouble. Besides, if we show the children on the Blue Knight insects from this planet, they'll surely love it.”

“Clan... you...”

The children would love it. The words Clan had casually spoken squeezed Koutarou's heart. In the past, she wouldn't even have been able to constantly remember her citizens going through a difficult time. Clan who had obtained a nature befitting of a princess now looked as splendid of a royal as Theia did to Koutarou.

“What's the matter, why are you making a strange face?”

“It's nothing. I was just admiring her highness who was being more wonderful than normal today.”

“I-Idiot!”

Clan cut off her communication, thinking she was being teased.

“... I was being serious though...”

Truth be told, Koutarou was troubled. Koutarou was now Theia's vassal, but he also wanted to be of help to Clan. Since he couldn't have two lords, Koutarou had quite a troublesome problem.

“Still... This year I'll definitely catch a huge beetle.”

The problem with his lord wouldn't be solved right away.

But since Koutarou wanted to see the children and Clan smiling with joy, he decided to catch the biggest beetle he could find for them.

Part 11

There was no way that Clan would have any equipment for hunting insects, and Koutarou couldn't just have her without any since he was the one who invited her. So, Koutarou went to the mall with the intention of buying a net and a cage.

“... I'm sure Clan could come up with some invention for it... but insect hunting should be done with some feelings behind it.”

Koutarou imagined that if Clan was serious, she could come up with some invention that would capture every beetle on the mountain. But he wanted her to swing a net around and get a proper feel for insect hunting. The children would probably respect her more that way too.

“... Clan is short, and doesn't have a lot of stamina... Maybe these ones made for children would be good. But she'd probably get angry if she found out... I need to make sure I remove the label before I give it to her...”

While thinking of Clan, Koutarou entered a toy shop looking for an insect catching net. Clan was a good girl, but just like Theia, she had a lot of pride. Consideration was needed to be made even when choosing insect catching nets.

“Oh?”

That was when Koutarou caught a glance of a familiar girl by the entrance. She hadn't noticed Koutarou inside and passed by the storefront. Her expression bothered him a little so he returned the net to the shelf and chased after her.

“Landlord-san!”

“Eh?...Oh, Satomi-kun.”

The person that turned around to Koutarou's call was Shizuka. However, her normally cheerful expression was nowhere to be seen. She was smiling, but it was a somewhat sad smile, different from her usual positive and bright one.

I can't say I like that kind of expression...

The only time those around Koutarou would show this kind of expression was when they were carrying some kind of problem. A recent example would be Theia, and the one that had left the biggest impression of was Alaia's. Koutarou couldn't just leave Shizuka be like that and he chased after her.

“Did something happen?”

“No, nothing at all.”

Shizuka shook her head while smiling. However, Koutarou couldn't accept it.

“It sure doesn't look like that to me.”

“It might look like it, but nothing has happened now. It happened several years ago...”

Shizuka showed what she was holding on both hands to Koutarou.

So... that's what it is...

Shizuka was carrying a large bouquet, and if it was something that had happened several years ago, there wasn't that many possibilities left.

Part 12

The Kasagi Family Grave. That was what was written on the tombstone. Below it, Shizuka's ancestors rested in peace. This was Shizuka's destination. After placing down the bouquet and some incense, she put her hands together in front of the grave. Koutarou who was accompanying her followed her lead. Koutarou felt like he couldn’t leave Shizuka be, so he had come with her to the cemetery.

“... Thank you, Satomi-kun.”

After Koutarou had finished his prayer, Shizuka bowed deeply to him in gratitude.

“No, you are always helping me, keeping Corona House clean and easy to live in... so...”

“Thank you, I mean it. I'm sure... mom and dad would be happy.”

Shizuka looked up and smiled. But it was a sad smile, and tears were forming in her eyes.

Like the tombstone said, this was where Shizuka's family rested. That included Shizuka's parents who had passed away several years ago. And today was the anniversary of their death.

Part 13

After finishing her prayers, Shizuka continued facing the tombstone for a while. Koutarou figured that she had some talking to do with her parents, so he left her be and sat down on a bench besides the graveyard.

You can see Corona House from here...

The graveyard was at an elevated position, and the bench was placed by its edge. As a result, one could see most of the city from there, and right in the middle of that view was Corona House. Koutarou thought to himself that Shizuka's parents surely sat down on this bench and watched over her.

But still... she must feel pretty lonely...

Even though she might be watched over, she would still be lonely. Koutarou had memories of it as well. Losing someone in the family wasn't easy, even more so if it was both of her parents.

“You're wide open.”

As Koutarou was deep in thought, someone snuck up on him and launched a chop at him from behind. The chop struck Koutarou on the back of his head, but since there was absolutely no force behind it, it only gave him a slight impact.

“Ouch.”

“Fufufu, I wonder if I could have beat you if I had been serious.”

The person behind him was Shizuka. She had finished talking to her parents and had now come to Koutarou. Seeing his wide open back, she reached out mischievously.

“Hahaha, please spare me from that, landlord-san.”

“Don't worry. I wouldn't get serious with you.”

Shizuka circled around the bench with light steps and sat down next to Koutarou. When he looked at her, she had a happy smile.

“Why not?”

“Because if you leave the room, I'll be troubled. Financially.”

“That's quite a shrewd reason.”

“That's right. In order for a high schooler landlord to survive in this era, you need to be shrewd.”

Having finished her grave visit and gotten her feelings in order, Shizuka had regained some of her cheerfulness. However, it still wasn't as bright as normal. Koutarou thought it was his role to help her with that.

“Hahaha, I'm a little shocked.”

“Eh?”

“I didn't think you were like that in regards to money.”

“If I admitted that, it would be harder to collect rent.”

In truth, Shizuka felt a deeper connection to the residents of room 106 than just mere landlord and tenant. And she hoped they felt the same. But in order for her to survive, she needed to collect money from people like that too. But since that felt strange, she couldn't admit that they were more than landlord and tenant, on the surface at least.

“I see... Being a landlord sounds like a troublesome occupation.”

Shizuka's feelings reached Koutarou, and rather than take offense, he smiled at Shizuka.

“Really? I think it would be easier than being a legendary hero.”

“That person in question thinks of himself as a normal guy though.”

“Of course. While you might be called a hero, it's not something you can become just because you want to.”

“Isn't that the same for you? Normally you would just be a normal high schooler.”

“That... might be true...”

Shizuka's smile vanished as she turned back towards the graveyard. If her parents were still alive, Shizuka would just have been a normal high school girl.

“... How did you become a landlord?”

Why did Shizuka's parents die?

When posing that question, Koutarou refrained from directly asking. To be honest, he wanted to avoid the question entirely. But then, he would never be able to be of any real help to Shizuka. While it might have been insensitive, it was something he had to do.

“... We went on a trip as a family. And the boiler at the hotel we stayed at exploded. My parents were caught up in the fire that the explosion caused...”

Shizuka hadn't talked about her past with others that much. She didn't want their sympathy. But when Koutarou asked of it, she spoke about her past very naturally. That was because she knew about his past. She believed that he would understand without showing her any unwanted pity.

“... Mom and dad gave their lives to protect me. Dad was lost in the fire, and mom inhaled too much smoke... 'Don't take too many deep breaths', 'We will definitely protect you'... those were their last words that I could remember...”

Even though she believed Koutarou wouldn’t pity her, she still felt quite sad as she spoke. Her emotions swelled as her words gradually grew weaker.

“... I was so young, I couldn't do anything... I stayed rolled up in a wet blanket while mom and dad carried me. The body I had trained at the gym was useless. I was just a powerless child that could only be protected...”

Shizuka meekly mumbled as she clenched her right hand. She had never forgotten the helplessness she had felt on that day.

“That's why... I decided to become stronger. I don't ever want to be that helpless again. I’ll protect what mom and dad had protected...”

That's why Shizuka protected Corona House that her parents had left behind. She would properly manage it as a landlord, and make sure no accidents or fires ever occurred. She trained her body to be able to protect others from any other incident, so that her tenants wouldn't have to experience what she had gone through. In other words, Shizuka was more concerned about her tenants than money.

“... No wonder we didn't stand a chance.”

Koutarou mumbled and smiled wryly. He couldn't keep himself from smiling.

“Eh?”

“I'm talking about when we first came to room 106. Back then, you crushed all of us.”

“Ah... something like that did happen, didn't it...”

“Unlike us who were just fighting over the room, you had a proper reason to want to protect it. So of course we wouldn't have a chance against you.”

Koutarou was convinced. It was only natural for Shizuka to be so strong. She had a proper reason to fight from the very start. So Koutarou and the others, who had fought only for themselves, were never a match to begin with.

“But it's strange. Now I want to protect all of you too.”

Shizuka showed her own small wry smile while staring into her palms. How strange. She now wanted to protect those people she had thrown her fists at.

“I think I know what you mean.”

“Now that I think about it, Satomi-kun, you have similar circumstances to me.”

They had both lost family, fought against outsiders to protect their place, and now we're trying to protect those outsiders. Koutarou and Shizuka were quite similar.

“If you put it like that, everyone might be the same.”

“That's true... Everyone just wanted their own place...”

Everyone sought out room 106 for their own reasons. Yet everyone had obtained what they wanted. Even though the reasons they had come for were different, the root was the same. Everyone struggled, searching for warmth and a place to call their own.

“Then the reason we are all together is all thanks to you.”

“To me?”

“Yes. It's because you are protecting Corona House that we could all get along.”

“I... brought everyone...”

Shizuka had never thought of things like that. She put her hands on her chest with her eyes wide open.

“I'm sure your parents would be happy.”

“Would they really? Mom and dad...”

“Yes. At least... I think they would.”

“... Thank you, Satomi-kun. I am very happy too...”

Shizuka had struggled ever since the day she lost her parents. And in this past year, she had found her place again. What she had lost in the past and sought after was now all around her, within reach. That's why―

The tears now flooding out from Shizuka's eyes had been dammed up for a long time.

Part 14

Shizuka didn't stop crying until the sun had begun to set and the cityscape was being dyed orange.

“I'm sorry, Satomi-kun. I've kept you waiting for a long time...”

Having returned to normal, Shizuka hurriedly wiped her tears away. However, that didn't wipe it all away, so Koutarou gently reached out with his hands to wipe away the rest.

“It's fine. I think you should be allowed to cry when visiting your parents' grave.”

“Ah...”

Shizuka was surprised by the warmth coming from Koutarou's hand on her cheek. The thought of rejecting it didn't cross her mind at all, because that warmth was one of the things she desired.

“Besides, if we went home with you still crying, there might be a riot.”

“That... might be, true...”

However, Shizuka began feeling something different from that warmth.

Shizuka had come into contact with Koutarou countless times before through exercising and practicing. It was because she trusted Koutarou that she had never thought much of it.

Something's strange...

However, that wasn't the case now. The warmth touching her cheek gave her a sense of fullness and security that she had never felt before. She began feeling that if she entrusted herself to this warmth, she would surely find happiness.

It's not like something's supposed to have changed...

It wasn't like something had changed on the surface. Shizuka and Koutarou were still the same as they always had been. But the vague feeling that Shizuka had been feeling deep inside changed into conviction.

Koutarou understood what Shizuka treasured, and he would treasure them with her.

That was what Shizuka now believed. It was a slight change, and it had sparked from a small chat. It might just be obvious, but feeling that small difference completely changed Shizuka.

A wish to be happy, expectations of the future, an elevated heart rate and unsettling feelings.

Something Shizuka had never felt before bloomed inside of her, growing ever larger. She had a vague understanding of what that feeling was. Since she loved gossip so much, she wasn't so thickheaded that she wouldn't notice. But she couldn't so easily accept it. Like Koutarou, when it came to herself, she became a lot more timid.

“T-That's right, Satomi-kun, there's something I want to ask you.”

Mustering all of her remaining will, she pretended to be normal. Fortunately, this succeeded and Shizuka was able to talk to Koutarou like she always did. Of course, whether that really was fortunate or not is up to discussion.

“Sure, what is it?”

Koutarou didn't hesitate to agree. He also didn't think Shizuka seemed off. It was only obvious for one to be a little shaken up from visiting a grave.

“Uhm... actually, I kind of want you to give Aika-san some attention.”

“Aika-san? That's true... she probably still hasn't gotten used to her new life.”

“It's not just that...”

Shizuka shook her head. By now she had returned to her usual self. It was something she had struggled to bring up, but she was really worried.

“Satomi-kun, do you remember the other day when Aika-san wanted you to place a curse on her?”

“Yes. While it was to deceive the enemy, that sure did surprise me.”

The other day, Maki had asked Koutarou to deprive her of her freedom. If they did indeed do so, they would be able to fool Darkness Rainbow. But because the means she had mentioned were too dangerous, they decided to fool them using a different way.

“Actually, Aika-san had one more hidden objective.”

“Another objective? What would that be?”

“Aika-san was originally an orphan... and Darkness Rainbow was the only place she belonged to. She's now left them and come to stay with us, but she still hasn't gotten her feelings in order.”

Maki was currently sharing room 206 with Shizuka. The two sympathized with each other’s circumstances and shared a lot between each other. That's why Shizuka understood Maki's feelings better than anyone else.

“That's why Aika-san wanted a bond with someone so obvious anyone can tell.”

“So she wanted me to put a curse on her? Surely there should be a better way?”

Koutarou was surprised. If it was like what Shizuka had said, Maki wanted to create bond by carving it into her body. That was far too violent of a method.

“She is so helplessly lonely, so she wants any kind of connection she could get.”

Maki was lonely. Only a short amount of time had passed since she came to stay with Koutarou. While she believed in Koutarou and the others, she would still often feel insecure.

Was it okay for her to be here? Was she needed? Was she unwanted?

Maki was worried about a lot. That's why she wanted a bond that would let her deny those worries, even if it meant living with a gun pointed to her head. Having the muzzle pointed at her would serve as proof that she was there. Maki wanted to sense a connection to others through abandoning her own freedom.

“Doesn't that ring a bell to you, Satomi-kun? … It does to me...”

“... Yeah... it does to me too...”

Koutarou had felt something similar when he had lost his mother and when his relationship with his father turned sour. He devoted himself to fighting others, and through harming himself he felt like he still existed. What he did was the same as what Maki was doing now.

“Aika-san needs someone to save her from that. Just accepting her isn't enough.”

“... To me, it had been baseball and Mackenzie...”

What saved Koutarou from his lifestyle was his baseball team and his meeting with Kenji. By working together with his team towards a goal, he was able to affirm his existence. And right now, that was what Maki needed. Koutarou understood very well what Shizuka was talking about.

“It might be the same reason as to why Aika-san is always after your money. She wants to be able to feel safe through an easy to understand bond like money.”

“Aika-san...”

When Shizuka pointed that out, Koutarou recalled when he and Maki had formed a contract. Deep inside, Maki was a lonely girl shivering inside of a dungeon. And like Koutarou was, Maki wouldn't rely on others directly, even if she wanted to.

“So Satomi-kun. I want you to help Aika-san until she can properly settle in.”

“... Everyone wants a place of their own, huh...”

Koutarou had felt like he had saved Maki just by taking her with him to room 106. But that alone wasn't enough. If left be, she would spend a lot of her life in anxiety. They would be very painful days. It was a problem that might eventually be resolved even if he left her be, but Koutarou couldn't find it in him to do that.

“Please, Satomi-kun. We don't need to protect just Aika-san's place, but everyone else's too...”

“Everyone else's... I see. You're right...”

Creating a place for Maki to remove her insecurity was the same as making a place where everyone could live and laugh together. That meant protecting everyone's place. It wasn't just for Maki's sake, but for everyone's.

“I understand... I'll think of something.”

Koutarou decided to listen to Shizuka's request. He still didn't know what he should do, but he wanted to be mindful of it. If he was, he believed he would eventually find a solution.

“Thank you, Satomi-kun.”

With Koutarou showing that he understood, tears began forming in Shizuka's eyes again. He had done exactly what she wanted, which made it hard for her to keep her feelings of joy at bay.

How troubling... I thought I was trying to hide these feelings...

The conversation she had brought up to change topic had in the end led to the same place. Shizuka's plan appeared to have misfired. But it might be that this would have happened regardless of what she spoke of. Her expectations of the future and rapidly beating heart convinced her that she would be happy as long as she was with Koutarou.

“... Could I borrow your shoulder?”

“Sure.”

There, Shizuka decided to stop going against her own feelings. Even if she did, it would have the same results. In that case, she might as well just accept them. She also believed that Koutarou would accept her, even like that.

“Landlord-san... you're crying again.”

A large hand wiped away the tears on her cheeks.

Now that I think about it, dad's hand was like this...

Shizuka accepted the sensation of fullness and security that was transmitted to her through that large hand.

“... Fufufu... dad, mom, Aika-san, and everyone too... I have a lot to worry about...”

Shizuka entrusted herself to the feelings inside and to the passing of time. As she did, everything she had bottled up, all of her frozen feelings slowly melted and were swept away somewhere. Shizuka had regained the innocent and calm mind that she had when she was with her parents.

Dad, mom... don't worry about me. I have Satomi-kun and everyone else with me. I'm fine. I am happy now...

Shizuka now understood who she should be with to be happy. Where the place she belonged to was. They were things that Shizuka had been looking for ever since she lost her parents.

“Landlord-san.”

“Hmm...What?”

While entrusting herself to the happiness she had finally found, Shizuka looked up at Koutarou with a hazy glance. At first, the boy was just supposed to be another tenant. But before she knew it, he had taken up a position in the middle of what she treasured.

“This is just hypothetical, but... if we paid several decades of rent in advance, and landlord-san could live like a normal girl again, would you be able to smile?”

“...Satomi-kun...”

And now that boy was trying to guide Shizuka herself into that center. He was saying that there was no need to just watch.

I see... so that's what this is...

Up until now, Shizuka had wondered: ‘Why did she fall in love with Koutarou?’ But she could understand now. Koutarou filled up the empty place in Shizuka's heart. And she could fill up the empty place in his. Everyone was attracted to one another because they believed that they needed each other. So in a word, everyone wanted a place where they belonged.

“Fufu, Satomi-kun, let me tell you something good.”

“Eh?”

“There's an easier and cheaper method to paying rent upfront.”

“And that is?”

“I can't tell you the method. That's something you have to realize yourself, or there won't be any point... fufufu...”

Shizuka smiled and leaned on Koutarou's shoulder.

She had her own pride.

That method was something Koutarou had to find for himself.

Part 15

With the summer ever approaching, the sun began to set later and later in the evening. Since waiting for the sun to set would take too long, Koutarou and Shizuka decided to leave a little bit earlier before it happened.

“By the way, why were you in the mall, Satomi-kun?”

“I was there to buy a new insect catching net and the likes.”

Shizuka's expression was as bright as it normally was. However, Shizuka was a bit more talkative than normal and would rely on Koutarou from time to time. Koutarou figured that was because she was feeling lonely after visiting her parent's grave.

“Then did Maximilian break? Was it Yurika?”

“It's not like that. Clan will be coming along too, so I wanted to get some equipment ready for her as well.”

“Hmm. You sure are treasuring Clan-san a lot, Satomi-kun.”

Shizuka showed a cheeky smile and poked Koutarou with her elbow.

“That's not really my...”

“Not really your intention?”

“Well, it is... but in that sense, I value everyone as well.”

“Then if I join, will you prepare equipment for me too?”

“Well... I would.”

Koutarou felt like something would be wrong if he prepared equipment for Clan but not Shizuka. If she was going, it would only be proper for him to prepare equipment for her as well.

“Fufu~, Satomi-kun, isn't there something you want to ask me?”

Shizuka took a few steps in front of Koutarou, spun around and walked backwards as she smiled. That teasing smile looked like that of a child playing a prank on their parents.

“... Landlord-san, would you like to come insect hunting too?”

Having an idea of what Shizuka was after, Koutarou honestly answered her expectations. The feelings one usually had for one's family was now being directed towards the nearby Koutarou. Knowing that, he couldn't find it in him to refuse her.

“Of course. Aika-san will be coming too, right?”

“Yes, it's as you say, my lady. I was thinking of taking her with me even if I have to be pushy.”

“Then I'll come with you. Ufufufu.”

If Koutarou had learned of Shizuka's true intentions he probably would have been surprised.

Shizuka was indeed feeling a little lonely because she couldn't rely on her parents anymore. But she didn't see Koutarou as a substitute. She simply wanted to rely on him for who he was.

Unaware of those intentions, Koutarou paid attention to the strength he could feel from her words.

Landlord-san really is strong... If she's this strong, then maybe I don't need to hide it from her...

Despite having just visited her parent's grave, Shizuka hadn't forgotten to take Maki into account. Sensing that strength of heart, Koutarou began thinking that there might not be any reason to hide Alunaya's existence from her.

Shizuka would be able to accept Alunaya. This situation wasn't anything like the time he kept his visit to the past Forthorthe a secret from Theia. Even if Shizuka found out, it wouldn't have any political implications. That's why Koutarou began leaning towards telling Shizuka everything.

But, how should I tell her? She'll probably be shocked. I should check with Clan first...

While Koutarou wanted to tell her, he couldn't just reveal it haphazardly. But fortunately, Shizuka would be joining Koutarou and Clan on their insect hunting. He was going to talk to Clan, and if possible, reveal it to her then.

“What's wrong, Satomi-kun? You have such a serious expression. Ah, could it be that you're having a hard time financially?”

Seeing Koutarou fall silent, Shizuka began thinking that she had made an unreasonable request. Since that was unintentional, her smile withered away at a rapid pace.

“I'm sorry for kinda forcing you. We don't need equipment, we only need to tag along.”

“No, it's not like that...”

Koutarou hurriedly began thinking of a proper reason.

While it was true that he had fallen silent, he still couldn't tell her the real reason why. It wasn't like he was struggling financially, and he didn't want Shizuka to needlessly worry.

By the way, Koutarou currently had money to spare. Having become master and servant, Theia rejoiced and wanted to give Koutarou a salary. On top of that, Theia loved the feeling of their master-servant relationship.

“... We'll be going out a lot during the summer, so I was just wondering if you and Aika-san will be okay.”

“If anything, that's more convenient. I think it's better if Aika-san gets something like a routine.”

“Landlord-san...”

While it was something Koutarou had brought up to hide his true intentions, Shizuka's generosity ended up being highlighted.

She really is amazing... I really should tell her the truth as soon as possible...

In just one day, Koutarou's impression of Shizuka had greatly changed. As a result, Koutarou's decision to reveal everything was strengthened.

While Koutarou made up his mind, Shizuka had unexpectedly stopped walking.

“What's that I wonder...”

The stationary Shizuka stared straight forward.

“What's the matter?”

Noticing that Shizuka had stopped, Koutarou followed suit. Shizuka pointed at something a little up ahead and to the right.

“Satomi-kun, look over there. Doesn't that look like smoke?”

“It does. Maybe someone is making a campfire?”

Smoke was rising from the direction that Shizuka had indicated. Seeing that, Koutarou figured that someone might just be making a campfire. But the season was still not summer yet, so it wasn't a period to be making campfires. On top of that, the smoke rising was pitch black. It wasn't the kind of smoke that was created from campfires.

“No, that's not a campfire!! This is the middle of a residential district!! Who would set up a campfire here?!”

“Is it a fire?!”

By the time Koutarou spoke that word, Shizuka was already running. Having been distracted by the smoke, he hadn't noticed that right away, and was therefore unable to stop her.

Part 16

The place that was on fire was right in front of where Koutarou and Shizuka were. The site was an old private house, three stories tall, and even though it had only just started burning, it was already wrapped in searing flames. Because of the wind growing stronger with the evening and because the house was made out of wood, it burst into flames incredibly quickly.

“Satomi-kun, call the fire department!”

“Okay!”

When Koutarou and Shizuka arrived, there was still no fire truck at the site, and no one was fighting the fire. Onlookers were only just starting to gather, and it was doubtful if the fire department had been contacted or not. So the first thing they did upon arriving was to contact the fire department using their cellphones to report the fire.

“Hello, is this the fire department?! There's a fire!!”

“Satomi-kun, someone is coming out!! I'll leave this to you!!”

“Landlord-san?! Ahh, sorry, the address is―”

Two people appeared from the entrance of the burning house. They were an elderly couple, and they slowly edging forward while supporting each other. Shizuka approached the burning house in an attempt to help them, leaving the reporting to Koutarou.

The flames were strong, and just moving closer, Shizuka felt like she was being roasted.

Dad, mom...

Shizuka had felt that sensation before. The heat she felt now was exactly like the heat she had felt in the fire where she had lost her parents. Partially because of that, Shizuka's parents overlapped with the elderly couple that had appeared.

“Are you okay?!”

Having run up to the two, Shizuka reached out to them and moved them to a safe place.

I wonder if mom and dad looked like this... when they were carrying me...

As she did, Shizuka was captivated by their appearance. They were covered in soot and sweat, and they looked exhausted. Shizuka couldn't ignore them.

“O-Our granddaughter is still inside!!”

“Please tell the firefighters!!”

“Eh…?”

However, Shizuka returned to herself when she heard what they said. The next moment, a faint voice reached her ears.

“... Papa! Mama! Grandpa! Grandma!”

Shizuka looked in the direction of the voice and spotted a young girl on the third floor, desperately beating on the window with tears in her eyes as the flames grew closer.

“Yuuka!”

“Yuu-chan! It's okay, the fire fighters are coming to save you!”

Having noticed the same voice, the elderly couple screamed out.

They won't make it!

Based on the strength of the fire, the girl wouldn't make it if they just waited for the firefighters to come. That much was obvious, even to an amateur.

“Oh no, wait young lady!”

“You shouldn't place your own life in danger!”

Having just finished talking to the fire department, Koutarou heard the old couple's shouts and turned to look towards the burning house, expecting the worst.

“Landlord-san, no, wait!!”

What Koutarou saw was Shizuka's back as she rushed into the burning house.

Part 17

Shizuka was aware of the foolishness of her actions. Normally, she probably wouldn't have chosen this method. But today, she stepped inside the burning building.

Dad, mom... I am no longer a helpless child!

The elderly couple and the young girl reminded Shizuka of her parents and herself. Shizuka's parents had stepped through flame to protect her, and they had died saving Shizuka. If she had been able to do something back then, the outcome might have been different. That was what Shizuka always thought. That's why she trained her body and continued protecting Corona House. But there was no way to confirm that was actually true. That kind of thought would pop into her mind from time to time and cause her to waver.

But now, a sight similar to the fire of the past was in front of her. Shizuka thought of it as a chance to test whether a different outcome was possible or not. If she was able to save the girl inside, she would be able to confirm that she was no longer helpless. She should be able to reach an outcome different from the past now.

That's why Shizuka, despite knowing that her actions were foolish, stepped into the burning building. The fact that the fire trucks wouldn't make it here in time pushed her forward. This wasn't purely out of good intentions; Shizuka wanted to retake the past she had lost.

The third floor! I have to get up to the third floor!

Having entered the house, Shizuka began looking for stairs up to the next floor. Since the girl was on the third floor, that was her fastest path there.

There's so much smoke... and it's so hot...

Shizuka quickly realized that it wouldn't be that easy. Her view was blocked by the rising smoke and flames. Since smoke had a tendency to flow upwards, it hid the stairs. Surrounded by flames, she began feeling the mental pressure. With this being the house of someone she had never met before, finding the stairs proved exceptionally challenging.

Calm down, Shizuka. This is a house, the stairs should be in a suitable place!

Shizuka attempted to calm herself down as she took step after step into the hallway. In small houses, the stairs would often be right by the entrance. But in big houses like this, the stairs were usually placed in a position where they couldn't be seen from the entrance. That said, the stairs should still be connected to the hallway for the sake of convenience. The stairs should just be nearby. Shizuka subdued her panic and continued her search.

There they are!

Her efforts paid off and Shizuka found the stairs right around the corner of the hallway. Since smoke was rising up through the stairs, it was impossible to tell what kind of situation the upper floor was in. Shizuka suppressed her urge to rush up, and carefully proceeded upwards, step by step. Halfway up, she spotted several books lying on the stairs. If she had run up, she most likely would have stepped on them and been in danger.

To think smoke was this hot...

A large amount of smoke continued pouring up, practically blinding Shizuka. It permeated through her eyes and caused tears to form. Shizuka slowly crawled up to the second floor while paying close attention to her footing.

“*cough* *cough*”

Having inhaled some smoke as she reached the second floor, Shizuka had a violent coughing fit. That caused her to inhale even more smoke, and caused a vicious spiral. The second floor had denser smoke than the first, especially by the stairs.

I need to stay low...

Shizuka was close to panicking as she was having a hard time breathing, but she barely managed to keep her cool. She put the knowledge she learned from fire drills to use and stayed low to the ground, which somehow allowed her to breathe normally.

I have to get to the third floor...

She took several deep breaths and calmed herself down. As she did, she was able to tell what kind of situation the second floor was in. The fire was more intense here than on the first floor. This was only natural as both flames and smoke moved upwards, which of course meant that the third floor was even worse than this. Shizuka prayed that the fires hadn't spread too far as she hurried to save the girl.

I have... slight burns. But other than, that I'm fine! I can still move!

As she had worked her way up, Shizuka had been burned in several places. That was unavoidable as she was in the middle of a fire. After confirming that she was still okay, Shizuka began moving to climb up the stairs to the third floor. Since the stairs continued from the second floor, there was no need to look for them. However, that was when Shizuka stopped.

The stairs are burning!

The fire had already spread to the stairs leading up to the third floor. In order to reach the next floor, she would need to cross through these flames. Since it was only partially burning, it should be possible to cross by moving quickly.

I see, so that's why that old couple...

But for an elderly couple, pushing their way past this would be difficult. They had no choice but to give up on saving their granddaughter through their own hands because of this.

But I can do it!

Determination flared up in Shizuka's eyes as she backed away from the stairs. She then lowered her posture and took a few deep breaths. She was going to hold her breath and dash up to the third floor.

Shizuka was confident in her own movements. She should be able to move around better than an average man. The same was true for her lung capacity. Unlike the powerless child she had been when her parents had died. Shizuka believed that she could do something now.

Here I go!

She held her breath and charged up the stairs. Only a few dozen centimeters of the stairs were actually burning. If she could accelerate enough to dash right past it, there shouldn't be any problems.

Uhh!

While it was just for a moment, her body was surrounded by large flames, causing Shizuka's expression to contort with pain. But that was all that faltered. Shizuka maintained her balance and ran up the rest of the stairs. Like that, Shizuka was able to reach the third floor.

“...Haah, haah, haah... I-I should take skirts into consideration as well...”

Having reached the top floor, Shizuka crouched down and took several deep breaths. While it had only been a few seconds, her body demanded oxygen after that intense action.

But, now I can save that girl...

It was hard to breathe and the places where she had been scorched hurt. But Shizuka had managed to reach the third floor. Her goal was now within reach. She would be able to save that young girl now.

Dad, mom, are you watching? I've gotten stronger...

Strictly speaking, what Shizuka was trying to save wasn't the girl, but her helpless self.

Here we go, Shizuka... It's just a little more to go!!

Shizuka poured strength into her arms and pushed herself up. Next, she put strength into her legs and tried to lift her body. She remembered the room the girl had been in. As long as she could stand, she could reach the room within a few seconds. The finish line was right in front of her.

H-huh…?

But Shizuka couldn't stand up. She lost her vision and strength left her lower body. Shizuka who was leaned forward, tried to stand up, but fell back down towards the floor. She tried moving her arms to support her body, but she couldn't do that either and she crashed into the floor.

Why…? I should still... be able to continue...

Shizuka's conscience began fading away. But that wasn't because she had slammed into the floor. She was in a state of hypoxia.

There was a severe lack of oxygen in a fire to begin with. And on top of that, there was a lot of particles in the air, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, obstructing her breathing. This was especially true for the third floor. However, Shizuka expected that and had been careful. She stayed low and took shallow breaths, while keeping her heart from pumping too fast. That lowered the consumed oxygen, so she should still have been okay for a while longer.

However, Shizuka had forgotten to take one thing into account: the fire burning on the stairs leading to the third floor. She had been so focused on breaking through the flames that she had forgotten everything she was being careful about. In order to rush up, she required a lot of oxygen. Expending the majority of the oxygen she kept inside, she needed to inhale a lot of air. However, the air on the third floor was bad and contained a lot of harmful particles. As a result, Shizuka was unable to replenish the oxygen she had used and entered a state of hypoxia.

Shizuka had indeed grown. She had a sturdy body and a quick wit. She was no longer like the powerless child she had been several years before. But she couldn't do anything about the fact that she was just a human in the end.

My body... won't move.. I couldn't... do anything again... Will I... die like this... unable to do anything...?

As her consciousness faded, she was overcome by the feeling of helplessness. She had worked so hard, but in the end, she couldn't do anything. A different outcome didn't exist.

It shouldn't have... ended like this... No... I don't want this...

Shizuka tried her best to move, but her body which was now in full blown hypoxia didn't budge an inch.

Why... why am I this weak...? If only I had more power... at least the power to protect the ones I love...

It felt painful. She felt mortified. Tears streamed out of Shizuka's eyes. Her body couldn't move, but only the tears she didn't wish for continued to flow. And as the first tear fell onto the floor–

“Girl, can you hear me?”

–somebody's voice reached Shizuka's ears. But it hadn't reached her as a sound. She currently couldn't hear anything around her.

Who...?

Not even in a condition where she could understand the bizarre situation that was developing, Shizuka responded to the voice. As she did, the owner of the voice began talking in a powerful yet calm manner.

“Hear me, girl. 2,000 years ago, in a certain country there was a great princess. Her country was endangered, yet she had overcome that crisis using only the talent, the power, she had.”

What a strong person...

Shizuka praised the princess. A person that could protect an entire country was strong. It was someone who Shizuka strived to be like.

“That's correct. While it wasn't strength visible to the eye, she held a powerful strength within.”

Strength didn't exist solely as a physical phenomenon. It could also be the wisdom to see through others, the power of money or knowledge in medicine. The power the princess in question had was the power to attract others to her and lead them to the future. The strength of a ruler.

“However, that was what made her unhappy as well.”

Unhappy...? Even though she had such strength...?

“That's right. Having strength means that you can do everything yourself. You wouldn't need any help. The girl was too great of a princess. That's why, while she had been able to save her country, she was unable to be with the man she loved, and quietly lived out the rest of her life in solitude.”

She was always alone...? Poor princess...

“A strong power will isolate you. Girl, the same goes for you. If you grow stronger than you are now, you will cross the limits of man. That strength would surely isolate you. That is the price to pay for power.”

Solitude... the price for strength...

The larger the power, the more unhappiness it brings. Money was a good example. Upon obtaining a large amount of money, the people around calling themselves friends of family will increase. Forcing you to doubt others. Eventually you would become suspicious of your true friends. Leading you to a lonely life.

“If you so desire, I can grant you my strength. The strength to protect the ones you love from any misfortune.”

I want it. Of course I do.

“However, that will make you unhappy. You would have to give up a normal life. It would mean turning your back on becoming one with the person you love, giving birth to a child and raising it. Do you desire my strength even then?”

The strength the owner of the voice had was the power to defeat your enemies. If she obtained it, she would be thrown into a world of battles, whether she wanted to or not. That was a life far too different from the life of a normal high school student. The owner of the voice thought of that kind of life as an unhappy one.

Yes. It would be convenient.

However, Shizuka thought of it differently. She thought that not being able to live a normal life was convenient. That it was a good thing.

“Convenient you say?”

The owner of the voice was puzzled by that unexpected answer. Shizuka happily talked to the puzzled owner of the voice.

That's right. The people I love all have strong powers. And just like you say, they are lonely. Satomi-kun is the loneliest of them all. He's the strongest, but also the loneliest. In order to support him, I would need to be strong enough to be able to walk with him, side by side. That's why I'll become lonely or whatever it takes. In this world, there are those you can't support unless you do...

“...I understand. It's because of that heart of yours that you drew me in...”

The owner of the voice wasn't talking to Shizuka through sheer chance. It had chosen a person with a suitable heart that it could entrust with its power. Upon hearing Shizuka's words, the owner of the voice understood why she had such a heart, and it rejoiced that it hadn't been wrong.

Eh? What do you mean?

But since Shizuka wasn't aware of those circumstances, she was confused by the voice.

“It's nothing. It's just... if the princess of the sword could think like you, she might have led a happy life.”

Isn't happiness just all about the situation and mood?

If one had a strong power, they would most likely be unhappy if they lived among normal people. But that might not be the case if they lived with other people with powers. Shizuka believed that power itself couldn't determine if one would be happy or not.

“Well said. You really are the poster child for strength.”

Is that a compliment?

“It is indeed. It is the highest degree of praise from me.”

Okay then...

Supposedly it was a compliment, but it didn't feel like one to Shizuka. It's possible that it wasn't meant to be a compliment for a girl. With that in her mind, the small doubt and dissatisfaction she was feeling didn't go away.

That might be true for―

Shizuka wanted to ask a little the owner the voice for the specifics, but halfway through her sentence she realized something important.

That's right, I still haven't heard your name. I am Shizuka. Who are you?

Shizuka still didn't know who she was talking to. That's why she casually asked, but the answer she received was something completely unexpected.

“My name is Alunaya.”

Eh?! You mean the one that appears in the legends of Theia-chan's country?!

Shizuka was taken back by surprise. She was so surprised that her clouding consciousness that was fading away from hypoxia cleared up for a moment.

“That's right. I am the ruler of the fire dragons, the Fire Dragon Emperor Alunaya. Shizuka, I will entrust you with my power. You may use that overwhelming power to protect what you wish. Then let us start!”

Ah, w-wait a minute!! I still have so much to ask!!

The huge power that had been hidden inside of her wrapped around Shizuka. That power pressed its surroundings and swelled up, greatly changing Shizuka's fate. She was given the power to protect those which she held dear. Or it might be a power to let her draw closer to someone in solitude. Rather than pure power, it might have been Shizuka's hopes. Because in the end, everyone wanted a place of their own.

Like that, Shizuka chose to coexist with the dragon of legend.

Part 18

Once Koutarou reached the third floor, wearing his armor, he could only see a sea of flames.

“Where is landlord-san?! Find her!!”

Koutarou worried that too much time may have passed as he ordered the artificial intelligence in his armor.

Since Koutarou's armor was an equipment designed for a spaceship, it functioned like a space suit. That's why he could move around a burning building without any problems, as long as it wasn't for too long. But the same wasn't true for Shizuka and the girl that had been left behind. He had to find them before they both died.

“Life reactions detected. They number two, four meters away in the ten o'clock direction.”

“Well done! Let's–”

“The reactions are approaching. Warning, confirmed the generation of a shockwave. Deploying distortion field.”

“Uwah?!”

But before Koutarou could find her, Shizuka had already appeared in front of him. The entire door and frame were blown away right in front of him. On the other side of it was Shizuka, holding the girl in question.

“Landlord-san?!”

“I'm sorry Satomi-kun, I wasn't able to properly control my strength. Are you okay?”

“I'm fine, the armor protected me.”

Since Shizuka's arms were being used to hold the unconscious girl, she blew the door away using a shockwave sent out from her mouth. Koutarou had been on the other side, but fortunately he was wearing his armor and the barrier protected him. If not, both him and the wall behind him would have been blown away.

“But landlord-san, you look...”

“Ah, this? Uncle Alu saved me. But let's talk about that later! We should get out of here!”

“I understand!”

Koutarou was surprised by Shizuka's appearance, but he obediently followed her instruction. He could roughly imagine what had happened to her. Shizuka's eyes were glowing red, there was a horn on her forehead, large wings on her back and a long tail on the back of her waist. It was a sight he had seen before, and proof that Alunaya's powers were in effect.

Part 19

Having safely met up, Koutarou and Shizuka delivered the girl to the elderly couple and quickly left the scene of the fire behind them. While they had been able to save the girl, the fact that they had rushed into the building without waiting for the firefighters to arrive was a big problem. So the two decided to head home before they got into trouble.

“... Give me a break, landlord-san. That's not like you.”

Koutarou used the time when they were returning to room 106 to scold Shizuka.

Before he could stop her, Shizuka had rushed into the burning house. Because Shizuka was normally so level-headed, Koutarou was even more surprised. And because of that, he gave her a stern look. Normally, Shizuka would be the one to scold others for being so reckless.

“While everything worked out thanks to Alunaya-dono, who knows what would have happened if he hadn't been around...”

“I'm sorry, Satomi-kun. I was reminded of mom and dad because it was right after my grave visit. I got too excited.”

Shizuka was aware of her own failings. Even when taking the situation into account, it wasn't something that should be praised. That's why she had been modest and reflected on her actions as Koutarou scolded her.

“I know it was stupid. I'm really sorry for making you worry. I'll be careful to make sure something like this doesn't happen again.”

“Haah... I'll forgive you this one time.”

Koutarou decided to quickly forgive Shizuka.

Shizuka was aware of her own mistake and was honestly sorry. Besides, Koutarou understood how she felt. He believed that if, after he visited his mother's grave, he came across an accident similar to the one he lost his mother in, he would also have charged in without thinking of the consequences. That's why he couldn't blame Shizuka any further.

“There won't be anyone to stop you in the future, so please be careful.”

“...Yeah.”

Shizuka timidly looked up to confirm if Koutarou was angry or not. She then nodded her head and loosened up her tense expression.

“But anyways, I'm glad everyone was okay.”

Koutarou smiled at Shizuka. While she had been reckless, in the end, everything had turned out okay. The girl that had been left behind had been saved and Shizuka was in one piece. Since the girl might not have made it if they had waited for the fire department, that itself should be celebrated, even if Shizuka's actions shouldn't.

“Yeah...”

But Shizuka still had a gloomy look on her face. She was looking down and let out a small sigh.

“Are you still bothered about it?”

Koutarou assumed that was because Shizuka was regretting being so reckless. That she was still reflecting on her actions. But Shizuka was thinking about something different.

“No, I do regret it, but it's not that... In the end, I couldn't save anyone, just like when mom and dad died. So I'm a bit sad and mortified that I haven't grown...”

Shizuka was feeling down because she believed she hadn't grown at all all these years. In the past she was saved by her parents, and this time she was saved by Alunaya. In the fire, Shizuka herself couldn't do anything. That came as a shock to her.

And in order to walk alongside those she loved, she would need a large power. Her own strength wasn't enough for that. Feeling like she had reached her limits, Shizuka didn't seem like she would recover for a while.

“I thought I would be able to do better like you...”

As Shizuka said that she let out a heavy sigh.

“I'd like to learn the secret behind being a legendary hero.”

Shizuka felt like there was a vast gap between herself and Koutarou. Complex feelings were swirling inside of her and she was having a hard time getting them under control.

“Landlord-san, there's nothing I can teach you.”

“Do you mean I don't have any talent?”

Shizuka smiled bitterly. It was a very self-depreciating smile.

“That's not what I meant...”

This time, Koutarou was the one who smiled wryly.

“Up until now, I have never saved anyone with just my own strength.”

With those words, Koutarou admitted to his own incompetence. He couldn't keep himself from smiling wryly. Of course, Shizuka couldn't accept that. She stopped in place and objected in an upset tone.

“That's a lie! Satomi-kun, you are always–”

“Always borrowing everyone else's power to fight.”

Koutarou stopped as well and turned to face Shizuka. But in contrast to Shizuka, he spoke calmly.

“My power only amounts to being able to handle a sword a little. Truth be told, I am far weaker than you are, landlord-san. That's why there's nothing I can teach you.”

His sword, his armor, his spiritual energy, his spiritual weapons and his magic. Everything Koutarou used when fighting was something he had gotten from others. The only power of his own was his skill with the sword that he had trained in the past Forthorthe. But even then, he couldn't reach a martial arts expert like Shizuka. And if that Shizuka called herself powerless, then what more was Koutarou?

“That's right. The next time there's trouble, should I lend everything to you? That way, I'm sure you'll be able to do far more than I ever could.”

“Satomi-kun...”

Shizuka realized that Koutarou had the same look of helplessness that she had.

That's right... I even knew that's the kind of person Satomi-kun was...

Shizuka and Koutarou had matured upon experiencing similar events. That's why Koutarou could feel the same helplessness she did. Even if she asked Koutarou for the solution, she wouldn't get an answer. Having noticed that, Shizuka felt embarrassed by her narrow-mindedness. She wasn't the only one who was unhappy. Wasn't that why she believed she could walk by Koutarou's side? Having been so obsessed with strength, Shizuka had overlooked something so important.

“... I'm sorry. Satomi-kun.”

Shizuka's apology was brief but it contained all kinds of emotions.

“Landlord-san... No, it's fine.”

Those feelings were all conveyed to Koutarou. He also understood how she felt. And because of that, he realized that there was one piece of advice he could give her.

“Landlord-san, there's something I can tell you.”

Koutarou smiled. It wasn't a bitter smile, but a warm smile towards someone who worried about the same things he did.

“And what is that?”

“What you need right now is to be able to honestly rely on others.”

“Rely, on others...?”

“Yes. I was just like you. I couldn't forgive myself for not being able to do anything. I thought it was disgrace to borrow help from others...”

Koutarou couldn't protect the girls of room 106 or the people he had met in the past Forthorthe with just his own power. It had been borrowed strength that had allowed him to protect them. That's why every time they showed him gratitude, he only felt sorry.

“But... I have people I have to protect no matter what. And I need power to be able to protect them. I don't care whose power that is, as I don't have the room to pick my means.”

If Koutarou only grieved at his powerlessness, he wouldn't be able to protect anyone. He had to make full use of his powers, even if they were borrowed from someone else. Koutarou had something he wanted to protect more than his pride.

“What about you, landlord-san? What do you want to protect?”

As Koutarou was saying these words, he began thinking that he was being a little mean. Shizuka sought strength because of her regret from losing her family. That's why to her, power itself wasn't a goal, but a means to an end. Knowing that, there was only one answer from the beginning.

“... I want to protect everyone. I want to be with everyone forever...”

“I see...”

Koutarou nodded. He was satisfied. Like he had thought, Shizuka had something more important than her pride as well.

“That's about all I can teach you.”

“Satomi-kun...”

Tears began spilling out from Shizuka's eyes. Shizuka felt like she now understood why Koutarou was so strong. It wasn't because of his powers. He was strong because he knew that he was weak. And there was one more thing that she understood.

“Hey, Satomi-kun...”

Shizuka wanted to tell Koutarou. She wanted him to understand. That's why she forgot to wipe away her tears and ardently appealed to him.

“You said that you had never saved anyone, right?”

“Yes. I did...”

“But... but you know, that's not true.”

“Eh?”

Koutarou let out a puzzled voice. Shizuka was looking at Koutarou, but she couldn't see his expression because of her overflowing tears.

“You just saved me right now, without borrowing anyone else’s power, just your own.”

“Landlord-san...”

“You are not powerless. Stay confident, you are someone who can save others.”

Shizuka took Koutarou's hand and squeezed it tightly. As she did, her tears fell onto the back of Koutarou's hand.

It's so warm...

Feeling Shizuka's warm hand and tears, Koutarou sensed that there was truth in her words. That's why he squeezed her hand back, just as strong.

“Then that's true for you too landlord-san. You just saved me too.”

“... Satomi-kun!!”

In that moment, Shizuka let go of Koutarou's hand and moved to hug him. She knew that suddenly hugging Koutarou would probably surprise him, but she was unable to contain her emotions. She had been convinced that the place she belonged was here.

“Landlord-san...?”

“Don't forget. Even if you're strong or weak... I love you.”

But she was confident that Koutarou wouldn't reject her even if she acted like that.

“... Thank you, landlord-san. I love you too...”

That's because Koutarou had said so himself.

That Shizuka should rely on others more.

Part 20

Upon returning to room 106, Koutarou and Shizuka explained to the girls what had happened and introduced Alunaya to them. The girls had been surprised, but at the same time it made sense to them.

“... I see... No wonder Shizuka is so strong... Alunaya-dono's powers must have leaked out...”

“That would be the case. I held back my power in case the Blue Knight summoned me, but even then some of the spiritual energy leaked out and strengthened Shizuka's body.”

“Now that you mention it, there was a movie called Enter the Dragon or something.”

“Sanae-chan, I think that's a little different...”

Back when the girls had invaded room 106, Shizuka had used her own combat prowess to suppress their riot. Thinking about it calmly, there was no way that a normal highschool girl would have been able to defeat a ghost, an alien and someone from the underground. That's why everyone could accept that Alunaya had always been inside of Shizuka. The mystery that had gone unsolved for such a long time had now been solved.

“Anyways, I give you all my best regards for the future.”

Alunaya was currently running magical power through the crest on Koutarou's right hand, and projecting a small hologram of himself.

That Alunaya looked quite happy. He had originally come for pleasure and to meet Koutarou. So not having to hide his identity was a big plus for him. With this, he would be able to move around freely and was planning on asking Koutarou and Shizuka to go on a trip to see the world.

“By the way uncle Alu, how long will you stay on Earth for?”

Shizuka turned to Alunaya and asked. She could actually speak to Alunaya in her mind, but that meant that those around her couldn't hear it.

“About that, Shizuka–”

Alunaya responded to Shizuka cheerfully. He was originally very sociable and very curious. He also had a niece around the same age as Shizuka, so he directed similar feelings towards her and the other girls.

“–I will stay until everyone are safe enough. I'm worried after all.”

Koutarou was a precious friend of Alunaya's. That's why he couldn't leave while Koutarou and the others were still in danger. He was planning on helping until their situation stabilized.

“And after that?”

“I will stay until I get sick of this planet, or until you no longer need me, Shizuka.”

As Alunaya said that he looked around. To him, Earth was completely foreign, and he was interested in everything he saw.

“... Then you'll stay as long as I don't hate you?”

“Indeed. I can't see all of this planet's attractions in just 100 years.”

With their powerful magical power, elder dragons had a far longer lifespan than humans. Because of that, 100 years was not that long of a time to Alunaya. Comparing it to a human’s, it probably felt like a mere few years. Besides, what had come to Earth was a copy of Alunaya's soul. He would eventually rejoin with his real body, but the time spent on Earth wouldn't pose much of a problem.

“Good.”

With Alunaya confirming what will happen in the future, Shizuka happily smiled. Alunaya's eyes that had been constantly looking around stopped on Shizuka's expression.

“You welcome me? Are you not scared?”

“I was just surprised, but you're Satomi-kun's friend, so I'm not scared. And I was just happy to have someone protecting me... I feel like I've made a new family member.”

“Me too. I feel like I have gotten more nieces.”

“Ahaha! But uncle Alu, don't look at things you shouldn't.”

“Have no fear. I've gotten into a fight with my niece about that in the past. So there is no need to worry. I'll make sure to close my eyes while you change or visit the bathroom.”

As Alunaya said that, he smiled, revealing his fangs. He then continued by speaking directly to Shizuka's mind so only she could hear.

“...I'll take extra care when you build a family with Blue Knight... That's right, maybe I'll sleep for half a year or so...”

“Uncle Alu!!”

Shizuka's face turned beet red and she shouted out. However, Alunaya didn't seem to care as he cheerfully stared at Shizuka. That was indeed the look of an uncle watching over his niece.

“Sorry, sorry. But would you prefer if I watched?”

“Of course not, geez...”

Shizuka's angry expression reminded Alunaya of his niece. As a result, he felt like he would be able to spend a happy time on Earth.

“Now then, with Shizuka angry, I believe it is time to go to sleep for now.”

“Oh, you're leaving already, uncle monster?”

When Alunaya said he was leaving, Sanae spoke with a sad expression. Since she had finally become friends with the monsters, there were so many things she wanted to ask.

“You should just stay a little longer.”

“Fufu, I would like to do the same, but I've pushed myself a little too far.”

“I see. What a shame. Will you come play again?”

“Yes.”

“Uncle Alu, are you okay?”

“Shizuka. Regarding this, there is something I need to apologize for.”

“What? Are you sure you're okay?”

“I am fine, but... to be honest, that transformation in the burning building sapped me of all my magical power.”

“What does that mean?”

“Your weight management will become even harder―”

With a long creak and a loud crack, Shizuka pierced through room 106's tatami and floor and was buried into the ground.

“...Ah, are you okay, Shizuka?”

“I-I'm not... okay...”

Like that, Shizuka's diet failed before it even began.

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