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It was a beautiful girl with chestnut-brown hair cascading down to her waist.
Her slender frame was wrapped in the uniform of the high school division, a dark gray blazer paired with a checkered skirt, a vivid red ribbon tied neatly across her chest. The ensemble radiated youthful vibrance.
Her refined features were in no way inferior to Nero's. In fact, she was even taller, with long, straight legs that drew the eye in awe.
Only now, her slender brows twitched ever so slightly, her sapphire-blue eyes sharp and raised, the softness of her face tightening into stiffness.
She did not seem to be in a good mood.
"Aozaki?"
The moment he heard Nero address her, Ryoji froze.
"Vice President… that's you?"
No.
Wait.
That wasn't right at all.
"You're… the so-called God from the rumors?"
At the sight of Ryoji, Aozaki Aoko herself faltered. She had heard that title before, God.
Until now, she had dismissed it as laughable, something born of idle talk. People nowadays really didn't know what to say, and she had never once taken the so-called "God" seriously. She had even scoffed at the very notion.
It wasn't that she had a problem with the one being called a god. It was the reckless rumors themselves that she found irritating.
But now, having seen him with her own eyes, 'So that's how it is. The shallow one was me.'
Realization struck Aozaki Aoko like lightning. In an instant, she understood why this boy was called God.
There was a terrifying allure to his very being. To stand before him was to feel one's inner turmoil quietly washed away. Even the faint restlessness she carried within her heart had been cleansed, leaving her unshakably calm.
But the very next moment, her face tensed again.
This sudden shift in her mindset, this calm, was unnatural.
"Forgive my bluntness… are you a transfer student this year?" Ryoji asked.
"Of course not." Aozaki Aoko's expression remained taut.
"I can understand that you can't possibly remember everyone in the school. But asking someone straight out if they're a transfer student… Don't you think that's strange?"
For some reason, a trace of wariness flickered in her eyes. Her gaze toward Ryoji grew subtly off, though she continued to maintain a composed, almost indifferent exterior.
Yet her back was ramrod straight, a silent sign she could not relax.
And perhaps without even realizing it, her words carried a faint edge, barbed and defensive.
Ryoji didn't catch her subtle hostility.
What he did feel, however, was a chill crawling down his spine.
Aozaki Aoko was not a transfer student.
That was impossible.
Every year, without fail, he had gone through the TYPE-MOON Academy student roster. There had never been a single mention of Aozaki Aoko, Emiya Shirou, Tohno Shiki, none of them.
On this, he was absolutely certain.
And besides, in this world there was no such place as Fuyuki City. He had long assumed that meant those people simply didn't exist in this parallel world.
But today, out of nowhere, Aozaki Aoko appeared.
What the hell was going on?
Was this some kind of sudden deus ex machina?
Was this secretly some kind of gag manga world?
Someone who was never supposed to exist had suddenly, casually, appeared before him, recognized by everyone else as if she had always been here.
Ryoji glanced at Nero and Sheba. Their reactions were perfectly normal, as though nothing were amiss.
As though history itself had been rewritten.
The worldline had shifted, and only he could perceive it.
The thought alone made his skin crawl.
If this kept up… who knew what might happen?
Would he one day simply wake up to find himself gone?
What a Headache.
Fortunately, this body of his was only an avatar.
Even if it were destroyed, he would simply return to his true self, bringing with him the power he had gained here.
In truth, his main body could reclaim this avatar at any moment.
But the TYPE-MOON world's name had already vanished from the Black Gate. That meant Ryoji could never again enter this world from outside. The only one who could remain here was this avatar.
If he were to return now, empty-handed, without gaining anything, that would be a complete waste.
So Ryoji's plan was simple: to let this version of himself wander freely in this world for now. Once he'd gained enough from it, or discovered another way to travel back and forth, he could always merge again later.
That was the foundation of his confidence.
Countless thoughts swirled through his mind, and the air between him and Aozaki Aoko quickly cooled into silence.
She, for her part, didn't seem intent on getting closer to him either, and her gaze naturally drifted away.
But the moment she looked away, a strange pang stirred in her chest. A faint reluctance, even a flicker of the urge to keep talking to him.
Yet she smothered it at once. Instead, her instincts screamed, alarms blaring in the depths of her heart, and her guard only grew stronger.
"Vice President, is something weighing on your mind?"
"…It's nothing. Just my own issue."
"Is that so? Then, would you like to go downstairs for a bit? A change of pace can be refreshing. If my subordinates lose their energy, then even I won't feel like working anymore, you know?"
"No, thank you. I've got something urgent today. I'll finish my work first."
...
"Big Bro-- !"
At the school gate, after waiting a short while, Souji came running from the middle school wing, as swift as the wind.
"I heard about it! Another rich lady came looking for you, right? And you actually said yes?!"
Her expression was all nerves, her eyes darting uneasily at Ryoji.
"What's wrong with me finding you a sister-in-law?"
"But, families like that are way too far above us!"
Souji pouted, her face a mix of panic and helplessness.
And it was true.
Their family was utterly ordinary, barely worth notice. Her brother, perhaps, was anything but ordinary, but still.
The Roman Consortium was Japan's number-one conglomerate, worth hundreds of billions, a financial empire known across the globe. And Nero… Nero was its heir apparent. The difference in status was just too vast. Of course she was anxious.
"Calm down. Do you want this or not?" Ryoji, meanwhile, was as calm as ever.
So what if she was Japan's richest heiress? He was long used to living off women. Was the Totokubara Group not massive enough? Was Freya's faction not strong enough?
He flicked his wrist, and a sleek black credit card appeared in his palm.
"B-b-b-black card?!"
Souji's eyes nearly popped out of her head, her tongue tripping over itself as her pupils morphed into yen signs.
"Wh-wh-where did that come from?"
"Your sister-in-law gave it to me. Do you want it?"
"B-Big Bro, you've got to introduce me to her someday! Nothing weird, of course, it's just family should get close, right?"
"Souji. Watch your expression management."
The two of them bickered and laughed as they walked away from the school gates together.
Behind them, a girl with long chestnut hair watched their backs, no, to be precise, she only watched Ryoji's back. The younger sister barely registered in her eyes at all.
Confusion gradually clouded her expression.
The way those siblings interacted… it was far too natural, with not a single trace of awkwardness.
"Just what is he…?"
She couldn't decide.
"…I'll have to ask Alice about it later."
(End of Chapter)