It wasn't enough to make me sweat, but it was a workout that felt more strenuous than a mere warm-up or light exercise.
There was a shower room inside the training room, but since I hadn't sweat, I didn't use it.
Leonidas said he would stay behind to plan a training course, so we changed our clothes and went outside.
"It's night."
Being cut off from the outside, you couldn't tell, but a look at the time showed it was past 9 PM.
"Ah, Mr. Kuriyama, Senpai. We have a summons from the Director."
Mash took out her phone and informed us that a call had come from the Director.
A summons at this hour. She probably wants to talk about the future. It seems she's finally calmed down and accepted reality a bit.
We follow Mash to the Director's office. I've seen it before, but this is the first time I've ever gone inside.
After knocking, we enter. Piles of documents are stacked on the desk, and a worry-laden Director is sitting there.
Next to the Director is Parvati, whom I had asked to take care of her. She gives me a small wave and a smile when she sees me.
"You're here. Sit down."
She spoke in a weak voice. Before, even when she was timid, her voice had always carried its usual sense of confidence.
"Are you alright, Director?"
I first ask about her well-being, but she just shakes her head.
"Not at all. The situation is far too serious. We've lost all contact with the outside. We can't even leave in the first place. It has been observed that Human History, the world itself, has been incinerated."
The ensuing explanation was, of course, things I already knew.
The Director was in a panic due to the Incineration of Human History. On top of that, there was a mountain of work to be done to solve this problem, including organizing documents in preparation for the post-restoration period.
But there was an even bigger problem.
"No one listens to me anymore. The situation is urgent, yet everyone is just playing around instead of working. They're ignoring all my orders as Director, threats of disciplinary action, everything. Now that we're cut off from the outside world, they think I'm powerless."
It was the staff's dereliction of duty.
It wasn't a deliberate attempt to harm the Director; they just genuinely didn't want to work.
This was all his doing, I'm sure. A space completely cut off from the outside world. Bit by bit, he's trying to make Chaldea his own.
He's already won over the staff, so the majority is on his side. He's using that to pressure the Director first. Break her down mentally, then take control of her body and make her his woman. That's his game.
It's an obvious tactic.
The Director, now on the verge of tears, with an incredibly unstable, almost deranged expression, grabbed my hands and spoke.
"Please. You're the only ones I can trust. Especially you. You know I trust you, right? I'm so sorry for acting so arrogant at first. I can't do much for you right now, but once this is all resolved, I'll do anything. I'm a Lord of the Clock Tower, you know? The head of the Animusphere family. I can do anything! So please, just help me."
"Director."
I think this is the first time I've ever seen her so desperate. In the past, I never got deeply involved with her. I'm a Master now, but back then, it was the highest authority and the lowest janitor.
Even after the Incineration, when rank became meaningless, she tried to maintain her authority as Director. Thanks to Ritsuka, she managed to keep some of it, but as that guy began to swallow Chaldea whole, the Director became less than a figurehead president. She tried to defend Ritsuka, but in the end, she was just another corrupted bitch he broke.
"I'll do anything. You can do whatever you want with me if you wish. So please."
"It's alright. I'll always support you, Director."
"Eh?"
As the classic ero doujinshi line of "I'll do anything, even offer my body" came out, I immediately cut her off. I don't want anything from the Director in the first place. The work was tough, but the welfare system within Chaldea itself was good. I ate delicious food every day, and even though my quarters were a storage closet, the bed was quite comfortable.
And the pay was insane. For someone with no experience like me, just one year's salary was enough to live on for several years and prepare for the future.
In that respect, I'm grateful to the Director. And also, because she sided with Ritsuka until the end, even knowing it was a lost cause. Well, after her corruption, she turned on Ritsuka and bullied her like the other women, but...
That's his fault, not the Director's. It's not like she went to him willingly, and he does all sorts of dirty things.
In reality, it's less corruption and more akin to brainwashing.
"What does it matter if the others don't acknowledge you, Director? I do. I like you. If everyone ignores you and threatens you, then I'll become your champion of justice."
"..."
I remember how the Director used to try so hard. How she struggled, yet still encouraged and supported Ritsuka like a true adult. I wonder how hard it must have been for someone around my age to lead an entire organization. How must she have felt, watching everything be ruined because of one impurity.
But it's different now. I will help her.
"Th-thank you."
She blushes and sits down quietly.
"You're smooth."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. It's the same for me, Director. I also think you're a good person. Don't worry about what those people do. We'll handle it."
"Yes! We will help you."
"Thank you. As I thought, you're the only ones I can trust."
I look at Parvati and ask her again.
"For the time being, please assist the Director, Parvati. You can do that, right?"
"Yes, leave it to me."
"I'm sorry. You probably have things you want to do as well."
"Not at all. Master, you have your own intentions, don't you? As a Servant, I am here to help my Master achieve his goals."
Even if she doesn't know the details, Parvati, like the goddess she is, seems to have a rough grasp of my intentions.
And she's willing to support them. The question is when I can normalize Chaldea. That's the key.
Will the staff be a hindrance, or will they at least fulfill their roles as a workforce?
If they can't even pull their own weight, I'll need to find people to replace them. The next Servant summoning will be crucial.
"For now, here is the brief plan for the future. In one week, after we finish maintenance, we will go to the Singularity."
The seven Singularities. This is the same as before. In the last timeline, we didn't even make it to London. Did we get to Okeanos? I can't remember.
In the first place, I doubt if Goetia is even the mastermind here. It would be more convincing if it were Kiara. I even question if a mastermind exists at all. Why Lev died, and if Lev was even Goetia's subordinate, are all questionable. What is the structure of this world?
"We plan to perform a Servant summoning in three days. Until then, get plenty of rest. You are my hope, Chaldea's hope, and by extension, the world's hope."
The dark circles under her eyes are so bad it's pitiful. Well, mine are worse, though. I take the Director's forlorn hand for a moment, and then we leave her office.
"Isn't the weight on your shoulders heavy?"
"Not really. I'm not worried, I guess?"
"It's good to be positive, but stay on your guard a little. It's probably going to be tougher than Fuyuki."
I wonder what France will be like. It's worrying.
Well, it's late, so we decide to head to bed.
"Hey, how about we all stay in the same room? Sho, Mash, and me, all together."
"Huh?"
"I think that's a great idea!"
What is she talking about? Sharing a room? Is she serious?
"You don't want to? I want to stay with you, Sho. I don't really want to be alone."
As Ritsuka says this, her body is trembling slightly.
As expected, even if she acts fine on the outside, she's anxious on the inside. Right, the world has ended, and she doesn't know if her family is alive or dead. It's a natural reaction.
But sharing a room is a bit much, isn't it? If it were just Mash staying with her, I'd understand.
But why me too?
No, should I accept this?
I don't know what that guy might do to the two of them.
I could ask Leonidas to guard their rooms, but I feel like I'd be asking too much of my Servants.
And then there's the justification. That damned justification. Asking him to stand guard to protect them from that guy might make me seem overly paranoid. Leonidas would probably do it, given his personality, but he might start to question me.
Am I anxious too? I'm becoming so cautious about every little thing in my relationships. I don't care about my connection with that bastard, but I don't want even the slightest discord with the people around me.
I've already seen enough discord to last a lifetime.
Right. If I summon a new Servant, then I just need to be careful until I can summon another Servant who can stay with these two.
"Alright. If you're that anxious."
"Yay! Then let's move our stuff right away!"
"You're getting way too into this."
We go to my room to move my things, but there isn't much to move.
Just my bed and some clothes. How much stuff can a janitor have?
And so, my and Mash's beds were moved into Ritsuka's room.
By the way, did Mash get permission? No, the Director in her current state would probably approve anything.
At this rate, the Director might ask to sleep with us too.
Anyway, we've moved rooms. We get ready for bed and lie down. I thought combining the beds was a bit much, but I couldn't win against the two of them.
I tried to sleep on the outside, but the two of them forced me to lie in the middle.
I couldn't use my strength to escape, because I was afraid of hurting them. Why is the strength difference between men and women so extreme in this world? I can't do anything for fear of hurting them, just like with the Director.
"Are you sure this is okay? A man sleeping between you two."
"We can trust you, Mr. Kuriyama. Actually, I quite like it."
"Yeah, it's fine because it's you, Sho."
So I'm just a safe bet, is that it? I thought I was pretty handsome by the standards of my previous world, but by this world's standards, I'm just average.
On top of that, my face clearly shows my chronic fatigue, and my skin is pale. I'm a total write-off.
I have no intention of touching them anyway. They probably know that and feel it's fine. Still, they're way too unguarded around a man.
Anyway, I was a little worried about being sandwiched between them, but instead of being tense, I felt sleepy.
===============================================
(Ritsuka's POV)
"Now, I'll teach you everything, Mash."
Sho was sound asleep. As if under some kind of influence, he was sleeping so deeply you could carry him away and he wouldn't know.
Ritsuka called to Mash and pulled down Sho's pants.
"This is a man's penis."
"Is this your first time seeing one?"
"Y-yes. Even in sex ed, I only saw diagrams. This is... my first time seeing a real one."
In the past, the first one she saw was probably Ryuuji's. Thinking this, Ritsuka licked her lips, pleased that Sho's would now be the one deeply imprinted on her mind.
"What do you think? It's big and strong, isn't it?"
"Yes. It's big... and it looks hard."
"I'll teach you how to please a man. I know quite a lot, you know?"
Things she never wanted to know. Filthy memories forcibly carved into her body when she became his sex slave last time. Now, she was just putting them to good use, telling herself they were useful.
"You use your mouth, and your breasts. I'll teach you well."
Ritsuka said, touching her lips and lifting her large breasts. Saying she would demonstrate first, she took off her top, and Mash followed suit.
Saliva dripped onto his member, and soon, their breasts were pressed together over it.
And so, the scent of sex filled the room as the two girls sweated, moving diligently or sucking voraciously.
Time passed, and the next morning came.
As if nothing had happened during the night, there was no strangeness at all. Sho, slowly opening his eyes, didn't even feel the odd sensation in his lower body and woke up with a tired look.
"Mmm, ah. You're awake, Mr. Kuriyama."
"G-good morning."
Sho blushed at the sight of Mash in her unguarded state and turned his head away. Mash hugged Sho's arm and leaned against him.
"Wh-what is it?"
"I just... I like you, Mr. Kuriyama. Your hands are big. Big, and hard. I think they're wonderful."
Mash smiled, caressing his hand. It was unclear if she was really talking about his hand, but Mash was touching Sho's body with a slightly lustful gaze.
Sho just thought that Mash's personality had also become loose due to the influence of this world.
"Hwaaah~ Good morning!"
This time, Ritsuka hugged Sho from behind. Sho blushed and flustered as he felt the heavy, soft weight of Ritsuka's breasts on his back. Ritsuka just smiled, amused by his reaction, and Mash thought he was cute.
For some reason, they were much closer than the day before, and both girls were making more aggressive moves on Sho.
Meanwhile, early in the morning at Da Vinci's workshop.
"Ooh, is this it?"
"Yes, I've finished it. That is the Command Seal Spellbook. There is nothing impossible for this Universal Genius, you know?"
"Right, so this is it."
"It's made from three of Chaldea's Command Seals. Right now, it's contracted to me. As you already know, you can't forcibly steal another's Servant or force a contract with a different Servant. Mutual consent is required."
"Hahahat, that's fine. Under the pretext of sharing the burden by distributing the power, I can just 'borrow' their Servants. The moment I receive them, it's my victory. They won't suspect a thing if I'm just borrowing them. What can they do anyway? I'm just helping to share the burden of being a Master."
The Command Seal Spellbook.
Ryuuji planned to use it to participate in battles, receive Servants under the guise of fighting alongside them, and then take them for himself. Of course, he had no intention of actually fighting properly. He would just corrupt the Servants he received from behind. As long as he only took the female ones. Or, he could take a male one and secretly let him die.
"Khuhuhu, they probably think they're on top right now. Those arrogant brats will learn that they're just kids in front of me. Well, it's fine if they don't lend them to me. If I can just contract with one Servant from that Singularity place, the tables will turn completely. Kuhuhu."
He exuded confidence, as if with the Command Seal Spellbook, if he could just become a Master, he could surpass Sho and make Ritsuka obsolete.
Because any woman would submit to him. Having even subjugated Da Vinci and made her his pawn, Ryuuji was overflowing with confidence.
He was very much looking forward to the Servant summoning.
And, the surveillance camera continued to observe Ryuuji, glowing with a purple light.
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