Hub World, Earth, Japan, Tokyo.
Shortly after Sumire subdued the Mugen Tenshin elder, Genra, Hayate and the other three elders invited her inside the mansion. On top of that, they took Genra into custody, intent on interrogating him. Because despite the fact that they were uncomfortable with an outsider attacking one of their elders, they were not foolish enough to overlook Sumire's suspicions.
Meanwhile, Tatsuo, after chatting with Kasumi while she ate her dinner, returned to his bedroom. Sitting at his piano, Tatsuo was not playing at the moment. Instead, he was looking down at his smartphone, reading a text from Yakumo.
Tsukamoto Yakumo: Nee-Sama and her friends have decided to come to your concert on Friday
Soramoto Tatsuo: Technically, it's not my concert
Soramoto Tatsuo: I'm just an accompanist
Tsukamoto Yakumo: I know
Tsukamoto Yakumo: But we don't know the violinist
Tsukamoto Yakumo: So, to us, it's your show, Tatsuo-Kun
Soramoto Tatsuo: I guess that makes sense
Soramoto Tatsuo: So, does that mean you're going to have to buy a dress?
Soramoto Tatsuo: If so, you can come with me, Mom, Mai-Nee, and Tio when we go to buy my tux
Tsukamoto Yakumo: I appreciate the offer
Tsukamoto Yakumo: But I already bought one
Soramoto Tatsuo: Really?
Soramoto Tatsuo: Let me guess, you went with Sawachika-Senpai
Tsukamoto Yakumo: That's right
Tsukamoto Yakumo: She took us to a high-end boutique to choose dresses
Tsukamoto Yakumo: Luckily, both Nee-San and I had quite a bit in our savings
Tsukamoto Yakumo: So, we did not have to borrow money
Soramoto Tatsuo: That's good
Soramoto Tatsuo: Being in debt sucks
Soramoto Tatsuo: At least, that's what I hear, anyway
Tsukamoto Yakumo: Yes, I've heard that it is not a pleasant thing, as well
Soramoto Tatsuo: Anyway, what kind of dress did you get?
Soramoto Tatsuo: Did you take any pictures?
At that moment, Yakumo, lying in bed at the Tsukamoto Residence with her smartphone in her hands, blushed. She then looked to her closet. There, a long white evening gown with a pink sash stitched around the waist hung from a hook on the door while covered in plastic.
When Yakumo thought about the reaction Tatsuo might show when he saw her in the dress, her blush deepened. Then, after a few moments, she shook her head and turned her attention back to her phone.
Tsukamoto Yakumo: No, I won't send you any pictures
Tsukamoto Yakumo: It's a surprise
Tsukamoto Yakumo: You'll just have to wait until Friday night
Soramoto Tatsuo: Come on
Soramoto Tatsuo: Don't be like that
Tsukamoto Yakumo: You'll just have to be patient
After that, Tatsuo spent the next few minutes pestering Yakumo for pictures. Yet, nothing came of it. Eventually, Yakumo ended the conversation because she had to do some chores around the house.
"*Sigh* What should I do now?" Tatsuo asked himself as he laid his smartphone on top of his piano. "I could train. But I really don't feel like training alone, and Kasumi-Oneesan just got back from a mission. So, I can't ask her. There's Tio, but... Yeah, no. I don't wanna deal with her masochism right now."
Just then, Tatsuo remembered the update from the [Dimensional Chat]. There were actually two new things to explore that he did not get the chance to earlier today.
"Oh, I could try the [Challenge Tower] or the [Training Space]." Tatsuo muttered to himself as he picked up his smartphone again. "And I think I'll try the [Training Space]... If there's anyone that wants to come in with me, anyway. If not, I'll just try the [Challenge Tower]."
Coming to a conclusion, Tatsuo picked up his smartphone. Then, he climbed into bed as he opened the [Dimensional Chat] in his mind as he put the phone on the charger.
{[Dimensional Chat]
Tatsuo (Admin): So, has anyone tried the training space or challenge tower?
Tatsuo (Admin): I've been practicing for a concert all day
Tatsuo (Admin): So, I haven't had the chance yet
Alfonzo: Me neither
Alfonzo: I was busy keeping up a containment field while Porlyusica was dissecting Black Zetsu
James: Seriously?
James: You caught that guy?
Lici: Yeah, he jumped into a trap on his own
Lici: Apparently, the Mayfly technique doesn't let him shift through metal
Lici: Who knew?
Zelretch: Zetsu? Mayfly?
Sakura: I'm curious, as well
James: Hold up
James: Naruto doesn't exist in your world?
Sakura: Why wouldn't fish cakes exist in our world?
Violet: That's definitely a no
Violet: The Naruto they are talking about is a manga/anime series about flashily dressed ninjas
Sakura: That sounds counter productive
Violet: It is
Violet: They aren't real ninjas as far as I'm concerned
James: Of course they aren't
James: They're anime characters
Violet: You know what I meant
Akatsuki: I agree with Violet
Akatsuki: Those characters are the furthest thing from being ninjas
Lici: An Assassin/Tracker build would know exactly what a ninja is
Lici: She's even taken a lord
Akatsuki: Shut up!
Sakura: Assassin/Tracker build?
James: I guess she's not a gamer
James: But with a grandfather like Zouken, that doesn't surprise me
Alfonzo: I should find a way to introduce video games into my world
Alfonzo: I could make a lot of money
Zelretch: And ruin the younger generation
Zelretch: Video games are just a waste of time and don't teach kids anything
James: Ah! It's a 3000-year-old boomer!
James: Look out!
Alfonzo: Lmao!
Zelretch: Brat
Tatsuo (Admin): Anyway
Tatsuo (Admin): I was gonna try out the training space
Tatsuo (Admin): Anyone wanna come with me?
Aletia: I'll go
James: I saw that coming
Lici: Everyone did
Tatsuo (Admin): Anyone else?
Sakura: I would like to try
Violet: As would I
Alfonzo: I think I'll pass
Alfonzo: Don't wanna be a 5th wheel
James: I'll pass, too
Lici: Me, too
Akatsuki: I would like to go
Akatsuki: But I don't have the time
Akatsuki: We're still making preparations for Shiroe's plan
Tatsuo (Admin): Alright, then I guess it's just the 4 of us
Tatsuo (Admin): I'll start up the training space and send the invites in a minute}
After his last message, Tatsuo navigated through the [Dimensional Chat] tab until he found the [Training Space]. When he did, he found a list of parameters he needed to input before opening the [Training Space].
"Let's see." Tatsuo said while looking over the list of parameters. "Environment... They've got all sorts of places to train from empty training rooms like the ones in fighting games to open fields, mountainous regions, watery terrain, and even outer space. They put a lot of thought into this."
After choosing the empty training room just to get a feel for what the [Training Space] felt like, Tatsuo shifted to the other parameters. Leaving most of them blank, Tatsuo decided to set up a [Training Space] similar to the training room his mother set up. Something containing workout machines and a sparring ring.
After that, before Tatsuo could start the [Training Space], he received a [Notification] detailing the cost of his selections.
{[Notifications]
Selection Cost Review
-Basic Training Space: 100 Coins
-Sparring Ring: 50 Coins
-Training Machines: 50 Coins
Total: 200 Coins
Are you sure you would like to open a [Training Space] with these parameters? Y/N}
Without hesitation, Tatsuo selected yes. With the number of Coins collected over his life, 200 Coins was nothing to him. Then, a moment after finalizing the [Training Space], Tatsuo received yet another [Notification].
{[Notifications]
Would you like to enter the [Training Space] alone or in a group?
[Alone] [Group]}
Tatsuo quickly chose group in response.
{'Notifications]
When entering the [Training Space] as a group, there are two options for payment.
-First, each member of the [Dimensional Chat] can pay 75% of the total.
-Second, one member can pay 100% of the total with an additional 25% for each additional member invited.
Which option will you select?}
Without even having to think about it, Tatsuo chose the second option. Even if he had not already agreed to pay for the test run of the [Training Space], it was a no brainer which would have been less expensive. Though, had the ones he was bringing into the [Training Space] with him been anyone other than Violet, Aletia, and Sakura, he probably would have chosen the first option... For obvious reasons.
Shortly afterwards, Violet, Aletia, and Sakura received invitations to enter the [Training Space]. Meanwhile, Tatsuo had already entered.
[Training Space]
Appearing in the center of the [Training Space], where the sparring ring was set up, Tatsuo looked around. What he saw was a large, white room about the size of an Olympic-sized running track crisscrossed by black lines. These patterns made it look as though the room was made by placing white blocks together.
Set up around the sparring ring were a number of workout machines. However, instead of standard weights, the resistances used were hydraulic presses. And that was not just for the press exercises, but for all of them.
"I don't even know how that works." Tatsuo muttered to himself while scanning all the machines with his eyes. "Definitely magic involved. But since it's not my area of expertise, I'll just use them and not care how they work."
Nodding to himself at his decision, Tatsuo continued to look around. By the time he was able to identify all the machines and their purposes, three flashes of light appeared around him in short succession.
"Hey." Tatsuo said casually with a smile on his face as the light revealed Violet, Aletia, and Sakura.
"Hello, Tatsuo-Kun." Violet replied with a smile. "It's good to see you again."
"Tatsuo!" Aletia, not bothering with pleasantries, shouted as she threw herself at Tatsuo immediately.
Plucking Aletia out of the air, Tatsuo spun her around to bleed off the momentum. Then, with one arm under her butt, he held her to his chest as if he were carrying a child.
"Hey, Aletia." Tatsuo said, just as casually while continuing to smile. "I guess you missed me, huh?"
Nodding her head, Aletia then laid her head on Tatsuo's shoulder while wrapping her arms around his neck. Meanwhile, Tatsuo turned to look at Sakura as Aletia started rubbing her cheek on him.
"Hey, Sakura." Tatsuo said. "How are things going in your world now that the Holy Grail War is over?"
Unsurprisingly, when Tatsuo turned his smile in Sakura's direction, she turned away. Nor did it surprise Tatsuo that he saw a hint of darkness in Sakura's eyes before she did so. It was no secret that Sakura had begun to harbor feelings for him after she was saved from Zouken. And when she found out his true identity and that he was not just a Heroic Spirit, although Tatsuo was not there, he could imagine that her feelings only grew.
Unfortunately, neither Tatsuo nor Elicia had mentioned that he already had a girlfriend, Violet. So, everyone knew that something like this would happen when she saw him again. And because of that, Violet was the first one to move after the darkness in Sakura's eyes showed itself.
"Okay, Aletia-San, you can cling to Tatsuo-Kun later." Violet said as she pulled Aletia out of Tatsuo's arms. "For now, you, me, and Sakura-San need to have a talk."
Although she was dissatisfied about being pulled away from Tatsuo so quickly after finally getting to meet him again, Aletia did not cause a fuss. Though, the pout on her face was so vicious that it could have been considered criminal.
Violet and Aletia then led Sakura away towards the edge of the [Training Space], leaving Tatsuo alone as he watched the three ladies leave.
"*sigh* I guess Alfonzo was right." Tatsuo muttered to himself. "I can't run from this, huh? I mean, it looks like the decision was made for me. Then again, I know I wouldn't be okay if any of them ended up with someone else, either. So, maybe this is for the best."
As Tatsuo muttered to himself, he made his way over to the workout machines, stopping next to the bench press. All the while, he could not help but think about the women he was close to, namely, Mai, Kasumi, Yakumo, Violet, Aletia, Shea, Tio, and Ayane. There were also four girls he met in James' world, Kunou, Maria, Kokoa, and Lilith. However, he was not as close to them and did not count them among his hoard… yet.
"Getting with Lilith might be fun, though." Tatsuo muttered to himself as he adjusted the weight settings for the bench press. "I mean, she's James' grandmother, right. So, making him call me Grandpa might be fun."
Scattered Cherry Blossoms Universe, Underworld, Alaverus Territory, Alaverus Estate.
"Oh, fuck no!" James suddenly shouted.
"What is wrong, my disciple?" Scáthach asked, not even bothered by James' sudden shout.
Currently, James was sitting in his art studio, which also served as his office, chatting in the [Dimensional Chat] while filling out a report about his peerages' last mission. And since Scáthach was aware of the [Chat], she no longer found it strange when James had these little outbursts.
"Honestly, I'm not sure." James replied while lightly pulling on the braids hanging at the back of his head. "I just felt like someone was plotting against me. And although I never felt any danger coming from it, I felt like if they succeeded, I would be on the end of someone's teasing instead of the other way around."
Instead of replying, Scáthach only stared at James, her stare so dry that James felt like he would need a glass of water soon.
*Click!*
However, before the atmosphere could get too awkward, the door to his art studio opened. Then, Lilith, in her younger form, a petite girl looking no older than fifteen with long black hair and grey eyes, walked into the room. She then, without any deviations, made her way over to James' desk and looked him in the eyes.
"Hey, Grandma." James said with a smile, happy to break eye contact with his [Queen]. "What can I do for you?"
"When is Tatsuo coming back?" Lilith asked bluntly.
"Uh…" James could only scratch his head in response. "Honestly, I don't know."
"Then ask him." Lilith replied just as bluntly. "I want to see him again. Make it happen."
Hearing his grandmother's commanding tone, James was brought up short for a moment.
"*Sigh* You know, from the way you lay around the house and rage over Soulsborne games, it's easy to forget that you were once the queen of all devils." James said with a chuckle. "But when you throw your weight around like this, it all comes crashing back. Anyway, I know that Tatsuo has been pretty busy recently, his first public concert is coming up in a few days. So, he's going to be practicing for a while."
Hearing that, Lilith's eyes lit up.
"I want to see it." Lilith said in an intense tone. "James, we'll be going to Tatsuo's world to see his concert. Make it happen."
After speaking her piece, Lilith turned around. Then, without giving James a chance to retort, she left the art studio and closed the door behind her.
"Well, that happened." James muttered as he shook his head.
"Shall I begin preparations for a trip to another world, my disciple?" Scáthach asked, sounding a bit amused by how helpless James was to say no to Lilith.
"*Sigh* Yeah." James replied while waving his hand. "I'll have to talk to Tatsuo about it, though. We'll need him to find us somewhere to stay, after all."
"We could just use magic to bend the people of the city to our will, though." Scáthach countered.
"Nah, we'd better not." James replied. "There's a guardian-like entity in his version of Earth. And if we start doing that, they might make a move. And I don't wanna deal with that headache."
As he said that, James began rubbing his temples. A moment later, however, he remembered that strange feeling of crisis he felt a little while ago.
"Still, I wonder why I felt like that..." James muttered as he lowered his hand and picked up his pen again. "I mean, just who could be plotting against me?"