Rias wanted to confirm something important.
"Being your follower… does that mean becoming your Pathstrider or whatever you call it?"
At that moment, Yuu was sitting by the riverbank. In his hand was a fishing rod, and the hook rested calmly in the water. The fishing line stretched into the current, disappearing beneath the crystal-clear surface.
"Yeah."
A few minutes ago, he had explained what it meant to be his Pathstrider. That they would walk his Path if they chose to follow him, gain power through his Path, and that their destinies would become intertwined with his.
It was a pretty vague explanation, but honestly, there wasn't a better way to describe it without sounding like a complete lunatic.
"Would that conflict with the Evil Pieces?"
Rias's concern was justified. After all, they were two completely different power systems. Evil Pieces worked by reincarnating beings into devils, binding them to their King through chess pieces.
If there was any incompatibility between the two systems, the person's body could explode. Or corrupt.
"No."
Rias raised an eyebrow and looked at him with an exasperated expression.
"I've been wondering for a while now… why are you suddenly acting so cold? Answering so bluntly like that…"
Wasn't she supposed to be the one acting like that after what he'd done to her?
"I'm fishing. And that requires concentration."
Rias brought a hand to her forehead and shook her head while letting out a long sigh.
'I suddenly wanna kick this guy and throw him in the water.'
Yuu could feel her irritation from where he sat. And to be honest, he could kind of understand it. First, he'd made her think she'd have to give up all her power, and now he was ignoring her to fish.
'If I were her, I'd probably wanna kick me too.'
"Since it won't affect Akeno's position or my servants'... then I accept becoming your Pathstrider."
If that meant obtaining a new way to increase her power, as Yuu had explained, while also gaining the privilege to train in this world.
At that moment, Yuu suddenly got excited.
"Oh!"
Rias must've thought it was because she'd accepted to become his Pathstrider. That he was finally showing some proper reaction to her decision.
But then Yuu shouted—
"Bite! It bit!"
He quickly stood up and began pulling the rod. The line tensed, and waves rippled violently on the water's surface.
Rias's forehead visibly darkened.
He'd just ignored her again, hadn't he? Completely ignored her.
'What did I ever do for this guy to treat me like this?'
"It's coming out!"
As he got more excited, he put more strength into the rod.
Then, a fish with shining blue scales burst from the water in a huge splash, thrashing wildly in the air. It was pretty big, probably weighed ten kilos or more.
"Hup…" Yue said softly as she extended her arm and caught the fish with both hands.
'So cute.' That was Yuu's automatic thought.
The sight of little Yue holding a fish almost as big as she was. It was just inherently adorable to him.
As Yue carefully removed the hook from its mouth, Koneko slowly approached. Her golden eyes were locked on the fish. Completely fixed. Like a predator watching its prey.
"Fish… looks tasty."
She swallowed audibly, and you could actually see her drool slide from the corner of her lips. She was completely mesmerized, like she'd pounce at any second to snatch it from Yue.
Yue tossed the fish into a nearby wicker basket. The basket already held five more fish, all of different colors and sizes.
These were fish that couldn't be found on Earth. They were native to Égida.
×××
Rias stared at him from where she stood, her expression clearly saying she genuinely wanted to use her Power of Destruction right on his face.
"Seriously? You seriously just ignored my decision to become your Pathstrider for a fish?"
Yuu turned to her while preparing another hook.
"Eh… that's an insult. Don't call it a fish. It was a Star Pike. They're hard to catch because they can sense a fisher's intent."
"I don't care what kind of fish it is."
"You should. They're delicious and nutritious."
He had just created these fish. In his opinion, it should be as he had told Rias.
Her right eye twitched slightly.
Akeno, who had been setting up a campfire from a safe distance, finally walked over and laughed.
"Ara ara… Buchou, I think Yuu-kun has his priorities very clear."
"His priorities are completely wrong," Rias replied dryly, crossing her arms.
"Yuu's having fun," Yue said while gently stroking the fish scales inside the basket. "Mm… it's rare for that to happen."
When he laughed at Rias earlier, through the connection they shared, Yue could actually feel that he'd been genuinely laughing. Even while fishing, she could sense he was at peace.
Hearing Yue's words, Rias turned toward her, genuinely curious.
"How can you stand him?"
Didn't he tease Yue too?
Yue looked at her with those crimson eyes of hers.
"Because I accept everything about him. And I love everything about him."
Eh...
Even though those words came out in her usual flat tone, they sounded genuine. Like something spoken straight from the heart.
Rias sighed again and walked over to where Yuu was. Then she sat down by the riverbank, her legs elegantly folded to one side.
"Fine, Yuu. Since apparently fishing's more important than my life-changing decision, I'll wait till you're done."
"I appreciate your patience."
He replied honestly, casting the line back into the water.
"I don't really have a choice, do I?"
"Not really."
Rias went silent at Yuu's words. Only the sound of flowing water, the wind rustling through distant trees, and occasionally Koneko's audible gulping as she stared at the fish in the basket could be heard.
Then Rias spoke again.
"Why do you fish?"
Someone like him…
Who she thought might be the Ouroboros Dragon himself.
"Why do I fish? I guess because it's relaxing. And because eventually, we'll need to eat something."
"I heard from Koneko that you can create food out of nothing. Can't you just do that?"
"I could. But that'd be less fun."
Rias looked at him for a long moment.
"You're weird, Yuu."
"I know."
"And extremely frustrating."
"I know that too."
Rias shook her head, but this time, there was a small smile on her beautiful face.
After pulling another large, golden-scaled fish from the river, Yue and Koneko carried the basket to where Akeno had lit the campfire. On top of the burning coals sat a grill Yuu had made a few minutes earlier.
Since time in this place flowed faster than outside, he'd suggested they spend their first day quietly, cooking and relaxing.
After all, what was the point of having a whole dimensional world if he couldn't chill out once in a while?
Yuu picked up the fishing rod and made it disappear with a gesture. He stood up and extended his hand toward Rias.
She looked at his hand for a second or two before taking it and standing up. Her hand was soft, delicate, and no calluses, no roughness.
It was obvious this was a hand that had been cared for her entire life.
But that would soon change. Because Rias would have to work really hard if she wanted to be his Pathstrider.
As they walked toward where the other girls were, Rias called out his name.
"Umu?"
He answered distractedly, watching Koneko practically vibrate with excitement while Akeno started preparing the fish for the grill.
"When all this is over… when I get stronger and deal with my problem with Riser…"
"Mm?"
"I still plan to hit you for that joke earlier."
When she'd tried before, even using her full strength, she couldn't touch Yuu. He'd just kept teasing her, running around.
"Oh… that's fine. I'll be waiting for that day."
×××
After eating all the grilled fish, everyone was satisfied.
Akeno had turned out to be an exceptional cook. The fish were perfectly seasoned, with crispy skin and juicy meat. Even Koneko, who usually ate with her usual blank expression, showed visible signs of delight.
Her cat ears, which had appeared at some point during the meal, twitched happily as she chewed.
"She's a cat…"
Yue stared at her curiously, as if observing a fascinating creature. Soon after, though, she leaned to the side and rested her head on his lap. Her golden hair spread across his legs like strands of silk.
It was after that, when the girls were resting on the grass, that Yuu gave his Blessing to Rias.
It was a simple process, really. He just needed to—
"Take off your clothes."
×××
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