The soft orange light of dusk filtered through his bedroom window. Leonel sat on the edge of his bed, still wearing his jacket, staring at the floor with a lost expression. A sigh escaped his lips as he leaned his back against the wall.
"How did I end up in this mess...?" he murmured, closing his eyes for a moment.
And so they began to pass through his mind, like a series of flashbacks, the events of the chaotic day.
[Flashback: Chaldea Meeting Room - Hours Earlier]
"Husbaaaaaand~! Your Tamamo has arrived to adore you!" shouted Tamamo-no-Mae as she literally launched herself towards Leonel with outstretched arms, hitting him with a forceful hug that almost knocked him to the floor.
"H-Husband? What the hell are you talking about?" Leonel stammered, while Tamamo rubbed her cheek against his.
"But we're already the perfect duo~. Isn't it natural for you to call me your beloved wife?"
"Wha?! No, it's not!"
"I will not allow this!" Nero raised her voice with a furrowed brow and a visible vein throbbing on her forehead. "I was the first to give my heart to Master! Tamamo, remove your claws from my love!"
"You can't have him all to yourself, you shameless empress!" Tamamo retorted playfully, pulling out her fan as if preparing for a duel.
"Heh... as if I would let him go so easily..." whispered Kiyohime with a dangerous smile, watching the scene through narrowed eyes, her lance in hand.
Leonel in the middle, with the face of a Greek tragedy:
"This is going to end in flames... again."
[Flashback: Cafeteria - Minutes Later]
Artoria Pendragon, with a perfectly served tray of food, simply walked away in silence.
"I have nothing to do with this..." she said as she disappeared down the hallway, ignoring the shouts and chaos heard behind her.
[Flashback: Chaldea Hallway]
Mash walked alongside Jeanne, both with tense expressions.
"They look so confident..." murmured Mash, with a slight blush.
"Sometimes, I wish I could speak with that confidence too..." Jeanne admitted quietly, lowering her gaze shyly.
[Flashback: Rest Room]
"...And then Tamamo said 'husband' as soon as she appeared." Da Vinci laughed while talking to Olga Marie, who could barely hide her discomfort.
"That's completely improper... Chaldea is a serious organization! What kind of image are we giving?!" Olga complained, although her face still retained a crimson hue.
"Come on, Olga-chan, admit it: it was fun to watch."
"It was not!"
[Back to the Present - Leonel's Room]
Leonel opened his eyes and let out a soft, resigned laugh.
"...At least it wasn't boring."
He slowly got up, heading towards the window. He looked at the sky tinged red by the sunset.
"Another day... What awaits me tomorrow?" he muttered with a mix of exhaustion and anticipation.
A light breeze entered through the open window, moving the edges of the curtains, as if destiny itself were blowing playfully... anticipating even more romantic chaos to come.
[Chaldea - Leonel's Room | The Next Morning]
A warm ray of sunlight slipped through the slightly open curtains. Leonel, still drowsy, felt something soft and warm beside him. He slowly turned... and then he saw her.
Tamamo-no-Mae, with her fox ears peeking through her pinkish hair, was lying next to him, looking at him with eyes full of pure affection. Her fluffy tail rested peacefully behind her, moving slightly.
"Ohayo, Goshujin-sama~," she said in a honeyed voice, tilting her head. "You were sleeping so peacefully... I didn't want to wake you."
Leonel blinked several times, his brain slow to start.
"T-Tamamo? W-What are you doing in my bed?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm fulfilling my role as your loving wife. Who better to give you good morning than me?" she said, moving closer, her face mere inches from his.
Leonel swallowed. He had received affection before, from Nero and Kiyohime, but... this felt different. Tamamo wasn't just seeking passion or possessiveness. There was a warm, firm tenderness in her gaze. A closeness that made him feel completely... vulnerable.
"I... don't know how to respond to this," murmured Leonel, not looking away.
Tamamo smiled sweetly and placed a hand on his cheek.
"Then let me say it, without any beating around the bush. I love you, Leonel. And I say it with all my kitsune soul."
Leonel was speechless. His face turned red, completely perplexed by the unexpected sincerity.
BAM!
The door burst open.
"Master! Time for lu-...!" Nero stopped short upon seeing the scene before her. Her eyes widened.
"L-Leonel-senpai...!" Mash, right behind Nero, covered her mouth with both hands, completely flushed.
"WHAT IS THAT KITSUNE DOING IN YOUR BED?!" Nero yelled, entering the room like a whirlwind.
Tamamo, with total calm, hugged Leonel even tighter.
"Isn't it obvious, Empress? I'm taking care of my husband."
"He is my husband too! And I was here first!" Nero replied, offended and jealous.
And without further ado, she leaned towards Leonel and planted a kiss directly on his lips, looking at him intensely.
"So you don't forget, my dear Leonel," she said with a proud and challenging voice.
Tamamo froze for a moment... then her expression changed to an adorable fury, with fiery eyes and ears standing straight up.
"That was cheating! Totally dishonest!! Next time it's me!!"
Both women stood face to face, the atmosphere crackling with romantic tension.
"An empress never needs permission to claim what is hers!"
"Fox wives have priority in the home!! It's celestial protocol!!"
As the two argued loudly with dramatic poses and funny accusations flying back and forth, Mash, still with red cheeks, seized the moment.
"Senpai... this is my chance..."
She took Leonel's hand with delicacy but firmness.
"Let's go eat before they blow up the room..."
And so, while Tamamo and Nero kept fighting like cartoon characters in the background, Mash triumphantly led Leonel out of the room, with a timid, satisfied smile.
Small victory for Mash Kyrielight.
And Leonel's heart... more confused than ever.
[Point of View - Mash Kyrielight]
Mash couldn't believe what her eyes had just witnessed. Tamamo hugging Leonel in bed... and then Nero kissing him without any shame. Her heart was beating so loudly she feared they could hear it.
"St-Stay calm, Mash...! Think, think!"
While the two women argued inches apart, with a tension that could set the room on fire, Mash took advantage of the chaos. Without a word, she stealthily stepped forward, took Leonel's hand -who was still too confused to react- and dragged him out of the room.
"Huh? Mash?" Leonel whispered as they ran down the hallway.
"Shhh! Don't stop, Senpai! It's for your own good... And mine too!" she said with a mix of shyness and determination as her cheeks flushed.
[Point of View - Leonel]
Everything happened so fast.
One second he was trapped between Tamamo and Nero, and the next he was being affectionately kidnapped by Mash, who was pulling him through the hallways as if they were escaping a covert mission.
"Is this... normal in Chaldea...?" he whispered, not letting go of her hand.
Mash only squeezed tighter.
"Normal is overrated, Senpai."
[Point of View - Nero]
"And now what are you implying?!" Nero was still with her forehead pressed against Tamamo's, both shooting daggers at each other with their eyes.
"That you're a selfish, spoiled empress!" Tamamo retorted, sticking out her tongue mockingly.
"What did you say, palace laundress?! Come here, I'm going to-!"
Silence.
Both froze. The silence in the room... was too suspicious.
"...Where is Leonel?" asked Tamamo, with a slow blink.
"Mash...?" added Nero, turning her head towards the open door.
Nothing. Only emptiness.
Then, as if in slow motion, both ran into the hallway... only to see the tip of Mash's lavender hair disappear around a corner.
"THEY STOLE OUR BELOVED!" they shouted in unison, with Shakespearean drama.
[Point of View - Tamamo]
Tamamo clenched her fists, fuming with rage and jealousy.
"That shield-bearer... sly! Stealthy! Using the chaos to take Goshujin-sama away!"
Nero, with her typical imperial arrogance, huffed.
"She dared to get ahead of the legitimate queens! I can't allow it!"
Tamamo turned her head towards Nero with a serious look.
"Imperial or not, we have a common enemy."
Nero nodded, raising her chin.
"A temporary alliance, then. For the good of our beloved Leonel!"
Tamamo smiled.
"But let it be known: I'll make him suffer with tickles if he tries to escape again~."
"And I'll lock him up in my private palace if he's that naive again..." added Nero.
They both laughed, then looked at each other with renewed competitiveness... and ran down the hallway in search of their shared prey.
[Point of View - Leonel]
Meanwhile, in the Chaldea cafeteria...
Leonel sighed as Mash handed him a tray of hot food. She smiled shyly as she sat across from him.
"Here you go, Senpai... I did it," she said with a small touch of pride in her tone.
"Thanks, Mash. I feel like I escaped a war zone..."
Mash blushed and lowered her gaze, stirring her food.
"Don't worry... I just wanted a moment with you... without so many shouts, rivalries, or fluffy ears."
Leonel smiled.
"I appreciate that, really."
Mash and Leonel were sitting quietly, with their freshly served breakfast trays in front of them. Mash, still blushing, kept her gaze down... but didn't let go of Leonel's hand.
"This feels like a small victory..." she murmured to herself, smiling shyly.
Leonel laughed nervously, not knowing how to interpret what was happening, but also enjoying the moment a little.
"Well... at least there are no shouts, explosions, or-"
BANG!
The cafeteria doors swung wide open, as if it were the climax of a theatrical play.
"GOSHUUUUJIN-SAMAAAAA~!" squealed Tamamo, with fire in her eyes and her fox ears bristled.
"LEONEL! TRAITOR OF LOW HONOR!" bellowed Nero, pointing with a fork like a sword.
Leonel swallowed.
"...and there are the explosions."
Both women ran like whirlwinds to their table. Seeing their intertwined hands, the comedic aura of feminine fury doubled.
"Mash, you were so cunning! You used my emotional distraction to steal my beloved!" exclaimed Tamamo, shaking her fist.
"That was a low blow, shield-bearer! The tactic was worthy of a Roman general... but still unacceptable!" added Nero, frowning.
Mash tried to respond, still blushing:
"I-It wasn't like that! I just... just... took advantage of a strategic window..."
"CONFESSION!" they both shouted in unison, pointing at her.
Leonel raised both hands, nervous.
"I had nothing to do with it, I swear I wasn't an accomplice!"
He tried to discreetly back away, but a furry tail wrapped around his ankle and made him stumble.
"Huh?! Tamamo?!" he groaned as he fell.
The fox was already on top of him, with a dangerous and playful look.
"Goshujin-sama... escaping from a faithful maiden like me deserves punishment. Gentle punishment, of course..." she said as her hands approached threateningly.
"N-No, wait- HAHAHA- NO, STOP- AAAAAHHH!" Leonel burst into laughter, totally at the mercy of Tamamo's lethal tickling, which didn't let up for a second.
Nero, meanwhile, had grabbed Mash by the shoulders, shaking her as if she were a war criminal.
"Admit you planned everything from the start! Even your silent steps were calculated!"
Mash, red as a tomato and with spinning eyes, could only babble:
"I-I-It's not what it looks like...! I-I like you too, Senpai! But not like thiiis~!"
The scene was so noisy that even the kitchen servants peeked from the door, watching with wide eyes.
[Interruption - Chaldea Communicators]
BEEP BEEP BEEP-
The voices froze when everyone's communicators beeped at the same time. An image appeared in the air: Olga Marie with a serious expression, accompanied by Da Vinci in the background.
"Olga here. Combat team, report immediately. The third Singularity has been located. Leonel, your presence is required in the command center."
The silence was absolute.
Tamamo, still on top of Leonel, looked at him, blinking.
"Singularity...? Time to fight?"
Nero let him go and stood tall like an empress.
"Then battle calls... and we cannot leave our beloved without divine protection."
Mash stood up as if nothing had happened, now all professional.
"Understood. I'll take care of preparing the armaments and strategic information, Miss Olga."
Leonel, still with messy hair and laughing from the residual tickling, sighed.
"...And I just wanted to have breakfast."
[Chaldea Cafeteria, Minutes Later]
Leonel was still on the floor, breathless, with tears in his eyes and his hair all messed up from laughter. Tamamo was wiping her hands with satisfaction, while Nero kept shaking Mash with theatrical verbiage.
"That's what you get for using vile tactics! I didn't expect this from you, shield-bearer! Where is Roman honor?!"
Mash tried to defend herself between shakes, but each word came out more as a babble than anything else.
Amidst this chaos, no one noticed the silent figure slipping like a ghost behind them.
"Ara~ ara~... so busy fighting for the love of our adorable Leonel-sama..." murmured a soft, almost melodic voice.
KIYOHIME!
Dressed in her blue kimono and her characteristic elegant touch, she appeared like a sweet... but dangerous shadow.
Leonel was barely sitting up, rubbing his ribs as he murmured:
"What the heck...? When did this become a worldwide waifu war...?"
Before he could understand what was happening...
"Mwah!"
Kiyohime leaned down, gently took his face, and planted a kiss on his lips.
Leonel blinked. Twice.
"What... what was that...?"
Kiyohime smiled with dangerous sweetness.
"A reminder that I'm here too, Leonel-sama~. The others can fight all they want... but I know how to wait... and strike when it's most effective."
ABSOLUTE SILENCE!
Tamamo stood paralyzed, her tail still raised. Nero let go of Mash, who fell to the floor like a rag. Mash could only stare with her mouth open.
"...W-WHAT?" Tamamo blurted out.
"NOOO!!! HOW DARE SHE?!!" Nero screamed with drama, falling to her knees like a Greek tragedy.
"That was cheating... That was emotional murder!" said Mash, still processing.
Kiyohime simply narrowed her eyes with an innocent smile.
"Ara~ Did you say something, dear rivals?"
Leonel, red as a tomato, staggered backwards.
"H-Hey, that was too much... you're killing me with romantic stress!!"
"I'm going to the command center. If you keep this up, you'll have to revive me before each singularity," he joked, half tired, half amused.
Kiyohime, Tamamo, Nero, and Mash watched him as he left.
"...Do we follow him?"
"Of course!"
"The battlefield now will be the command center!"
S-Senpai, wait for me!"
And so, the romantic war was temporarily paused, as humanity's next adventure was about to begin...
[Chaldea Command Center]
The elevator doors opened with a mechanical, soft sound. Leonel stepped out accompanied by Tamamo, who walked cheerfully by his side, still shooting suspicious glances at Mash, who advanced in silence with her hands clasped in front of her, with that professional air that characterized her... though somewhat flushed.
Nero, on the other hand, still seemed offended by everything that had happened, but her imperial bearing didn't allow her to stay behind, so she marched as if heading to a senatorial meeting.
Bringing up the rear was Jeanne d'Arc, serene, with a kind and calm smile that seemed to bring a bit of order to the group's chaotic dynamic.
"And Kiyohime?" Leonel asked, noticing the absence of the group's most unpredictable girl.
"She said she had... 'something important to do'," Mash replied, still glancing sideways towards the common room they had left.
Tamamo frowned.
"Since when does Kiyohime pass up the chance to follow Leonel-dono around like a lovesick puppy?"
"She must be plotting something weird," added Nero, arms crossed and accusatory tone.
[Leonel's Room, Chaldea - Kiyohime's Perspective]
The room was silent, with only the faint hum of Chaldea's life support systems sounding in the background.
Kiyohime peeked through the slightly open door of Leonel's room like a silent shadow. Her eyes shone with an excited gleam... and slightly unhinged.
"Ufufu... so trusting, so unsuspecting, so... mine."
She closed the door behind her and advanced with light, graceful steps, carrying a bag full of silk ropes, aromatic incense, a heart-shaped pillow... and what seemed to be a potion that glowed with a suspicious pink hue.
"If those vulgar kitsune and empresses think they can win my beloved anata's heart with just a bit of skin and shouting, they're very mistaken... I'll play the long game!"
She crouched next to Leonel's bed and started to work. Quick movements, honed by years of "romantic devotion." Between elegant knots, small traps with hidden springs, and a very discreet net placed right over the bed, her plan was taking shape.
"When you return, you'll be tired... vulnerable... trusting... and you'll fall right into my arms!" she said as her cheeks blushed and she let out a low, enveloping, and very dangerous laugh.
She left a perfumed letter on the pillow, written in beautiful calligraphy and adorned with hearts.
"Rest well, my sweet. I will take care of you... always. With burning love, your sweet Kiyohime ♡"
Just at that moment, a noise in the hallway made her turn quickly. It was Emiya, passing by on his way to the cafeteria with his sleeves rolled up, not looking directly at her.
"I don't want to know what you're doing in there," he said without stopping. "Just make sure you don't destroy the room. Again."
"Ara~, Archer, don't be so jealous~," Kiyohime sang, peeking through the door with an innocent smile... too innocent. "Just improve your aim with the ingredients, don't meddle in my plans."
Emiya sighed and continued on his way. Kiyohime closed the door with a soft tap, looked at her handiwork again, and sighed adoringly.
"Everything is ready... now all that's left is to wait. Ufufu..."
[Rayshift Center - Launch Room]
Meanwhile, Leonel, already dressed in his travel uniform, was adjusting his belt with Mash's help. Jeanne was making a small silent prayer for the mission's success, while Tamamo and Nero argued about who should be closer to him during the Rayshift.
"Clearly I, the Empress of Rome, must be by his side to provide my divine inspiration!"
"No, no, no! Tamamo is a wife by nature. I must protect him, take care of him, hug him, feed him, and sleep by his side!"
"What did you say last?" Nero growled, sparks in her eyes.
Artoria Pendragon (Saber), arms crossed, sighed.
"Can't you just focus on the mission?"
"Could you tell them that while I adjust this glove?" Leonel requested, with a bead of sweat on his temple.
Mash only nodded with a very discreet little smile.
Da Vinci appeared on the control platform.
"Alright! Coordinates set, spirits qualified, mana stable... All set for Rayshift!"
Romani also waved from the console.
"Good luck, guys. This singularity seems... complex."
"Do you have a bad feeling, doctor?" asked Jeanne.
"...Whenever Jeanne d'Arc is in the equation, destiny has its own plans," he replied, partly in jest... partly in earnest.
With everyone in position, the countdown began.
"Initiating Rayshift in 3... 2... 1...!"
"Good luck, team!" shouted Olga from the back.
A white light enveloped them. The group disappeared in a flash.
Meanwhile...
Kiyohime, sitting on Leonel's bed, swung her legs and sighed.
"You'll be back... and I'll be waiting... ♡"