Shuo nodded in response to Natsuki's suggestion, but after a moment's thought, he decided to place a protective spell on Asagi—just in case.
The next morning, Asagi was working when the Keystone Gate's alarm blared through the control room. Panic seized her. She fired off a message to Shuo, hands trembling.
Shuo arrived expecting a Black Death Emperor incursion, but the scene that greeted him was something else entirely. A hulking man in military-grade armor was hacking at the Keystone Gate with a massive crescent axe. At his side stood a blue-haired, blue-eyed girl—petite, expressionless, almost doll-like.
Recognition flickered in Shuo's eyes. That was Astarotte—the emotionless artificial girl who would one day become Natsuki's personal maid.
In the original timeline, Rudolf Ostach and Astarotte invaded the Keystone Gate in search of the holy relic, the "Saint's Right Arm," hoping to use it to destroy Itogami Island.
Shuo cut the drama short. He teleported in front of them, and before Rudolf could even react, Shuo floored him with a single punch.
He didn't spare the man another glance. Instead, his gaze lingered on Astarotte, curiosity piqued.
Astarotte was an artificial lifeform, a pure vessel built to house a powerful familiar—Rose's Fingertips. Without a vampire's infinite negative energy, the familiar would eventually consume her life. After the Saint's Right Arm incident, she'd come under Natsuki's protection, working as a school clerk and, thanks to Natsuki's whims, eventually donning a maid outfit as her exclusive servant.
It occurred to Shuo he could solve Astarotte's problem for good—if Nagisa drank her blood, the familiar would come under Nagisa's control, saving Astarotte's life.
But for now—best to let her sleep.
Shuo smiled, snapped his fingers, and Astarotte slumped into unconsciousness.
"Shuo-kun, is this girl a terrorist too?" Asagi poked her head out from behind the security console, eyeing the blue-haired girl in Shuo's arms.
"Not exactly. She's an artificial lifeform, not with the Black Death Emperor group. They were after a holy relic, planning to destroy the island."
"I'm curious about her. As for that guy, let the defense team handle him."
With Astarotte cradled in one arm and Asagi's hand in the other, Shuo headed back to the castle.
—
The castle was buzzing when they returned. Nagisa spotted Shuo and immediately barreled into him, voice bubbling with excitement. "Shuo-kun, guess what? We caught the entire Black Death Emperor faction today! Aren't we awesome?"
Wait, the Black Death Emperor group was captured by Nagisa and the girls?
Yukina quickly filled him in: Gardos had indeed targeted Asagi and broken into the school. But instead of finding Asagi, he'd run into Natsuki and the others. The result? Instant wipeout. The infamous terrorist faction—utterly annihilated.
"Brought home another loli, did you?" Natsuki teased, sipping her tea as she eyed the unconscious Astarotte.
At her words, everyone turned to notice the blue-haired girl now laid out on the sofa.
"She's just an artificial girl. I brought her back because she's interesting," Shuo replied offhandedly.
"An artificial girl?" Natsuki's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Now that's intriguing." Her gaze lingered on Astarotte. She'd been thinking she could use a maid—this was practically fate knocking at her door.
Shuo caught the look and sidled up beside her, voice low and teasing. "Natsuki-chan, interested in Astarotte? I could always let you have her as your personal maid."
Natsuki huffed, turning away, cheeks tinged pink. "Tch, who said I wanted a maid? But… if you insist, I suppose I'll accept."
Her tsundere routine was so transparent that Shuo couldn't help himself—he pulled her into his arms and planted a kiss on her lips, then whisked Astarotte off to his room.
The other girls stared at Natsuki, their expressions a mix of amusement and disbelief. Natsuki pressed a hand to her lips, face burning, eyes darting away in embarrassment.
That shameless brat!
—
"Lotte, pour me some tea."
"Yes, Onii-sama."
Dressed in a crisp maid outfit, Astarotte brought Shuo a cup of tea, her large blue eyes blinking up at him. Shuo couldn't help but smile. Considering Nagisa's reluctance to drink blood, he'd used his own abilities to repair Astarotte's flaws. She was no longer a hollow doll, but a real girl—curious, responsive, and entirely herself.
The past few days had been lively. To strengthen everyone, Shuo had offered his blood and handed out system rewards. Lately, the draws from Nagisa and Kanon hadn't yielded anything useful for him, but he'd given the "Perfect Ice-Ice Fruit" to Asagi, the only one without a self-defense ability.
Of course, seeing Asagi get a gift made the other girls jealous, so Shuo had to find presents for everyone. Even Sayaka, who still blushed furiously whenever he was nearby, was starting to warm up.
"You bloodsucking brat—aren't you afraid you'll burst?" Shuo muttered, rubbing his neck as Dimitrie finished feeding, looking thoroughly satisfied.
Dimitrie put her hands on her hips, pouting. "Hmph! You promised to take care of me forever and let me drink your blood. No take-backs!"
The girls on the sofa burst out laughing, even Natsuki's lips curling into a rare, genuine smile.
—
Suddenly, the living room door swung open. Nagisa strode in, hand-in-hand with a short-haired girl—red hair, soft pink eyes, and a cheerful smile.
"Hehe, Shuo-kun, I brought a good friend home to visit!"
She led the newcomer over to the group.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Yuma Saegusa. Please take care of me!"
Yuma's greeting was bright and friendly, her energy instantly lighting up the room.
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