[The sea breeze at Odaiba, Tokyo, carried a light saltiness over the embankment.
Clear sunlight spilled between the scattered buildings along the coast, their glass curtain walls reflecting fragments of light.
In the distance, traffic flowed slowly across the sea-crossing bridge, while waves gently lapped against the stone dike, splashing occasional bits of foam.]
[Jeanne Alter was dressed in a crisp black school uniform.
The structured fabric made her figure appear even more slender and upright, though she lacked her usual flamboyant sharpness.
She paced slowly back and forth on the seaside promenade, her black leather shoes clicking softly against the smooth pavement, making a sound that was gentle yet betrayed her restlessness.]
[Her brow furrowed and relaxed repeatedly as her fingertips toyed with the edge of her uniform sleeve.
Her eyes first held a trace of anxiety, then she quickly lowered them, feigning composure.
But after a moment, she looked back toward the entrance of the promenade, her gaze filled with an irrepressible sense of anticipation, completely oblivious to the sea breeze lifting her skirt or ruffling the hair on her forehead.]
[Until that familiar figure appeared at a brisk pace, Jeanne Alter’s steps came to a sudden halt.
The tension around her body abruptly eased, her furrowed brow smoothed out, and her lowered hands subconsciously gripped the hem of her uniform.]
[“Sorry to keep you waiting, Orita-san.” Fujimaru Ritsuka raised a hand to lightly tidy his hair, which had been tousled by the sea breeze.
His breath was slightly short, suggesting he had hurried all the way.
A gentle, apologetic smile touched his eyes as his gaze settled steadily on Jeanne Alter.]
[Jeanne Alter first gave a nonchalant, low response, her voice so soft it was nearly carried away by the wind.
“Mm…” As soon as she spoke, she snapped back to her senses, and her tone immediately became more cheerful.
The anxiety in her eyes vanished completely, replaced by an irrepressible joy.]
[Leaning forward slightly, she suppressed her inner happiness and said softly, “Ah, Master, you’re here.
I just arrived as well.”]
[Fujimaru Ritsuka’s smile deepened slightly before his expression turned grave.
He raised a hand to lightly press his temple, his tone carrying clear concern and inquiry as he spoke: “About Salieri and Kagekiyo—”]
On the seaside promenade of Odaiba, Tokyo, the sea breeze blew in waves of salty moisture, gently lifting the hems of their clothes.
The distant sea shimmered under the sky.
Tourists passed by in small groups, their faint laughter making the atmosphere around the two seem even heavier.
The shadows of the coastal buildings stretched across the ground, lengthening their figures.
[The joy on Jeanne Alter’s face faded completely, replaced by a solemn expression.
She nodded slightly in response, her voice steady yet somewhat unnatural.
Her eyelashes fluttered instinctively, and she deliberately avoided Fujimaru Ritsuka’s gaze.]
[Looking toward the sea where small waves churned beside them, her evasive manner hid a certain unspeakable awkwardness.
“Ah, yes.
Kagekiyo sent me a message.” She paused before adding in a low voice, so soft it was almost drowned out by the sea breeze.]
[“She didn’t say much…
just said to say hello to you.” After finishing, she slowly closed her eyes in resignation, her shoulders slumping slightly.
A very soft sigh escaped her lips, her tone full of helplessness: “I told her to tell you herself.
Sigh.”]
[The gentle smile on Fujimaru Ritsuka’s face gradually faded, his brow furrowing slightly.
A look of clear confusion rose in his eyes.
He took a small step forward, his tone questioning and searching: “…Why did both of them suddenly…
Have they returned to Chaldea?”]
[He stopped mid-sentence, seemingly unable to find the right words for the rest, leaving only a brief silence.]
[Jeanne Alter’s hand at her side quietly gripped the hem of her black uniform, her knuckles turning white.
Her gaze was fixed on the ground at her feet.
Her lips moved, but she didn’t say a word, leaving her with a face full of speechlessness.
Even the tips of her ears were quietly tinged with an uncomfortable blush.]
[“Alter?” Seeing her silence, Fujimaru Ritsuka softened his tone and called out tentatively, his gaze full of worry.]
[Upon hearing him, Jeanne Alter’s body stiffened imperceptibly.
Her eyelashes blinked rapidly, and her gaze became even more evasive—glancing at the bridge in the distance one moment, then staring at the tips of her shoes the next.
Her tone was vague and uncertain, her voice even weaker: “How should I put it?
I don’t know the exact details either.”]
[Fujimaru Ritsuka’s brow furrowed even tighter, his confusion not diminishing in the least.
He leaned in slightly, trying to get Jeanne Alter to look at him, and pressed further with a tone full of bewilderment: “In Salieri’s letter…
although it said there was a reason…” The unspoken meaning in his words was a sincere desire to find out the truth.]
[“I see.
If there’s a reason, then there must be a reason,” Jeanne Alter replied instinctively, her tone somewhat dazed.
As soon as the words left her mouth, she snapped back to her senses, as if realizing she had just said something completely meaningless.]
[Annoyed, she raised a hand to lightly slap her own cheek, the tips of her ears turning red.
Her tone was full of chagrin: “Ah—I said something stupid.” Immediately after, she took a deep breath and slowly closed her eyes, her chest heaving slightly as if trying to calm her mind.]
[She opened her eyes again after just a few seconds.
The evasiveness in her gaze had faded somewhat, replaced by a touch of seriousness.
Although she still didn’t quite dare to meet Fujimaru Ritsuka’s eyes fully, she straightened her posture and spoke solemnly.]
[“I don’t want to disappoint you, but I’m telling you, I probably won’t be able to give you a satisfactory answer.
So it’s not that you can’t ask anything…
I think whether I can answer properly depends on the content.”]
[Fujimaru Ritsuka watched her serious expression, his brow smoothing out a bit, though he remained puzzled.
He pressed on in a steady tone, his gaze locked onto her with unmistakable earnestness: “Regarding the situation, you know about it too, right, Alter?”]
[Hearing this, Jeanne Alter’s eyelids closed slightly, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyes.
Her tone carried a hint of certainty mixed with complexity, her voice not loud but exceptionally clear: “Well, of course.
Because this is our business.”]
[Fujimaru Ritsuka’s eyes lit up, and he quickly leaned forward, his tone urgent with inquiry as he started to speak: “Then that means—”]
[“Okay, that’s enough.
Stop,” Jeanne Alter suddenly interrupted him, her tone brook no argument.
Her eyes snapped open, and she raised a hand to lightly press against Fujimaru Ritsuka’s shoulder, stopping him from leaning forward any further.]
[A flash of panic crossed her eyes, quickly covered by determination.
She deliberately put on a stern face, yet couldn’t hide the tension in her brow.]
[The hand Jeanne Alter used to hold Fujimaru Ritsuka’s shoulder first loosened its grip, then she abruptly pulled it back and hid it behind her back, her fingertips unconsciously twisting the hem of her black uniform.
Her tone started with a forced certainty, but weakened slightly toward the end.]
[“You…
if it’s just your questions, that’s that, right?
Let me ask a question too.” As soon as she finished speaking, a deep blush suddenly spread across her previously forced-calm face, from her cheekbones all the way to the tips of her ears.]
[Her eyes, which had just settled, began to dart around in panic again.
She looked randomly at her surroundings, not daring to meet Fujimaru Ritsuka’s gaze, her words stumbling and hesitant: “Ah—well, that is…”]
[She swallowed hard, as if gathering her courage before barely managing to force out the rest of her words.
Her tone was a deliberate attempt to change the subject, yet it hid an undetectable awkwardness: “That, you know.
Isn’t this the place I’ve been to before?”]
[She lowered her eyes slightly, her gaze falling on the ground by their feet.
Her voice softened, carrying an uneasy explanation, while her fingertips continued to mindlessly rub the edge of her sleeve: “Specifically, it’s the place where you went on a date with Marie.
Well, although I was monitoring from a distance back then.”]
[As she spoke, her shoulders slumped slightly, and her tone grew more helpless, her brow furrowing: “It wasn’t clear if Marie was an enemy yet, so I was on high alert and my nerves were shot…”]
[She paused and glanced at the shimmering sea in the distance, a trace of melancholy flitting through her eyes.
Her voice was so soft it was almost a murmur: “…I never really got to enjoy the view.”]
[Then she suddenly looked up, only to quickly look away again.
The blush on her cheeks hadn’t faded at all.
Her tone was full of tentative caution, and she even lightened her breathing: “What about you?
As a date, did you enjoy it?”]
[Without waiting for Fujimaru Ritsuka’s response, she continued in a low voice to herself, her tone tinged with an undetectable bitterness.
She lowered her lashes to hide the emotions in her eyes: “If the partner was the real Marie, it must have been a very pleasant date.”]
[Changing the subject, her fingertips gripped tighter, wrinkling the fabric of her uniform.
Her cheeks grew even redder, and her eyes darted about more wildly.
Her voice carried an unspeakable anxiety and humble speculation.]
[“What if the partner was a fake Alter like me?
It would just feel tense, wouldn’t it?” She paused, her tone becoming extremely soft and full of cautious confirmation, her voice trembling slightly at the end: “…Right?”]
[Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at her restless state, his expression calm and unruffled.
His tone was also light and steady as he softly replied: “I don’t really remember.”]
[Upon hearing this, the hand at Jeanne Alter’s side quietly tightened.
Her long eyelashes suddenly drooped, hiding a flash of disappointment in her eyes.
Her shoulders slumped slightly, and her tone carried a hint of the melancholy she had expected, her voice light yet heavy: “…Mm, so that’s how it feels after all.”]
[She was silent for a moment, as if brewing something, then she looked up at Fujimaru Ritsuka.
A flash of determination crossed her eyes, only to be quickly replaced by bashfulness, her tone taking on a somewhat stiff turn.]
[“Then, a proposal.
Since we’ve come all the way to your…
since we’ve come to a place like your hometown.” Before she could finish, the blush on her cheeks deepened again, as if they were about to bleed.
She hurriedly lowered her head, even her neck turning a faint red.
Her voice was as thin as a mosquito’s buzz, full of tentative pleading yet hiding a heart full of expectation: “How about we have one, like the young people of your era, just a fun date or something…
wouldn’t that be okay?”]
[She quickly added more, waving her hands flusteredly as if trying to hide something, her words becoming incoherent: “Well, for me personally…
it’s, it’s nothing…
either way…
is fine.”]
[As soon as she spoke, she seemed to suddenly remember something.
Her brow furrowed slightly, and her expression became hesitant and conflicted.
Her tone was full of lingering concern: “This, thinking about this child (the Orita girl acting as the vessel)…
it might not be good, right?
That’s what I think…”]
[She paused, her fingertips restlessly picking at her palm.
The blush on her cheeks hadn’t faded, and her eyes were full of struggle.
Her voice carried an undetectable urgency, yet was hidden by a heart full of hope: “…Even though I think that, well, you know,”]
[She took a deep breath, as if having made some kind of decision.
Her tone carried a forced sense of generosity, while in reality, her eyes were full of panic: “If Master really insists, it’s not like I won’t accompany you…”]
[In the brief silence, the atmosphere around her was thick with tension, her chest heaving slightly.
The next second, as if breaking through all her reservations and bashfulness, she suddenly looked up.
Her voice rose sharply, carrying a sense of sinking the ship to win, though her cheeks were burning hot: “…If it’s okay, I can accompany you!”]
[The moment the words fell, she became timid again.
Her voice quickly weakened, and her head hung low.
She only dared to carefully lift her eyelashes and steal a glance at Fujimaru Ritsuka, her eyes full of tension and unease, her voice even carrying a trembling test: “S-so, how…
about it…?”]
[At that moment, the story of their encounter and dialogue was clearly laid out on the light screen, with lines of text slowly appearing.]
[The faint presence of the dragon witch was hidden between the lines.
For Fujimaru Ritsuka, he still couldn’t fully grasp the true meaning behind those words.
But there was one thing he was absolutely certain of in his heart—the final trial he was waiting for was this very moment.
Two companions had already left, and now, he had finally captured every bit of the stubbornness and passion hidden in her words.]
[Fujimaru Ritsuka stood silently, his brow slightly furrowed and his fingertips lightly touching his chin as he focused on organizing his swirling thoughts.
The surrounding sea breeze seemed to quiet down at this moment.
Once his mind was settled, he looked up at the girl beside him and called out softly: “Alter.”]
[Jeanne Alter’s body trembled imperceptibly.
Her already flushed cheeks became even hotter, and even the roots of her ears turned completely red.
She lowered her head slightly, her eyelashes blinking rapidly, and her hands twisted together nervously.
Her voice was as light as a feather as she gave a shy response: “…Mm.”]
[“I’m not very used to it, but if you think it’s okay—” Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at her shy and uneasy appearance, his tone full of sincerity and appropriateness.
He slowed his speech and clearly issued an invitation to Jeanne Alter, leaning forward slightly with a gaze filled with complete treasure.]