"Master, are you alright? No filth from those insects got on you, did it?"
Koyanskaya crouched down, her eyes scanning my body with clinical precision.
She checked me from head to toe, her hands wandering meticulously across my clothes.
"Ngh…! I'm fine."
A soft groan escaped me before I could stop it.
The sensation of her slender fingers brushing against my thigh was dangerously pleasant.
Koyanskaya didn't miss it. A smile played on her lips.
A profoundly wicked, knowing smile.
"This is ridiculous."
Toji, who had been forced to dive into the corner of the hallway to avoid the crossfire, hauled himself up. He was covered in dust from rolling across the floor.
"Was that a bit too much for you?" I asked.
"That three-headed dog—is that what they call Cerberus in the West? You can just pull a thing like that out of thin air and command it to attack?"
"That's just how my Koyanskaya is."
To be precise, that's how 'Koyanskaya of Darkness' operates. Her 'Light' counterpart prefers firearms.
"Koyanskaya, huh? Sounds like a foreign name. Where is she from?"
"Russia," Koyanskaya answered on my behalf as she stood up.
She looked satisfied after confirming I didn't have a scratch on me.
"Russia. She's from the cold north, then."
"It was quite chilly here as well. And frankly, Russia isn't as uniquely cold as people make it out to be."
"Hmph, is that so? I've thought about visiting sometime."
"You mentioned you have a wife, right? You should take her when you have the time. It has plenty of tourist spots."
"I'll keep that in mind," Toji nodded seriously.
"Ah. Thinking back, I might have been a bit inconsiderate. How is your wife doing?"
"She's fine. Thanks to you, she's recovered so well she doesn't even need rehabilitation. Her parents—my in-laws—are with her now."
Toji trailed off with a heavy sigh.
It seemed the domestic title of 'in-laws' didn't quite sit right on the tongue of a man like him yet.
"Ah, I see. Since she just got out of her hospital bed, I'm sure they wanted to see her face."
"They're looking after Megumi, too. For that, I'm grateful."
Megumi. Fushiguro Megumi (male).
The protagonist's rival and a core pillar of the *Jujutsu Kaisen* story.
'The timeline fits. He should have been born around now.'
I had suspected as much, but hearing the name directly felt surreal. It was the same feeling I got when I first dropped into the world of Grand Order.
"You have a child?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
"Yeah. He hasn't been around long, but I actually forgot about him for a split second. It's pathetic, really."
Toji let out another sigh, this one thick with genuine self-loathing.
If his wife had died... he probably would have lived his life in a spiral of reckless abandonment, never bothering with such self-reflection.
"You did good work today. Koyanskaya, could you help Toji get the dust off his clothes?"
"Of course, Master."
Koyanskaya turned toward Toji and gave a dismissive wave of her hand.
Flash.
A spark of light shimmered from her ivory fingertips, and in an instant, Toji's clothes were pristine.
Even if the laws and systems of this world were different, Magecraft still held its ground.
"Is this a Cursed Technique too? It's subtle, but damn convenient."
Toji looked over his body, visibly impressed.
If he wanted to call it jujutsu, I wasn't going to correct him.
"Better, right?"
"Much. Being covered in filth ruins your focus and sours your condition. Preventing that before it happens is... a decent technique, despite how simple it seems."
"A cleaning company would kill for it. Shall we head out?"
"What about the loot? I thought you wanted to strip this place bare."
Toji tilted his head in confusion. It was a fair reaction since I'd suddenly changed my tune.
"Scavenging the belongings of the dead—especially such vile people—leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It feels like I'd be inviting a curse."
"Ah... I get it. I don't care about that stuff personally, but I understand the sentiment. So, we're leaving straight away?"
"Yes. It's late, so we'll stay the night and head back tomorrow. But first, let's get some sushi."
Hokkaido is famous for its seafood, even by Japanese standards. Especially the sushi. Since we were already here, I figured we might as well enjoy ourselves. And Toji was picking up the tab.
"I'm paying, aren't I?"
"Conveyor belt sushi is fine."
"I'm so moved I could cry. Let's just go."
Toji sighed as he tucked his blade back into his worm-like Cursed Spirit. I could practically feel the weight of a family man's burden in that sigh.
The next day, I made sure Toji paid for every piece of sushi I ate. My only regret was that this child's body couldn't hold more than a few plates.
"I only managed ten plates..."
"Isn't that average for an adult? How much more did you plan on stuffing into that tiny body?"
"Maybe ten more?"
"Good grief. If you're serious, go be a competitive eater."
We were on the plane heading back to Tokyo. Toji, sitting in the seat next to me, furrowed his brows. Taking a plane to Tokyo? It felt a bit like flying from a regional province to Jeju Island—nothing too special.
"Actually, that's not a bad idea."
Not right now, but eventually. A time will come when smartphones are everywhere and 'Mukbang' channels start taking over. If I jumped on that early... it might be lucrative.
The concept? Quality over quantity. Ordering from local shops and giving overly sophisticated, somewhat pretentious reviews. A little flair, a little vanity.
'Wait, that actually sounds viable.'
Having died once and then again only to be reborn, one might think I'd be fearless. But fearlessness doesn't come from the act of living multiple lives. My courage came from Koyanskaya guarding my side, and the other Servants I knew were within my reach.
"If you're serious, I'll look into some info for you. It's a ridiculous plan, but not a difficult one to set up."
Toji gave a smirk and leaned back against his headrest. He was likely thinking of his broker, the Korean middleman Kong Shiu (male).
"I'll let you know if I decide to go through with it. Good work today."
"Yeah. I'll take the payment first, but how much should I send you? What's your bank account?"
"Later. I'll tell you when I need it. For now, let's just enjoy the ride."
I turned my head. Koyanskaya was there. Being a Servant, she could have materialized as a spirit, but I'd insisted on buying an extra seat so we could sit together. It made it feel more like a trip, and I didn't want her to feel like an outsider.
"How was it for you, Koyanskaya?"
"The sushi? It was acceptable. Though, the quality was naturally lower than what we had *there*."
'There.' She undoubtedly meant Chaldea.
"You can't really compare it to that place."
With a head chef like Beni-enma and her subordinates, not to mention Emiya and Boudica... comparing normal food to their cooking was cruel. It was like putting a toddler in a footrace against an Olympic sprinter.
"I suppose you're right."
"Exactly. I'm sure there are places of a similar level somewhere in this world, but they'd be prohibitively expensive."
"One must always use funds rationally, after all."
For a moment, Koyanskaya's eyes glinted with a sharp, professional light. It was nice to see her secretary persona resurface after a while.
—*Excuse me. We will be taking off shortly. Please ensure your seatbelts are securely fastened...*
The announcement finally crackled over the speakers as the plane began its ascent. The massive machine climbed into the sky, weightless. I stared out the window, enjoying the vast blue expanse—and the occasional reflection of Koyanskaya's generous cleavage.
It wasn't just me. Every person we passed in the airport, and the passengers on this flight, had given her the same look. She was beautiful, curvaceous, and possessed an aura of gorgeous, high-class celebrity that could make even the most refined socialite bow in respect. Seeing her by my side made me puff my chest out with a bit of pride.
After the short flight, Toji stood up and stretched.
The airport was swarming with people. Tourists, businessmen, people returning home. Most fell into those three categories, but everyone had their own reasons for being here.
"How are you getting home?" Toji asked once we stepped outside.
Bus or taxi? That was the question, but my answer was already decided.
"The subway. We'll get off at the nearest station and walk."
"Got enough for fare?"
"We can handle our own expenses. What about you?"
"Subway for me too. Faster than the bus and cheaper than a cab."
"Then it looks like we're all going together."
Just like on the plane, we boarded the subway as a trio. We found seats and settled in to kill time.
"Are you okay with this?" I asked Koyanskaya.
I could feel the intensity of the gazes from the other passengers. Since the subway was more crowded, the scrutiny was even more concentrated.
"Me? I'm simply happy that you seem to be enjoying the sense of superiority, Master."
Koyanskaya gave me a playful, feline wink. As expected of a vixen, she read my thoughts perfectly.
"How did you know?"
"Your shoulders were quite stiff with pride. But please, don't blame yourself or think it's a petty emotion. As I said, it brings me great joy."
"Really?"
Koyanskaya leaned in, her lips brushing against my ear.
"Yes. Only for you, Master."
Her honeyed voice seeped into my ear, sending a jolt of electricity down my spine. This was the temptation of Koyanskaya. A seductive, almost violent vow that rattled my composure.
"Not my place to butt in, but isn't that a bit too stimulating for a kid?"
Toji, sitting to my left, finally spoke up. His interjection managed to cool my heated head.
"A valid point. However, Master is quite used to this sort of thing. Aren't you?"
"I suppose I am."
I was used to the temptation, and I was used to the intimacy. Those times were a gift I barely deserved. Memories of that era—intense, vivid recollections—surfaced one by one. Thanks to the distractions, we arrived at our destination before I knew it.
"We'll part ways here. Get home safe."
"Yeah. I'll call you if a good job pops up."
After saying goodbye to Toji, we headed for our hotel. Since it was broad daylight, flying through the air would have been too conspicuous.
"Master, do you have a plan for what's next? Or shall we simply rest?"
"Let me think."
I walked beside Koyanskaya, pondering our situation. Between her and Toji, the money issues were effectively solved. We could live in hotels comfortably. So, what was the next priority?
'The Cost. The Cost is the problem.'
For some unknown reason, maintaining a Servant was as easy as it had been back when I had Chaldea's support. I could even fire off Noble Phantasms. However, I couldn't manage multiple Servants at once. It was just like being Level 1 again, hampered by a strict party Cost limit.
Whether it meant training or finding a workaround, I had to solve this damned Cost issue first. Buster, Arts, Quick... I needed to build a proper roster if I ever wanted to run a 'system' like back in the game.
'Wait, can I even run a loop system with the world laws being different?'
Regardless, the Cost limit was my most pressing concern.
========================
The website for reading paid chapters is available on my Patreon. The number of chapters on Patreon: 7
Link: patreon.com/UltraMagnus_T