Due to the return of Tomoe and Merry, the lunch gathering turned into a celebration of Tomoe's recovery, lasting over two hours.
Although it was wartime, whether by luck or misfortune, no Demon Beasts attacked the Northern Wall during this period. The rare moment of respite allowed everyone to relax properly.
During the banquet, Tomoe also learned what Nobunaga meant by "Guard Shift."
The defense of the Northern Wall was currently divided into two parts. The first part, the Outer Section, was entirely Naoki's responsibility—when Demon Beasts attacked the Northern Wall, Naoki would use his Imaginary Manifestation to wipe out most of them at once. If lucky, he might even eliminate them all.
However, if he failed to wipe them out entirely and some Demon Beasts survived to breach the Northern Wall, the second part of the defense would come into play.
This section was handled by several Servants led by Nobunaga, along with Ritsuka and Mash. They were divided into pairs, guarding various entry points of the Northern Wall. If any Demon Beasts slipped through, they were tasked with finishing them off.
Essentially, each person was responsible for one entry point, while Mash and Ritsuka handled one together. Initially, the number of personnel allowed for two groups to alternate shifts, but with Tomoe's addition, the guard shifts had to be reorganized.
After a series of discussions, the new guard shift schedule was decided—
"Sorry, Tomoe. You just recovered, and you're already on guard duty."
At the main entrance of the Northern Wall, seeing Tomoe standing there to keep watch, Naoki spoke with a slightly apologetic tone.
Tomoe smiled and shook her head: "No, it's fine. Before, I could only lie in bed due to my injuries, but now that I've recovered, it's only natural that I take on the responsibility of fighting the Demon Beasts. The order doesn't matter."
"Good to hear." Naoki said, slightly relieved. "By the way, we were interrupted by Merry earlier. About you calling me 'Naoki-sama'… What's with that?"
Previously, Tomoe had addressed Naoki as "Natsukawa-dono." no different from how Ushiwakamaru and Benkei addressed him, with Benkei at most replacing "Dono" with "Sama." But this time, Naoki could sense a shift in the distance between them.
It seemed Tomoe's attitude toward him had become a bit closer than before.
Not only in her address, but during the meal earlier, Naoki had vaguely noticed a slight change in the way Tomoe looked at him.
"About that… it was actually Merry-dono who explained it to me. I was saved because you asked Merry-dono to treat me, and when I was surrounded by the Demon Beast horde, it was you who wiped them out and saved my life…"
At this point, Tomoe knelt on one knee before Naoki: "Such a great debt for saving my life cannot be repaid with mere words of thanks. Therefore, upon Merry-dono's suggestion, though I cannot pledge my loyalty, for this manifestation alone, I am willing to entrust this life you saved to your hands."
"Until this Singularity ends, I will live for you, Naoki-sama."
Hearing Tomoe's explanation, Naoki fell silent for a moment. After rubbing the bridge of his nose and thinking hard for a long time, he finally understood the context of the situation. Then, with a wry smile, he helped Tomoe stand: "You don't need to do something this serious. My main goal was to eliminate the Demon Beasts, so saving your life was just a coincidence. As for asking Merry to treat you, that's only natural. I couldn't bear to watch you die."
"So, Tomoe, I didn't really do anything grand enough to deserve such gratitude. Of course, I appreciate your goodwill, but you really don't need to act like you're pledging to be my subordinate."
(And this is eighty percent Merry's doing…)
As someone who had shared a bed with her for ten years, Naoki instantly understood the cause of Tomoe's change in attitude. Merry's specialty was pushing things along by stating facts, and those involved often didn't realize they were being swayed by her.
"It's exactly as Merry-dono said."
Tomoe suddenly showed an "I knew it" expression.
"On the way here, Merry-dono said you might not accept my request, saying, 'After all, in his view, he didn't do anything worth thanking for,'—Merry-dono really foresaw everything, even guessing your exact words."
Just as Naoki knew Merry was the mastermind behind the scenes, Merry could also predict how Naoki would react to Tomoe's actions. Naturally, she had prepared Tomoe for what to do in this situation.
"But even if you refuse, I won't change my decision. This is my honor as a Bushido warrior. If someone receives the grace of having their life saved but doesn't know how to repay it, that's a disgrace for a warrior. I'm not a cold-blooded schemer like that."
"..."
(Oh, come to think of it, that's true. The Japanese Bushido spirit, repaying kindness no matter what… Actually, isn't it the same all over the world?)
Though Naoki didn't feel Tomoe owed him anything, in Tomoe's eyes, she owed him a great debt for saving her life.
A life-saving debt must be repaid, and the only repayment is devotion—perhaps that was her reasoning.
Sighing softly, Naoki smiled resignedly: "Well… if you insist, alright, I accept, Tomoe… No, should I just call you Gozen?"
"Tch… that…"
The intimate address made Tomoe's face flush slightly: "If you like…"
"Hmm, then I'll be counting on you next time, Gozen." Naoki said, extending his hand with a smile. "As you said, until this Singularity ends, I'll take charge of your life."
"Understood. From now on, I will live for you, Naoki-sama. For this second life, please guide me." Tomoe said, smiling as she shook Naoki's hand. "Thank you so much for accepting me, Naoki-sama."
"No problem. I just hope you won't resent me for acting recklessly later—"
"GGGAAAAAAAA—!!"
Suddenly, before Naoki could finish his sentence, a loud roar echoed from outside the Northern Wall. Immediately after, beyond the lowered gate, Naoki and Tomoe saw Demon Beasts emerging one by one from the cedar forest and plains.
Ugallu, Uridimmu, Mushussu… Though not as numerous as three days ago, a sizable horde of Demon Beasts gathered and rushed toward the Northern Wall!
"It's starting again…"
Naoki sighed.
"Alright then, I'll leave this to you, Gozen. I'll attack from the air. If any get through, it's up to you to finish them off."
"Understood, leave it to me, Naoki-sama. I won't let you down."