"Whoa, hold on," I said, catching Sakura by the shoulders before she crashed into my knees while Dorumon scrambled up onto my arm. "What's going on in here?"
Sakura puffed out her cheeks, pointing an accusing finger toward the ceiling. "She tried taking Dorumon!"
I turned my gaze up to Melusine, who was hovering mid-air with her arms tightly crossed, stomping her feet against empty air in the middle of a full-blown tantrum.
"It's not fair!" Melusine protested, glaring down at Sakura. "Why does she get to keep him all to herself?!"
'She's really throwing a fit now?'
I held back a laugh, clearing my throat to keep a straight face.
"Melusine," I said, keeping my voice level.
"Dorumon is still pretty young and fragile. He needs someone gentle right now, so it's probably best to just leave him with Sakura for the night."
Melusine's jaw dropped in betrayal. She dropped down to the floor, crossing her arms and letting out an exaggerated huff, her cheeks puffing out into an even deeper pout.
With the dispute handled for the moment, I pulled the Digivice out of my pocket and handed it down to Sakura.
"Here," I said. "Hold onto this for now."
Sakura's face lit up, clutching the device against her chest like a prized treasure.
'Surely nothing will go wrong... right?'
"Alright, everybody out," I groaned, rubbing the back of my neck. "I'm exhausted and I need some sleep."
Sakura nodded eagerly, waddling out into the hallway while cradling both Dorumon and the Digivice, with a grumbling, sulking Melusine floating silently behind them.
The door finally clicked shut.
I kicked off my boots, collapsed face-first onto the mattress, and was out cold within seconds.
A strange, shifting weight against my legs slowly pulled me out of my sleep.
My consciousness dragged itself back to the surface. I felt a cool draft hitting my lower half, followed by two sets of hands working in tandem against my waist.
I blinked the grogginess out of my vision, propped myself up on my elbows, and looked down.
Jeanne and Nobunaga were kneeling at the edge of the mattress, completely locked in on peeling my pants off.
"What the hell are you two doing?" I croaked out, my voice raspy from sleep.
Neither of them answered. Nobu just shot me a feral, wicked grin, while Jeanne gave a quiet, possessive hum—and then they dragged me back down into the sheets.
———
A few hours later, I was staring blankly at the ceiling.
I was completely, utterly drained. Not a single drop of energy remained in my body.
Beside me on the tangled sheets, both Jeanne and Nobunaga were lying completely naked. The room was thick with heat, and my limbs felt like they had been forged out of lead and poured into concrete.
I lay there, utterly hollowed out, praying for the sweet release of unconsciousness.
Nobunaga shifted, rolling onto her stomach and propping her chin on her hands, glancing down at me with a lazy, breathless smirk.
"Hey, Master..." Nobu whispered, trailing a fingernail along my ribs. "How about a little more?"
Jeanne's head snapped over instantly, her pride flaring up as she refused to be outdone. She slid an arm over my chest, pulling herself closer. "If he has enough left for you, then he has enough for me."
I couldn't even summon the strength to turn my head.
"No..." I wheezed, letting out a dying groan into the pillow. "Please... no..."
——
Morning light broke through the window, spilling across the bedroom.
I lay flat on my back, looking like a literal dried-up, mummified husk dug out of a thousand-year-old tomb. My skin felt papery, my throat was a desert, and I was convinced my soul had physically vacated the premises hours ago.
Beside me, Jeanne sat up smoothly, arching her back and raising her arms in a long, satisfied stretch, completely refreshed.
I weakly rolled my eyes to the other side of the bed as Nobunaga swung her legs over the edge to stand up.
I froze.
The petite, flat-chested gremlin from yesterday was completely gone.
Standing beside the bed was a tall, strikingly mature woman with long, vibrant crimson hair tumbling all the way down past her waist. Her frame had completely lengthened, boasting dangerous curves and a breathtaking, imposing presence that radiated pure Demon King authority.
Nobu turned her head, looking back down at me with a tall, sultry smirk playing across her lips.
"What's the matter, Master?" Nobu purred, leaning down slightly to loom over me. "Like what you see? Want another round now?"
I stared up at her towering over me, opened my dry mouth, and couldn't even form words.
All that came out was a faint, pathetic wheeze.
"Knock it off," Jeanne snapped, crossing her arms. "Leave him alone."
Nobunaga merely sighed, rolling her eyes.
Instead of backing away, she dropped right back down onto the mattress, sprawling her lengthened body flat across my chest.
All the air rushed out of my lungs in a breathless wheeze.
'She is definitely heavier now...'
Jeanne lunged forward, grabbing Nobu by the shoulders to haul her off. "Get off him! You're going to crush what's left of his ribs!"
Nobunaga let herself be pulled away, rolling off the bed onto her feet while bursting into loud, obnoxious laughter.
"Don't act all innocent, Frenchie!" Nobu teased, grinning ear to ear. "You're the one who rode him half to death first! You could barely keep your hands off him before I even got my turn!"
Jeanne choked on her own breath, coughing into her hand as her face flushed bright red. "T-That is a complete exaggeration! Not all of that was me!"
"Keep telling yourself that!"
After a few minutes, they finally got dressed. Jeanne pulled on her jeans and jacket, while Nobu tossed on an oversized dark shirt that actually fit her taller frame. I dragged my sore, battered body off the mattress, changed into fresh clothes, and we headed out into the hallway.
I made a beeline downstairs toward the kitchen to scrounge up some calories.
The second my boots hit the bottom step, the temperature in the living room dropped to freezing.
Sitting on the couch was Morgan, with Barghest standing right beside her. Both of them were glaring daggers straight at us. Morgan was seated with her hands folded in her lap, radiating a razor-sharp, chilling displeasure.
Barghest stood at rigid attention with her arms crossed tightly, glaring at Nobu and Jeanne with the look of a loyal hound whose owner had been stolen away in the night.
Across the room, Melusine was hovering lazily upside down near the ceiling, and Baobhan Sith was flipping through a fashion magazine on the rug, neither of them looking like they gave a damn.
I kept my head down and walked straight past the tension, heading into the kitchen.
Just as I crossed the threshold, Morgan's voice cut through the air, smooth and dangerously quiet.
"Archer."
Nobu stopped near the base of the stairs.
"What?"
"What happened to you?" Morgan asked, her gaze raking over the Servant's dramatically altered, tall figure.
A suffocating, bone-crushing pressure instantly slammed across the living room. The ambient mana spiked so violently that the light fixtures above rattled in place, the air turning thick enough to choke on.
Knowing nobunaga she probably made some lewd gesture to antagonize them.
'Yup. Better start cooking before someone gets executed.'
I pulled out a heavy skillet, dropped in a generous slab of butter, and laid down a thick row of bacon. I grabbed a bowl, cracked half a dozen eggs, and let the loud, crackling sizzle drown out the murderous aura radiating from the next room.
While the food was beginning to cook. I turned on the multiversal group chat.
A steady stream of unread messages was actively scrolling down the feed:
[Subaru: I'm telling you, the power scaling over here is getting totally out of hand. Kenji, whenever you're free we seriously need to spar. I've got a couple of new tricks ready that'll actually surprise you.]
[Cosplay Goddess: Subaru-kun, literally nobody asked!! 😭 Saki-chi, please tell me you took more pictures of Terriermon this morning?! He looked so ridiculously precious wearing that little scarf, I need high-res reference shots so I can start drafting a prop pattern!!]
[Saki: Good morning, Marin-chan... Yes, I took a few. Terriermon wouldn't stop trying to steal cereal out of my bowl, though. I'll upload them in just a second.]
[Subaru: Hey! Quit completely talking over me! I'm being serious about the sparring match!]
I let out a faint breath of amusement, tapped the text bar, and sent a quick message to the chat:
[Kenji: Good Morning!]
The chat dinged almost immediately as I flipped a strip of bacon in the pan.
[Spirit of Time: Good morning, Kenji-san. My, you are awake early today. I trust you had an eventful night?]
[Cosplay Goddess: Morning Kenji-kun!! ☀️ Did you see the pics Saki-chi posted?! Look at Terriermon's ears!!]
[Saki: Good morning, everyone... Yes, I took a few. Terriermon wouldn't stop trying to steal cereal out of my bowl, though. I'll upload them in just a second.]
I typed back while keeping an eye on the sizzling skillet.
[Kenji: You know you can change your display name in the settings if you ever want to, Cosplay Goddess?]
[Cosplay Goddess: Eeeeeh?! But where's the fun in that?! Having an alias makes me feel so cool, like an actual secret agent!! ✨]
[Spirit of Time: Ufufu, as I've said before, keeping an alias carries its own distinct charm. It adds an air of mystery, does it not?]
[Subaru: Kenji! Hey! Don't change the subject! Seriously, just three rounds in the arena! I won't even go all out!]
I deliberately left Subaru on read.
'I would die in five seconds.'
I pocketed the phone, picked up the spatula, and focused on sliding a fresh batch of eggs onto a large platter.
Suddenly, a pair of long, slender arms snaked around my waist from behind, locking firmly against my stomach. A soft, teasing warmth pressed right into my back, and a chin rested casually on my shoulder.
"So..." Nobunaga purred into my ear, her voice carrying a deep, husky rumble. "How is my amazing husband doing this morning?"
A plate clattered on the counter.
Jeanne marched straight into the kitchen, looking absolutely furious.
"Get your hands off him!" Jeanne snapped, reaching over and trying to forcefully pry Nobunaga's arms away from my waist.
Nobu didn't budge an inch. With her newly ascended, taller frame, she held her ground effortlessly, simply tightening her grip around my ribs and letting out a low, mocking laugh.
"Not a chance, Frenchie," Nobu smirked, leaning more of her weight against me. "Finders keepers."
"Let go before I draw my sword in this kitchen!"
"Will both of you knock it off?" I groaned, keeping my grip steady on the frying pan. "I'm trying to make breakfast for everyone so we don't starve."
I turned my head slightly, nudging Nobu's cheek with my temple. "Nobu, do me a favor. Go upstairs and wake up Arthur, Sakura, and Dorumon. Tell them food is ready."
Nobu hummed thoughtfully, taking her sweet time before finally unwrapping her arms. "Fine, fine. Only because you asked nicely, Master." She gave my hip a playful pat, shooting Jeanne one last smug grin before turning on her heel and strutting out toward the stairs.
I let out a long breath, finally able to breathe without cracked ribs.
'Thank god...'
Before the relief could even settle, another pair of arms wrapped around my waist from behind.
Jeanne pressed herself firmly against my back, burying her face into the fabric of my shirt between my shoulder blades.
"Don't forget about me," she whispered softly, her grip tight and possessive.
I turned off the burner, letting the pan cool, and reached down to rest my hand over hers.
"I won't," I said.
I gave her knuckles a gentle squeeze, then gently unhooked her arms so I could finish plating the rest of the food. Within a few minutes, the counter was covered with towering plates of toast, bacon, and eggs, steaming hot and ready for the table.
"Food's ready!" I called out toward the living room and the stairs.
I carried the platters over to the large dining table and pulled out a seat. The moment I sat down, a chair scraped against the floor to my left—Morgan smoothly claimed the spot, resting a possessive hand on the arm of my chair. A split second later, the chair to my right pulled out as Jeanne sat down, claiming my other side before anyone else could move.
Footsteps echoed down the stairs as Arthur, Sakura, and Dorumon filed into the room, followed by Barghest, Melusine, and Baobhan Sith taking their respective places.
I picked up my fork and started digging in, desperately needing to replenish some energy.
Before I could swallow my second bite, a tall shadow fell across my plate. Nobunaga bypassed every empty chair at the table, walked straight up to me, and brazenly dropped her weight down right onto my lap.
She looped an arm around my neck, leaning in close with a lazy smirk. "This fine with you, Master?"
I froze with the fork halfway to my mouth, glancing at the Demon King sprawled across my thighs, and let out a heavy, defeated sigh.
"Sure," I muttered. "Just don't knock my food over."
Nobu grinned, leaning against my chest and shamelessly plucking a strip of bacon off my plate while Jeanne scowled from the right.
After a chaotic twenty minutes, the plates were cleared, and everyone finally finished eating.
I turned my attention toward Sakura, who was quietly sitting across the table cradling Dorumon in her lap.
"Hey, Sakura," I offered. "Want to head outside today? We could walk around town, grab some ice cream, or check out a park."
Sakura hesitated, clutching Dorumon's fur a little tighter, and shook her head timidly. "No... I want to stay inside today."
I leaned back in my chair, tapping my chin as I began thinking about how to handle the rest of the day.
Seeing the pause, Arthur spoke up from down the table, offering a bright, earnest suggestion. "Well, if Sakura prefers the estate, why don't the rest of us take a trip? You, myself, Morgan, and the knights could all go hang out in the city together."
I stared at Arthur with an utterly blank, stupid look on my face.
'Take Morgan and her three unstable fairy knights out into modern public streets? Are you really supposed to be king?'
I rubbed my temples and sighed. Still, I didn't outright reject it. A change of scenery wouldn't hurt, and at the very least, my system's ascension function had processed cleanly on Nobunaga while we were together last night.
"Hold on a damn minute!"
Nobunaga's voice rose sharply over the table as she slapped a hand against the wood. Her smirk vanished into an irritated scowl, glaring straight at Arthur before tightening her grip around my neck.
"Who the hell said you could drag him away without me?!" Nobu snapped, clearly hating the idea. "I just got this body, and I want to spend more time with my husband!"