Kousuke gracefully landed in an open field nestled within the forests of Northwestern Europe. He couldn't teleport just anywhere, especially to places he had never been. He'd gambled once before, returning to Earth using countless countermeasures, and it had worked out… barely.
So he could only open a hole to the furthest place he had gone before taking off to the sky. He had been flying for some time now, letting the cold wind brush against his skin, when he suddenly noticed Akeno's location had shifted. Instantly, he thought of the purplish smoke, the same one that kidnapped Kunou, Yasaka's daughter.
It had to be the same group. The so-called Hero Faction. He hadn't placed any restrictions on the necklace he gave Akeno since he knew that devils used teleportation magic frequently for their contract work. It was fast and efficient. Still, maybe he should've considered some precautions, like restricting teleportation caused specifically by Sacred Gears, or others with ill intentions.
Kousuke had considered changing direction mid-flight, but then he sensed a powerful magical signature flare up nearby. Undeniably familiar. It was the Witch's way of calling him. He wasn't the type to ignore such a sweet invitation, so he followed the magic trail.
"Come on, I know you're out there, Morgan," he said, calmly surveying his surroundings. He had many questions, but the biggest one weighed heavily on his mind. Just how in the world did she cross into this world?
"My, I went out of my way to make sure you'd have time for our little reunion," a sultry voice replied from behind. As he turned, he saw her body materialize out of thin air. One of her signature spells, she had used it countless times to pull a prank on him in the Otherworld. "So I expect some appreciation, you know? Maybe a smooch... or a hot, wild night~"
"Surely you jest. Last time you pulled this stunt, you didn't even ask for consent," he replied with a deadpan stare. Morgan giggled beneath her hood, her cloak concealing her curves, but Kousuke knew her too well. She was enjoying every second of this.
"Fufufu, but you loved it~" she purred while slowly circling around him. Then, without warning, she wrapped her arms around his waist, just like old times. She pressed her face against his neck and inhaled deeply, as if trying to reclaim something she'd lost. "I didn't think I'd ever reunite with you, my Hero. But maybe the death of the Biblical God in this world made even my wildest dreams come true."
His fingers trembled slightly as if unsure what kind of reaction to give. But then he sighed and slowly wrapped his arms around her in return.
Then—nip.
He winced. Not from pain, but from surprise. She had bitten his neck and left a small mark.
"I heard you've snagged two devils and a little Youkai after your return," she whispered possessively. Her arms tightened around his waist. "I know one of them looks like your first love, but isn't it awful that you never looked for me?"
"Do I mean nothing to you?"
He couldn't see her face, but her voice betrayed a rare vulnerability. A faint crack in her cold exterior. Maybe... a small piece of her heart had truly missed him. Back in the Other World, the only time she had ever opened her heart was when he begged her to teach him her magic.
There was a reason for that. For a Witch, teaching someone their magic was the equivalent of handing over their soul. It was the very core of their existence. While magicians required extensive research and precise chants, witches bent physical laws at will. Reality itself obeyed their whims.
With a mere snap, a beautiful fireball would materialize into the world. So naturally, her first response to his request had been a fireball to his face.
But he hadn't given up. Day after day, like a stubborn stalker pestering an ex, he pestered her. And then, one day, a group of magicians came to execute her for being too dangerous. Obviously, he intervened.
He had seen it himself, the way she protected nearby villages from dangerous creatures at night. She claimed it was just for researching monster's ecology, but he knew the truth: she had saved them, over and over. Despite what the villagers said, she was their Hero.
They called her names. Terrible ones. Yet not once did she retaliate, neither out of anger, not even in spite. The worst she ever did was prank them out of boredom. Witches lived long lives. To them, boredom was the cruelest curse.
"If you meant nothing to me," Kousuke said, "I wouldn't be here with my arms around you."
The silence that followed wasn't awkward. It was warm, peaceful—like the world had stopped turning, and for this one fragile moment, only they existed.
But, like all things, it had to end. As in the past, and the future to come.
"You know I can't stay here forever, right?" he said, recalling why he came. To rescue Akeno, and maybe his other friends as well. From the necklace, he could feel that Akeno was safe, for now. But that didn't mean he could linger in another woman's embrace longer than he should.
Slowly, and despite her resistance, he pulled away. Physically, he was much stronger than her now.
"I think that's enough for a reunion. It's about time you tell me why you set this all up," he said with a firm voice.
"What do you mean? I'm not such an evil Witch, am I?" she replied, her bright blue eyes locking with his as her hood slipped down, revealing her long white hair. No blonde in sight—what he saw before was just one of her illusions as he expects, a stunt she often used to fool people who were looking to hunt her down in Otherworld.
"I didn't mention anything. You brought that up. So tell me."
"Sigh... always straight to the point. You're no fun, you know that? Back then, you used to beg me for se—" she said, trailing her fingers along his cheek.
"Morgan le Fay."
"Fine, fine. Sheesh~ I know you want to save that little devil you call your girlfriend, and yes, I know where they are~ Of course I could tell you, but..."
She suddenly pulled a paper and pen out of thin air. Kousuke tilted his head, confusion on his face but it all vanished when he read the contents.
"I'm not signing a marriage certificate."
"But you promised to give me everything when I taught you my precious magic. Is the Hero going back on his word?" she said with a pout.
He sighed. He knew the moment he showed up here, he'd already walked into her trap. He could've looked for Akeno first, but instead, he came here. 'I guess I deserved a little of this,' he thought in defeat.
Reluctantly, he signed his name. He'd take the scolding from his girlfriends later. For now, he needed information and Morgan had it.
"Good. Now I can be considered your legal wife, fufufu~" she murmured with satisfaction, her eyes glued to his signature. She might've arrived late in the game, but with this, she'd leapfrogged the others.
After all, they were just girlfriends. She was now his wife.