Continuing where we left off...
Ritsuka's perspective...
*************
After I'd endured Bronya and Seele's furious embarrassment, the room calmed down, giving BB a chance to explain the situation.
"Well, since everyone's gathered and full of energy! It's time for your dear guide, BB-chan, to welcome the best date ever in Las Vegas! You only have one rule to follow: fun when you three are satisfied. That's all you asked me to do," BB said, striking an animated pose that only made her large, chest-heavy mountains jiggle.
"BB. Aren't you going to tell them how this place works?" I stood with my arms crossed, looking at her.
"Why would I do that if that's what you're here for? Besides, you're the one leading them on this date, not me. My job here is to make sure you guys have fun! That said, I hope you enjoy this mini-trip to Las Vegas. Bye, bye!"
With those words, BB digitally disappears, leaving me with Bronya and Seele, who aren't used to wearing bikinis, given the planet they live in.
💭Why am I not surprised that BB left all the work on my lap?
"Ahem! I see you two are already prepared for this date. By the way, you look great in those bikinis."
Bronya and Seele are embarrassed after hearing my compliment. Bronya specifically is noticing how exposed her body is compared to the outfit she wears in Jarilo-VI, which covers her entire body.
"Arghh! I feel weird wearing this. Why did BB force us to wear this?!" Seele's face flushes with embarrassment.
"Seele. BB clearly explained to us that our clothes wouldn't be suitable for a hot place like this. The moment we arrived, I immediately felt overheated. While I agree, being so exposed is very embarrassing." Bronya stands with her arms crossed, maintaining a certain composure, but her cheeks are flushed.
"Look on the bright side. You two will get to experience something new that you wouldn't be able to in Belobog. Besides, I'm sure you'll get used to it quickly."
I say this with a smile to cheer them up, but Seele, still a little irritated, looks at the clothes I'm wearing.
"It's not fair that we're both so exposed and you're completely covered. You can take it all off!" Seele yells, pointing a finger at me.
Seele is both irritated and embarrassed at the same time, and she ends up blurting out something without thinking.
Bronya looks at Seele in surprise, but remains silent without trying to correct her.
My eyes widen slightly in surprise, but I quickly smile calmly.
"As you wish, Seele."
A second later, blue-black flames cover my entire body, and I immediately change my clothes and use my summer Mystic Code.
💭I thought about using the one from Hawaii, but the one I used on that isolated island will do.
Bronya and Seele freeze when they see that my torso is fully exposed for everyone to see.
The last time I used this Mystic Code was at the running event Isthar organized years ago. My body hadn't been through much that day, but now, my body bears certain marks and scars from battles.
"Well, well, well... Look who's being naughty now? My eyes are here, ladies."
My playful teasing breaks the trance Bronya and Seele were in. They both quickly regain their composure, but I can see them stealing glances at my body.
Bronya is trying to maintain the composure of a noble lady, but I can see certain gaps in her mask, revealing her true thoughts.
Seele, on the other hand, refuses to look at me, but it seems she's fighting a futile battle.
"Ahem! I'm sorry about that. It was a bit inappropriate of me. You have a... strong body, Ritsuka." Bronya tries to avoid looking at me, but with little success.
"What she said!" Seele stands with her arms crossed, completely avoiding my gaze.
I let out a light laugh, watching their reactions, a sense of pride welling up within me as my training regimen is still paying off.
"Hehehe. Anyway. Let's start our date. We have plenty of places to choose from."
With that, the three of us left the room and headed for the hotel exit. Just as we reached the exit, I saw someone I hadn't expected to see in this place.
💭It's impossible, what I'm seeing...
"What are you doing here?!"
I end up screaming a little because of how surprised I am to see Herta here in this Las Vegas simulation.
To say I'm not completely surprised and delighted to see Herta's bikini would be a total understatement!
Seeing her exposed body brings back memories, and the feelings from the day of the "incident" have returned with a vengeance!
Although I have to admit I can't see a reason why she brought her puppets as escorts and maids.
💭I admit the puppets are cute; there's no reason she's using one as a walking parasol other than to show off her ego.
"And what's the problem with me being here, Ritsuka? Have you forgotten that other Geniuses can enter other simulated worlds? Hehehe, how naive of you, Assistant." Herta smirks as she boldly flaunts her body without any shame.
"That still doesn't explain why this world interests you! Since when do members of the Genius Society have interests in summer resorts?!" - Herta's smug smile mocks me in an annoying way.
💭 Since when do these geniuses manage to escape their research and experimentation bubble?
"Hey! I'm not the kind of woman who just gets lost in research every day. I also have days when I just want to focus on myself and my genius mind." Herta says this, charmingly using her hair as a cape to further showcase her beauty.
"Oh please, spare me this bullshit. The day you finally decide to do something other than research or experiments will be the day Nous is in danger. And no, you cooking doesn't count because you're terrible in the kitchen." I stand with my arms crossed, looking at this sexy old woman with a dry expression.
"How dare you—" Herta is interrupted.
"As interesting as it is to watch you two argue in irrelevant discussions, I believe we have things to do here," Bronya said, staring at me coldly.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot about the date you have with those little girls. You can go ahead. I'm just here to satisfy my curiosity."
With those words, Herta leaves the hotel, opening a portal, and enters with her puppets. Even though I'm inside a simulation, I still feel her presence in the Singularity.
💭If she's using teleportation to move around, why did Herta bother wearing a sexy bikini if she's just going to appear and disappear in certain places? I swear, this woman's ego...
"Tch! This woman still irritates me with her attitude." Seele can't help but feel annoyed by Herta.
"I don't expect you to get used to her after a day. Anyway. Ignoring that old woman. Let's visit one of the main casinos in this place, which is the closest to this hotel."
I decided to go to the Meltryllis Penguin Water Casino. There's also Jeanne's Shark Casino, but I don't want to run into Jeanne in 'Big Sister' mode and get hit by her lightning.
💭I'm sure they'll enjoy Melt's water show.
**********
Minutes later...
Water Palace...
***********
After I paid the casino entrance fee, Bronya and Seele were shocked to see how beautiful and spacious the Meltryllis Water Palace is.
It has practically everything: restaurants, pools, parks, and of course, several types of gambling.
It's quite difficult to say which casino is the best and most comfortable in this uniqueness; after all, the Artoria and Nitocris Casinos both have a unique beauty that reflects the beauty of their owners.
💭Although I have to admit, the mansion Morgan created is by far the most comfortable; if I hadn't been busy with my mission, I'd probably spend the entire summer there.
"This place is so amazing..." Seele is very impressed.
"I was already expecting this palace to be beautiful, but this completely exceeded my expectations." Bronya shares Seele's sentiment.
"That's why I decided to start our date here. The Water Palace has plenty of things to enjoy, though I advise against playing the gambling games." I look slightly apprehensive.
"Why not?" Bronya asks curiously.
"Well, let's just say the Meltryllis games are for people who are addicted to gambling because of how the games drain your will to stop playing. Most of the players are her loyal fans." I give a brief summary.
The girls are surprised to learn of the sadistic tactics Meltryllis uses to get money from her fanboys.
"Knowing that, how about we take advantage of the attractions this place offers?" I smile slightly.
With that, the girls and I decide to try everything Meltryllis Casino has to offer.
We participate in several activities and enjoy the various pools. However, the girls end up encountering a creature they've never seen before, and it's the Penguin.
"Look how adorable they are. They look really soft." Bronya is delighted to see the penguins walking around a pool.
"Ritsuka, what kind of animals are those?" Seele asks, sharing Bronya's sentiment about the penguins' cuteness.
"Their breed is called Emperor Penguins. They're birds that, instead of flying, specialize in swimming in the icy sea. Their natural habitat is the frozen south of my planet, called Antarctica." I explain to the girls.
"How interesting. So they're animals accustomed to the ice..." Bronya murmurs, not taking her eyes off the penguins.
"Wait a minute. If penguins are animals accustomed to living on ice like the two of us, why are they here in such a hot place?" Seele's question caught Bronya's attention, who was staring at me.
"It's simple. These penguins are Meltryllis's familiars, since she commands them. That's why the Penguins aren't affected by the heat, as their owner is protecting them." I explained to the girls.
💭 Oh, right... I forgot that Meltryllis doesn't like me calling her familiars Penguins; she thinks these animals are Leviathans. No matter how much I correct her, Meltryllis remains stubborn.
Just as we were talking, an alarm in the casino went off, and we received the news that Meltryllis was about to begin her water ballet performance.
Not wanting to waste any more time, the three of us headed to the performance stadium, which is basically the heart of the casino.
The center of the stadium has a huge deep pool with several ice attractions for Meltryllis to dance and perform her ice ballet.
It doesn't take long for the entire stadium to be filled with fans eager for her show. Bronya and Seele are amazed to see how full and excited the stadium is.
"Amazing. It's truly impressive how good Herta's invention is at simulating an entire world. It's easy to forget that this entire place is just an imitation of reality." - It's easy to see how awed Bronya is at the moment.
"Is it normal for fans to make this kind of noise? I've seen people express their admiration for someone in the Underworld, but these 'fans' admiration is bordering on obsession." - Seele is incredulous to see how loudly the fans are expressing their admiration.
💭This is nothing compared to Medb's fierce fans. It's a good thing we didn't run into her.
"The first time I was here, their attitude was the same. I'm not surprised, considering how talented Meltryllis is at dancing," I reply with a slight smile.
Soon after, a movement is heard from inside the large pool, and I immediately realize it's Meltryllis swimming up from the deep water.
💭 Here we go...
As a seasoned visitor to Meltryllis's performances, I immediately know she's swimming fast upward.
Since she's swimming very fast in the sea, she quickly reaches the top, and her beautiful body is quickly visible for all to see.
Immediately, everyone in the stadium is enchanted by the elegance of Meltryllis's performance.
After making her elegant entrance, Meltryllis begins to perform ballet dances on the ice, with some penguins accompanying her movements.
It's impressive that she can perform well with the penguins, but she's probably controlling them by giving them instructions.
While Melt's dance is going on, I glance at Bronya and Seele and see that they are both equally enchanted by Melt's dance.
Seeing this, I have a slight, satisfied smile on my face, knowing that the first phase of my plan is working.
💭Good. After this, I plan to take them to the Egyptian Casinos. I'm sure they'll enjoy seeing a pyramid for the first time and learning a little about Egypt. It's so good when everything is going well...
Unfortunately, just as I was feeling happy that everything was going well, I noticed a water attack heading towards Bronya and Seele.
I immediately shielded them with my body, as the attack was something I could withstand without any problems.
💭Those were two large water bubbles that probably wouldn't hurt the girls, but you never know.
"What the hell was that?! Who would attack us in the middle of this open place? Where's the security in this place?" - Seele immediately becomes aggressive after seeing that I protected her from the attack.
"Are you okay, Ritsuka?" Bronya asks.
"Yes. Water bubbles won't hurt me." I reply with a smile.
Seeing that they're safe for now, I decide to deal with the person responsible for attacking them. Obviously, the culprit is Meltryllis, who's looking directly at me.
💭Oh-oh... I know that look better than anyone. It's a huge shame she's in Lancer form, although in her original Class, she's not much different.
Even though we're far apart, I can clearly see the way Meltryllis is looking at me, jealous.
💭She probably didn't like seeing me near Bronya and Seele...
Of all BB's sentinel creations (daughters), Meltryllis is the Alter Ego who openly expresses what she desires, and this applies to her possessive personality, which really doesn't like seeing me near another girl when she's around.
These feelings are amplified even more when she's in the Lancer form she's currently using.
💭It's no wonder I call her the 'sadistic and clingy Yandere Girlfriend'.
"I'd rather face the storm than run away." I leap high toward Melt.
I land a little loudly, having stepped on the resistant ice floor. Now I'm face to face with one of my Servants, with whom I have a very strong bond.
"That little performance of yours is beautiful, Ritsuka. Although it lacks elegance." I hear a provocative, arrogant tone from Meltryllis.
"Hello, Meltryllis. Long time no see." I was about to continue, but Melt interrupted me.
"Stop the excuses, Master. You and I both know this is a waste of time." I saw a dry, cold expression on Melt's face, which made me a little afraid.
💭Wow, she's really angry. Thankfully, this is a simulation instead of the real Meltryllis, but that still doesn't change the fact that the simulated version is identical to the original.
"Okay. Being frank is the alternative. Right. Meltryllis, can you tell me why you attacked Bronya and Seele?" I asked this question even though I already had an idea of the answer.
"It's very simple. They were near something that belongs to me, and I just wanted to remind them of their territory." Meltryllis answered honestly, without a hint of shame.
💭 A good portion of the female Servants would argue with you about this...
"Look, I know you're... mad, but I really promised them this date, so can you let it slide? Just this once?" I make this request, pleading a little with Meltryllis.
Normally, I would try a different approach to this conversation, but Meltryllis knows me too well to fall for my evasive tricks.
So what's left for me is the honest and straightforward path: betting everything on my luck that the results will be in my favor.
However, I unfortunately know that my 'luck' is never on my side.
"Hehe~... Well well... Look who got bold and brave by becoming a Heroic Spirit. I can't say I didn't enjoy seeing your courage. I would say you're 'courting death,' but you've already done much more than simply court it, and I don't like remembering that clingy and disastrous Goddess of the Underworld." Meltryllis has a slight sadistic smile on her face.
I blush and feel a little embarrassed when I hear Meltryllis mention Ereshkigal, and I've also slightly poked at her shyness.
"Unfortunately, I'm not in the mood to grant your request. After all, I had prepared this show just for you, yet you decide to bring two people who don't belong here. It's really disappointing, don't you think, Lip?" Meltryllis said, looking at someone behind me.
💭 Wait, what?! Lip?!
"It's really sad. I was so excited to do my dance!" I hear Lip's voice behind me.
💭Passionlip?! You're here too?! I'd forgotten her 'Presence Cancellation' ability is quite high. No wonder I didn't notice her behind me.
Besides my surprise at seeing Passionlip present, she's also wearing a cute pink bikini and pink lipstick.
However, her large breasts end up stirring my carnal desires a bit.
"I was so excited to show you my princess costume, as well as my bikini, but now that surprise is over." Lip's expression is frustrated and mixed with tears, making me feel a slight sense of irritation, probably a result of her masochistic ability.
But before I could say anything to defend myself from this ambush I'd just fallen into, a loud bang echoes throughout the stadium.
💭That sound.... No way!
Immediately, a huge sense of danger surges within me, and the one responsible for this rumble appears above the stadium.
"I...found you...Master..." - A loud voice echoes throughout the stadium.
💭You've got to be kidding me! Why is Kingprotea here?! Where are you, BB?! Come get your daughters!
To make matters worse, one of the most destructive creations (daughters) of BB decides to show up, Kingprotea, the giant servant.
💭Damn, to make matters worse, she's in Yandere mode too. It would be great if she were in her innocent mode. Damn my luck!
"Oh? I didn't expect KP to show up. Good. With this, you have nowhere to run. So? What's it going to be, my dear, beloved swan? Are you going to surrender the easy way or the hard way?" Meltryllis said, licking her lips, which makes my skin crawl.
💭I only have one option.... It's all or nothing!
"It seems I have no choice. I'll use the secret and supreme technique I learned from the great Greek hero Jason! Which has been passed down by every great hero in every generation! Run away!!!" I scream loudly, expressing my fear of not wanting to stay and see what will happen to me.
In an instant, I use the speed abilities of Achilles and Atalanta combined with Edmond Dantes' speed, and in the blink of an eye, I'm racing toward Seele and Bronya.
The moment I reach them, I grab them both and run away from the Meltryllis casino.
💭I have to get to a safe place. The only safe alternative that exists in this singularity.
I chose the Camelot Casino, which obviously belongs to Artoria, the chief Goddess of this singularity. Therefore, her mansion is the safest place there is.
*************
I quickly reach the casino entrance and release Bronya and Seele, who are in shock from what just happened.
"What the hell was that?! That giant girl is bigger than the Guardian robot we fought before!" Seele is in shock after seeing KP for the first time.
"Ritsuka, don't tell me that giant girl is your Servant?" Bronya asks, looking at me with a surprised expression.
"So... The Servants you saw are Meltryllis's sisters. Passionlip is the one with the big golden claws, and Kingprotea is the giant girl you saw." I reply with an embarrassed smile.
"How do you manage to control those girls? For a moment, I thought they were going to destroy the entire stadium!" Seele said.
💭You have no idea, Seele.
"Ahem! Well, since we can't go back there for now, I think it's best if we go into this casino." I say this, pointing to the entrance to the Camelot Casino.
"Are you sure this place is really safe?" Bronya asks suspiciously.
"Can you guarantee we won't have any more chaotic surprises?" Seele asks.
I was about to give an immediate answer, but I fall silent after hearing what they said.
"Well, the only surprise you're likely to have is if the Knights guarding the Casino do something silly, but I can guarantee nothing chaotic will happen," I say with a smile.
💭After all, it's Artoria's Casino. I highly doubt this place will descend into chaos, even though the Knights of the Round Table have their chaotic moments.
After saying this, the three of us enter the Camelot Casino. Unlike Meltryllis' Casino, Artoria's is one hundred percent a gambling casino, but with an air of nobility and wealth.
"For some reason, I'm a little irritated by how fancy this place is," Seele comments.
"I feel quite comfortable here. It reminds me a bit of home," Bronya replies with a slight smile.
Normally, Artoria's knight butler, Bedivere, would greet and welcome us, but he's not the one.
"Oh? Look who's here, Mary. It's our dear and beloved Master." I hear a familiar voice that I recognize immediately.
Anne and Mary? Are they serving at Artoria's Casino?!
"Ah! Master!" I hear Mary's loud voice, quickly running toward me and jumping up to give me a hug.
"Here I was thinking we were going to spend this summer night alone, but it seems we were lucky to find you, Master." Anne smiles happily as she approaches us.
Mary Read and Anne Bonny are a pair of female pirates who were quite famous during the pirate era. Although their fame is short-lived and somewhat tragic, they are a formidable duo in naval battles or on land.
Honestly, I didn't expect these two to like me so quickly, especially after Blackbeard nicknamed them the 'Yuri Pirates' after both of them promptly shot him in the face as a result.
💭I'll never forget the day they gave me the key to their room, telling me I could come in anytime and any time I wanted, and that they were always eager for my visit.
It was certainly an experience I learned a lot from these two persistent pirates.
"Mary and Anne. I didn't expect to see you two here at Artoria Casino." I say this with a quick glance at the bunny costumes they're wearing and store the memory in my mind.
"The King offered us an opportunity to earn some extra money, and Mary and I decided not to let it pass us by. Hehe~ I see you're quite busy, Master. You brought guests. But it seems Mary doesn't want to leave your side," Anne said, looking at me with a provocative smile.
"Quiet, Anne. It's not like you're not feeling the same way," Mary replied shyly, holding me tightly and ignoring Bronya and Seele's presence.
"Hey, Bronya. Do you have your weapon ready?" Seele asked.
"I'm always ready. What about you?" Bronya asked.
"I am too. It's great that we have a perfect target to take out our anger on right in front of us." Seele said, looking at me.
I looked at the female pirate duos, who were completely focused on me, and then at Bronya and Seele, who had a look that made me want to put me in a coffin.
Seeing that I was surrounded again, I let out a sigh.
"I just wanted this to be a peaceful date... I'm innocent!" I say, frustrated.
To be continued...