The 4koma sketch "Trust Me, It's Fashion" is already finished. Please check it out at https://www.patreon.com/Rayish
Morning light was already full when the sun rose high above Orario. Its warm rays swept across the cobblestone streets and building walls, chasing away the last chill of night. The dew clinging to the grass of the dormitory garden slowly disappeared, leaving behind a faint scent of damp earth.
In front of the Hostess of Fertility's waitress dormitory, the sound of wood cleaving the air echoed repeatedly in a steady rhythm.
Swish— thwack! Swish— thwack!
A wooden sword cut through the wind, stopped, then moved again.
Ryuu Lion stood alone in the middle of that small garden. Her feet were shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, her stance low and stable like the roots of a tree. In her hand, gripped a sword—Alvs Lumina—which, though only wood, felt like steel.
Vertical slash.
Hip rotation.
Horizontal swing.
Straight thrust.
Her movements were clean and efficient, without embellishment. Each technique seemed
embedded in her muscles, repeated thousands of times until they became instinct.
Yet her breath was heavy.
"Hah... hah..."
Her short, pale green hair clung to her temples and neck from sweat. The ends were damp, a few drops falling to the ground. The back of her training shirt was also moist, the fabric sticking to her skin.
She clearly hadn't just started.
Since dawn.
Perhaps even before the sun appeared.
A few hours ago, Anya, Chloe, and Lunoire had already left for the restaurant. Before leaving, they had stopped and looked at her with faces half-annoyed, half-worried.
"You didn't sleep again, did you?" Anya complained.
"Oi, take a break once in a while," Chloe added.
"If you collapse, don't cause trouble for others," Lunoire said flatly.
Ryuu only gave a small nod then. But after the door closed, the wooden sword was back in her hands. Because for her, stopping was actually more painful. When her body was still, her mind started to get noisy.
Old faces appeared uninvited.
Alise.
Kaguya.
Lyra.
Then that night.
Shirou kneeling, gripping the god's leg.
The divine will commanded.
Her own neck moving to strangle, unable to resist.
Her hand tightened on the sword's hilt.
"Not enough..." she murmured.
The sword moved again. Its slashes grew faster, heavier, as if each swing wanted to destroy something unseen.
If I were stronger...
If I were faster...
If I hadn't hesitated...
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The sound of wood striking the air was louder than before. The muscles in her
arms began to tremble, but she forced herself to continue.
Sweat dripped from her chin.
Breath raced.
Yet she didn't stop.
For Ryuu, training wasn't just about honing technique. This was a small punishment
for herself. The simplest way to atone for helplessness.
Each ache in her muscles felt like a reminder that she was still alive. Still could move. Still could fight.
And as long as she could still swing this sword... she wouldn't let anyone sacrifice themselves again.
The morning wind still blew gently in the dormitory garden, carrying the smell of wet grass
and old wood. The sound of Ryuu's wooden sword swings continued, its
rhythm sharp and consistent, until—
rustle... tap... tap...
Her pointed ears twitched slightly.
Footsteps.
Light. Calm. Not hurried.
Her reflexes worked before her mind caught up. Ryuu stopped her swing mid-motion, holding her breath. She turned her head back, her sapphire eyes narrowing, alert like a hunter sensing a presence.
Someone was walking closer from the small stone path towards the garden.
Red hair.
Relaxed posture.
Shoulders slightly slumped, as if lacking sleep.
Shirou.
He walked slowly while yawning lightly, one hand scratching the back of his head. His face looked a bit pale, eyes half-drowsy—clearly not yet fully recovered from yesterday's exhaustion.
"Morning, Ryuu—"
The sentence wasn't finished.
Without warning, without notice—
SWISH—!
Ryuu's wooden sword shot straight towards him, a horizontal slash with full force, splitting the air with a sharp sound.
A real attack.
Not a joke.
Shirou's reflexes ignited in a split second.
"Trace on—!"
A blue flash appeared in his hand. A wooden sword formed instantly, and—
THWACK!
The two pieces of wood clashed hard.
The impact made Shirou's hand vibrate. His feet slid half a step back, the soles of his shoes scraping the ground.
"Whoa—?!"
He nearly lost his balance.
A thin layer of dust rose.
Ryuu had already leaped back, retaking her stance.
Their eyes met.
Not a joking gaze.
A challenging stare.
Shirou opened his mouth, about to protest. "Oi, attacking first thing in the morning, what kind of—"
"You're slow."
Ryuu's sentence cut him off flatly.
"What?"
"You're usually ready before I even move," she continued, spinning the wooden
sword in her hand. "Today you got pushed back."
Her tone was cold, but there was a deliberate spark of provocation.
"Lack of sleep?" she added. "Or... have you grown weak?"
Shirou's eyebrow twitched.
"Oi, oi... I just got here, you know. Haven't even warmed up yet—"
"Excuses."
Ryuu took one step forward.
"If an enemy comes while you haven't warmed up, will you ask for a time-out too?"
"..."
"The Shirou I know isn't this weak."
The sentence was soft, but piercing.
A moment of silence.
Then the corner of Ryuu's lips lifted slightly—a small, provocative smile.
"How rare, seeing you this lethargic. Or were you just all talk before?"
That was clearly intentional.
Very intentional.
The vein at Shirou's temple twitched.
"...Hah."
He exhaled slowly, then grinned.
A small fire ignited in his eyes.
The wooden sword in his hand spun once, twice, and his shoulders stretched.
"Alright..."
His tone changed.
More alive.
Sharper.
"I thought you were going to tell me to rest, but instead you want to pick a fight in the morning."
He took a combat stance.
"Don't regret it, then."
His grin widened, full of confidence.
"I'll make you regret challenging me, Ryuu."
Ryuu slowly closed the distance, her steps light, almost silent. Her breathing was steady. Her gaze was sharp, measuring every small movement Shirou made, as usual.
In her head, she was already imagining the next pattern.
He'll try to imitate my movements again.
In their previous sparring sessions, Shirou could adapt—copy the opponent's rhythm, read the tempo, then counter with a similar style. Not a passive imitator, but a kind of mirror that reflected the opponent's technique with his own version.
Because of that, Ryuu was ready to face "herself."
But when she actually saw Shirou's posture, her brow furrowed.
His stance was different.
Right foot slightly forward, knees flexible, center of gravity low. Both hands gripped the wooden sword firmly, the blade angled slightly downward. Not like the wild, flexible style of an adventurer—but straight, neat, full of discipline.
Like a knight standing before a duel of honor.
"...That's not your usual style," Ryuu murmured.
Shirou just took a long breath.
In his mind, the wooden floor of a past dojo surfaced. The sound of bamboo clashing. The figure of a blonde girl with a shinai—Saber. Back then, he always lost decisively every time they trained. Saber's movements were too clean, too efficient. No openings.
At that time, he could never imitate her.
But now...
Training in the dojo back then. Now in the dormitory garden. The opponent is also strong.
The corner of his mouth lifted.
"Come on," he said lightly.
Ryuu shot forward instantly.
The ground crunched under her step. A vertical slash descended hard from above.
THWACK!
Shirou parried with a short motion. Not wide, just tilting the blade. The attack slid away like water being diverted.
Ryuu spun her body—a side slash.
THWACK! THWACK!
Two rapid clashes.
She accelerated the tempo. Overhead, low, thrust, sweep. The elf's attacks were agile,
like a small storm. Grass scattered, dust rose.
But Shirou didn't retreat.
His feet planted.
Each of his parries was small, economical, almost without wasted energy. As if he were just deflecting the attacks, not stopping them.
Ryuu realized something.
Usually, after defending, Shirou would immediately counter aggressively.
Now he was waiting.
Observing.
Like a wall.
"Since when did you have this style?" Ryuu attacked again.
"Just thought of it," Shirou answered casually. "Trying it out."
"Trying it out?!"
Ryuu leaped and swung down like an axe.
Shirou twisted his body, deflected, then—for the first time—advanced. A straight thrust aimed at Ryuu's chest. His attack was simple, but heavy.
No feints.
Ryuu almost parried too late.
He's starting to counter...
The fight changed. Now it wasn't a one-sided rain of slashes. They exchanged blows.
Wood clashed repeatedly. THWACK! CRACK! THWACK! The vibrations traveled up to their arms. Sweat flowed from their temples.
Ryuu moved like wind—fast, unpredictable.
Shirou was like steel—straight, sturdy, striking back with full force.
The minutes stretched long. Their breathing grew heavier.
Finally, Ryuu slipped into close range. Her wrist twisted, her characteristic technique to hook an opponent's weapon hilt.
"Got you—"
But Shirou had already read that move.
He lowered his body, twisted his shoulder, then struck the hilt of his sword into
Ryuu's wrist.
WHACK!
"Ah—!"
Ryuu's grip released. Alvs Lumina flew, spinning in the air before falling a few meters away from them.
A moment of silence.
Dust slowly settled.
The tip of Shirou's wooden sword stopped right in front of Ryuu's neck.
They stared at each other, both panting.
Shirou grinned slightly. "Disarm."
Ryuu glanced at her sword on the ground, then looked back at Shirou. A few seconds passed before she exhaled and smiled faintly.
"...Hah. I lost again."
The wooden sword in Shirou's hand glowed faintly, then shattered into particles of bluish light. Fwuush—those prana particles dissolved into the air like dust blown by the wind, vanishing without a trace.
In front of him, Ryuu walked to pick up the fallen Alvs Lumina. She picked up that wooden sword carefully, as if lifting something far more fragile than just a training weapon. Her fingers brushed the blade's surface, cleaning off dust and small scratches.
Her hand moved slowly.
Almost gently.
Like an old, automatic habit.
"Still sturdy," she murmured, more to herself than to Shirou.
Shirou knew that the sword wasn't just a combat tool. It was a reminder. A reminder of the past, of fallen comrades, of the days when she still fought together with Astraea Familia. So he didn't joke or tease as he usually would.
He just stood there, catching his breath.
A few seconds of silence.
Then Ryuu sheathed her wooden sword on her back, turning to face Shirou. "What brings you here this early?" she asked. "Is there something?"
Shirou scratched his cheek, his expression turning slightly serious. "Yeah. About yesterday's documents."
Ryuu's blue eyes immediately focused.
"I've checked everything," Shirou continued. "The five points you marked on the map. From the ninth floor to the twenty-fifth. One by one."
Ryuu blinked. "All of them... just yesterday?"
"Yeah," Shirou shrugged. "Happened to have some free time."
"'Happened to have some free time,' he says..." Ryuu murmured flatly, but she could already guess that Shirou must have pushed himself again.
She exhaled softly. "Then not here. It's too exposed." Her gaze swept across the dormitory garden, which was starting to get busy with the sound of people passing by. "We'll discuss it in my room. It's quieter."
Shirou nodded. "Alright."
They walked side by side into the waitress's dormitory. The wooden floorboards creaked softly under their steps—creak... creak... The faint scent of soap and toast drifted from the kitchen.
Ryuu opened her door, then gestured for him to enter.
The room was simple, as usual. A single bed, a study desk covered in papers, a small shelf, and a window facing the backyard. Not many decorations, but tidy.
Ryuu sat on the edge of the bed, her back straight, hands resting on her knees as if ready for a strategy meeting.
Meanwhile, Shirou pulled one of the wooden chairs and sat facing her, leaning his elbows on the backrest.
The atmosphere shifted.
From casual training...
to a serious discussion.
Ryuu crossed her arms in front of her chest, her body leaning slightly forward. Her blue gaze was sharp, fully focused, like when reading an enemy's movements on the battlefield.
"So," she said softly, "what exactly did you find at those five locations?"
Her tone was calm, but there was a clear undercurrent of tension. This wasn't mere curiosity. This was a matter that might relate to Rudra's final plan—something even that god himself called a "secret plan."
Shirou took a short breath before answering. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling for a moment, as if rearranging the sequence of events in his head.
"They all... have roughly the same pattern," he finally said. "Each point turned out to be a storage location."
"Storage?" Ryuu's eyebrow rose.
"Monsters," Shirou continued. "Tamed monsters. Hidden in secluded places. Like living warehouses."
Ryuu immediately recalled something. "Like the dragon at their hideout back then?"
"That Infant Dragon?" Shirou nodded. "Yeah. The concept is the same."
He leaned forward, both hands resting on his knees. "The only difference is the type. On the ninth floor, I found a Killer Ant nest. Not just ordinary ones—there was a queen. Huge. Had an iron choker around its neck."
"Killer Ant... queen?" Ryuu murmured, frowning. "If left alone, that could
breed quickly."
"Exactly," Shirou nodded. "If released onto beginner adventurer routes, it could be a small disaster on its own."
Ryuu clenched her fist slowly. "Sly..."
"Fourteenth floor," Shirou continued, "Hellhounds. A full pack. Caged in a stone cave. They even seemed... somewhat docile at first. Until they caught my scent."
Ryuu snorted softly. "Of course. Monsters are still monsters."
"And all of them," Shirou added, "had the same object."
He raised his hand, drawing a small circle in the air.
"Iron chokers. Similar design. Had runes, control mechanisms. Tools to force them to obey."
Ryuu nodded slowly. Her face hardened. "So it's true... They were raising living weapons."
A few seconds of silence.
Then she asked again, this time more softly. "All of them... have you dealt with them?"
That question was actually unnecessary. She knew Shirou's level. Early to mid-floor monsters weren't a significant threat to him.
But still—hearing the answer directly from him made everything feel more certain.
Shirou scratched his cheek, his expression flat. "Yeah. All taken care of."
"All?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "Nothing left."
Ryuu exhaled softly, then continued in a more cautious tone. "Then... what monsters were at the remaining three points?"
Shirou was silent for a moment. His fingers unconsciously clenched on his knees, then slowly relaxed again. "The point on the eighteenth floor... in the safe zone," he finally said, his voice lower than before. "It wasn't a monster storage location like the others. It was Rudra Familia's hidden logistics base."
"Logistics?" Ryuu repeated.
"Weapons, potions, supplies, camping gear. Ordinary quality," Shirou continued. "But... in the deepest room, there was one monster restrained."
He paused for a moment.
"Just one monster. A harpy."
Ryuu immediately caught the change. Not in his words, but in the pause between sentences, in the slightly caught breath. Yet she chose to remain silent, giving Shirou space to finish his story in his own way.
"That harpy... was already dead," Shirou said. "Restrained. Not for fighting. It seemed... to be used for something else." He didn't explain further. Shame. "I took care of it."
Ryuu swallowed, then nodded slowly. "Continue."
"Twenty-first floor," Shirou said, as if grateful to change topics. "A Mammoth monster. Abnormally large size, an Irregular that appeared naturally on that floor. Confined in a narrow room, using the same control device."
"Mammoth..." Ryuu murmured. "If released, it could destroy the main route."
"And the last one," Shirou exhaled. "Twenty-fifth floor. The cage was hidden underwater. Giant fish monsters—many types. Some kind of preparation for an ambush in the water city area."
Silence enveloped the room for a moment.
Ryuu finally smiled faintly, though her eyes remained serious. "You handled all that alone. It must have been exhausting."
Shirou instinctively shook his head. "It was nothing. Besides... I was able to find all of that because you marked the points. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have known where to start."
Ryuu was silent, then lowered her head slightly. For a moment, a faint smile touched her lips.
Shirou leaned his back against the wooden chair, staring at the plain ceiling of Ryuu's room. His fingers tapped softly on the armrest—tok... tok... tok—a small rhythm that unconsciously followed his scattered thoughts.
"I thought... There would be something bigger," he murmured. "A secret curse, crazy experiments, or some kind of ultimate weapon. But what I found were just small cages scattered here and there. It felt... trivial."
He rolled his shoulders, still able to recall the stench of monster blood and the Dungeon's dust that had clung to him since yesterday.
"As if it was just a pet storage facility," he continued, his tone flat. "Not the grand scheme I had imagined."
Ryuu nodded slowly. She understood what he meant.
"It does look small," she answered calmly, "but that's only if the ones facing those monsters are us."
She folded her arms over her chest, her expression turning serious again, like when discussing strategy.
"For middle-class adventurers—level two or three—those five points could be nightmares. Hundreds of Killer Ants, a pack of Hellhounds, a Mammoth in a confined space... one mistake and it's over."
She looked straight at Shirou.
"But for high-class executives like Loki Familia... or Freya Familia... those places might just be warm-ups. They could sweep them clean on their own."
Her tone was realistic, without belittling anyone.
Shirou smiled faintly. "True, I guess. Our standards might be a bit skewed."
"Your standards," Ryuu corrected softly.
Ryuu then rose from the bed. The mattress creaked softly as her weight lifted. She stepped towards her study desk, which was covered in papers, maps, and piles of crumpled documents confiscated two nights ago.
Those papers were still scattered—some full of scribbles, some marked with strange symbols, others still intact and untouched.
"Maybe the answers are still here..." she murmured.
Her hand reached for one sheet, her blue eyes refocusing like a hunter catching a scent.
"If there really is a main plan, it's likely still hidden in the documents I haven't had time to translate yet."
Shirou immediately straightened up. "Hey."
Ryuu stopped.
"Don't push yourself again like yesterday," Shirou said, his tone softer but firm. "You fell asleep while sweeping the yard. Your dark circles are like a panda's."
Ryuu turned her face away, slightly annoyed.
"I'm not that bad..."
"Yes, you are," Shirou cut in.
He exhaled. "You don't need to stay up late again. Just work on it slowly."
Ryuu clicked her tongue softly, then raised both hands in surrender. "Fine, fine..."
Her lips curved faintly.
"Besides, what's left is more annoying. The cipher is fragmented. The key is even more incomplete. Just last night, it was already making my head feel like it would burst." She tapped her temple lightly. "Can't possibly finish it in another single night."
She glanced briefly at Shirou.
"So relax. I won't collapse again, some other day."
Shirou felt slightly relieved hearing Ryuu's tone return to being casual, as if the burden on his shoulders lightened momentarily. But there was still one thing gnawing at his chest, like a small thorn that wouldn't come out even after being pulled countless times.
He looked at Ryuu, who was still standing near the desk, then lowered his gaze to the worn wooden floor.
"There's one more thing," he said softly. "About that harpy on the eighteenth floor."
Ryuu froze for a moment. Her pointed ears twitched slightly, catching the heavy tone in Shirou's voice.
"I... buried it," Shirou continued, his voice still calm but with an unusual pause. "Its body. Near the Astraea Familia graves. Under an old tree."
Silence.
Then—
"WHAT?!"
That tone was sharp, almost a scream. Her body tensed, the hands that had been resting on her knees now clenched tightly until her knuckles turned white. She stared at Shirou with a mixed expression—shocked, annoyed, and something deeper, something that almost resembled betrayal.
Shirou didn't look away. He just closed his eyes slowly, his shoulders slumping slightly, as if already prepared to receive whatever would be thrown at him. Anger, curses, even perhaps a punch—he wouldn't fight back.
Silence enveloped the small room.
A few seconds passed like a broken clock.
And suddenly, the anger that had been blazing in Ryuu's chest melted away just like that.
She looked at Shirou, who still had his eyes closed, his face pale from exhaustion, his posture resigned without resistance. If someone else had done that—burying a monster's corpse in the sacred ground where her comrades rested—Ryuu would have surely concluded one thing: that person wanted to insult Astraea Familia. Wanted to defile the memories of Alise, Kaguya, Lyra, and the others in the most heinous way.
But that person was Shirou.
Shirou, who had once sold his own fate into Rudra's hands just to save her from the divine will. Shirou, who didn't hesitate to defend justice even if he himself was sacrificed. Shirou, who, though sometimes acted foolishly and stubbornly, always had a reason behind every crazy decision.
Ryuu took a long, slow breath.
Her anger had vanished, replaced by a calmer curiosity.
"...Why?" she asked, her voice much softer than before.
Shirou slowly opened his eyes. His expression was surprised—he truly hadn't been scolded. For a second, he was silent, as if confirming that Ryuu wouldn't explode.
Then he began to speak, his voice low and careful.
"Its body... was in a bad state. A very bad state." He swallowed. "Not just battle wounds. There were marks... of violence. Bruises all over its body, unnatural tears. And on its lower parts... There were dried traces of semen. A lot. It seemed they had been using it like that for a long time. Not for fighting. Not to be made into a weapon. Just... for despicable gratification."
Ryuu was silent.
Her eyes widened slightly, but no longer angry. There was something else—a small, faint sympathy, arising because she too was a woman. The shadow of that suffering felt real, if only for a moment. But soon she shook her head inwardly.
A harpy was still a monster.
Monsters that killed, that tore apart, that had no mercy on humans. If Rudra Familia vented their lust on that creature, according to Ryuu... that was actually better. Better that a monster suffer than humans become victims. That thought was cold, cruel, but she had lived too long in dark times to pretend to be gentle.
She kept that thought tightly sealed in her chest. No need to voice it.
Ryuu exhaled deeply, then looked at Shirou with a calmer expression.
"I'm making an exception for you," she said softly. "If anyone else dared to do that in front of our graves, I might have already drawn my sword. But you..." She shook her head slightly. "I don't think Alise and the others would want to see you looking so pathetic like this, either. You look like a puppy caught stealing meat."
Shirou flinched, then chuckled softly—a light sound, almost relieved.
"...Thank you, Ryuu."
He scratched the back of his head, his previously tense face finally softening completely. That small thorn in his chest was finally removed. The air in the room felt lighter.
***
Riveria Ljos Alf's footsteps echoed softly on the shaded stone path, almost soundless even though she walked quite briskly. Her posture remained straight and graceful as always, as if every movement had been trained over hundreds of years. The trees along the path swayed gently in the morning breeze, their leaves rustling softly—shaa... shaa...—accompanying the High Elf's steps.
She wore her favorite new green cloak, the thick fabric she usually used for casual travel outside the headquarters. The hood covered most of her long, emerald hair, leaving only the tips of her pointed ears peeking from two small openings. From a distance, she looked like an ordinary traveler.
If only that elegant aura could also be concealed.
It didn't take long until the destination came into view—a warm, simple two-story wooden house, surrounded by a small fence and a well-tended flower garden. The residence of her old friend.
In front of the house, two figures were busy.
A half-elf girl with honey-brown hair appeared to be carrying a large suitcase with a slightly troubled expression, while a middle-aged human man helped her tie an additional bag onto a small cart.
"Slowly, Father, don't force it. Your back will flare up again," the girl complained.
"Your father is still strong, Eina," the man replied with a chuckle.
Riveria approached, and small pebbles crunched softly beneath her boots.
Krek
Both of them turned simultaneously.
The girl's eyes widened. "Eh—!"
She immediately straightened her posture. Her father also reflexively stood at attention.
"W-We offer greetings, Lady Riveria!" they said almost simultaneously, bowing respectfully.
The girl was Eina Tulle.
Riveria smiled faintly, raising her hand in a casual gesture. "No need to be so formal. I'm just visiting, not inspecting."
Eina laughed awkwardly. "Sorry... It's just reflex."
"Going somewhere?" Riveria asked, glancing at the large suitcases at their feet.
Eina nodded. "Yes. Father has business dealings out of town. The Guild asked me to accompany him as an administrative representative, and also to handle trade contract documents."
The father patted his chest proudly. "My daughter is very busy now. She says if there are legal problems or adventurers on the road, she'll handle negotiations."
"Father, please..." Eina's cheeks flushed.
Riveria observed them both for a moment, her gaze softening. Scenes of a small family like this always felt... calming. Far from blood, dungeons, and the politics of the gods.
"Travel outside the city isn't always safe," Riveria said softly. "Be careful. If there are any problems, don't hesitate to contact Loki Familia."
Eina smiled warmly. "Thank you, Lady Riveria. I'll remember that."
The wind blew gently again, carrying the scent of grass and wood. A peaceful atmosphere, rare for her to feel at headquarters.
After a few brief pleasantries, Riveria turned towards the house door.
"Aina is inside, correct?"
Eina nodded. "Mother has been waiting for you. She said she's prepared your favorite tea."
Riveria chuckled softly.
"Then... it shouldn't get cold."