[The winter holiday ended in an uneasy calm.]
[The new semester arrived as scheduled.]
[But many things had quietly changed.]
At Fujimura Taiga's rented residence.
Tohsaka Rin, dressed in her school uniform, arrived with Archer Atalanta. Tohsaka Sakura and Ian stood on the other side.
"School starts today," Tohsaka Rin said. "Ian, Sakura... don't stick together like you usually do. If other students and teachers see, it'll be impossible to explain."
"..." Hearing this, Tohsaka Sakura bit her lip. Clearly, for her, not being able to cling to Ian like during the holidays was quite a dreadful thing. Ian noticed this. He reached out and gently stroked the girl's head, comforting her.
"It's okay. We can still be together at night, can't we?"
"...You're right." Tohsaka Sakura regained her composure. "I have to work hard."
"That's more like it." Seeing Tohsaka Sakura return to normal, Ian nodded with relief.
"But speaking of which—" Ian looked at Atalanta beside Tohsaka Rin, who was dressed quite conservatively and had her cat ears and tail hidden, momentarily unable to grasp the intention behind it. "Archer came along too. Doesn't Mrs. Aoi need her?"
"I initially wanted to leave her behind," Tohsaka Rin put a hand to her forehead, looking quite helpless. "But she insisted on coming with me. What can I do?"
"..." Atalanta didn't respond to her Master's words, but instead secretly observed Ian's reaction. In a way, she felt Ian was her true Master. The little cat-girl was very worried he would dislike her. But the man's reaction was normal.
"I see," Ian nodded. "Then—does she have arrangements already? Will she be a student with you?"
"Of course not," Tohsaka Rin quickly denied Ian's suggestion. "Archer is so unique... and she doesn't like spiritualization. If she were in the classroom, she'd probably be discovered quickly. So—" Tohsaka Rin's gaze fell upon the man. "I decided to have her follow you to the Kyudo Club. That way, it's not easy for her to be discovered, and if something truly happens, you two can rush over immediately. Should be fine, right?"
"..." Ian didn't answer Tohsaka Rin, but instead looked at Tohsaka Sakura beside him. Only after the latter nodded in confirmation did he answer the question.
"Okay, I understand."
"Alright then." Tohsaka Rin didn't procrastinate any further. "It's almost time. Sakura, it's time for school. We can't arrive at the same time as Ian."
"Eh?" Reminded by her sister, Tohsaka Sakura became a little reluctant to part. However—she also knew she couldn't be so willful. The girl leaned close to the man, took his hand, and shyly asked:
"Mr. Ian, I'm going to school. Can... can I have a kiss?"
No sooner had she spoken than Tohsaka Sakura felt herself pulled into the man's embrace. The next moment was a familiar and wonderful sensation—Ian did indeed kiss her. After a moment of tenderness, their lips slowly parted. The man gently asked: "Sakura, is that enough?"
"E-enough..." Tohsaka Sakura touched her lips, turned around, and said with a blissful expression. "Sister, let's go."
"Oh, okay..." Tohsaka Rin, having witnessed the passionate scene, felt a little sour at the corners of her mouth. She wondered if she said the same thing, would he... No! Tohsaka Rin, what are you thinking?!
Shink— The door opened, then closed. Only Ian and Atalanta remained in the room.
Thump-thump, thump-thump. The little cat-girl felt her heart pounding. The tail, previously hidden beneath her clothes, also began to wag.
Just the two of them! Ju-st the two of them! So, it would be normal for anything natural to happen, right? No! It should be fine even if it's not natural! Just then, Ian's voice came through.
"Atalanta..."
Zzzzt! The little cat-girl, as if electrified, instinctively responded based on past experiences. "Understood, Master~ I'll get undressed right now to serve you~"
Saying this, Atalanta began to pull at her clothes. She didn't find this shameful at all.
"..."
[You realize that you absolutely cannot communicate with Atalanta in a normal way.]
[She seems to have developed an extremely strong dependence on you for some reason.]
[This is not something that can be resolved with just a few words.]
[However—]
[You feel that you might be able to use this to your advantage.]
"Wait a moment," Ian reached out and stopped Atalanta. "You... think I'm your Master, right?"
"..." Although she didn't understand why Ian was asking such a question, Atalanta nodded without hesitation. "Mm~ You... are my Master!"
"Alright then." Ian placed his other hand on Atalanta's head, stroking her soft hair. "As your Master, I command you: Without my permission... you are not to go into heat like this, nor are you to wag your tail. And—you must call me Ian. Understood?"
This tactic proved effective. If he had calmly expressed his requests to Atalanta in his previous tone, she likely wouldn't have listened. But—if he gave her commands as her "Master," the situation was different. This was a "Master's task," and Atalanta would likely carry it out!
"Without Master's permission... not to go into heat or wag my tail like this?" The little cat-girl's body trembled, a sign of her extreme effort to restrain herself. "I understand. However—" Atalanta cautiously looked at Ian, her expression somewhat uneasy and anxious. "Ma... Ian, can I go into heat for a little while now?"
"..."
[At this moment, you genuinely feel no romantic affection for Atalanta.]
[But seeing her pitiful look, you feel a pang of reluctance.]
[This does not violate Tohsaka Sakura's Command Spell restrictions—after all, you haven't developed feelings for Atalanta.]
[So you still have sufficient autonomy.]
"Alright," the man spread his arms, assuming a hugging posture. "Just for a moment... I'll allow it."
"Mm~" Atalanta buried herself in Ian's embrace. She wasn't usually so clingy—it was only with him that she behaved this way. To have met him in this Holy Grail War was already quite fortunate. However—the cat-girl's small moment of fortune didn't last long. Just a few seconds after she began to enjoy her Master's embrace, a shout came from outside the door.
"Hey—!"
"Teacher Ian, are you home?!"
The cat-girl's ears immediately perked up—she hadn't heard that voice before. Ian, however, reacted immediately. He replied towards the door: "Teacher Taiga, is that you?"
"That's right, that's right! It's me!" Fujimura Taiga, having been recognized, seemed quite pleased. "Can I come in now?"
"..." Hearing this, Ian realized it was best to go along with her. After all, this residence was rented to him and Tohsaka Sakura by her—and after learning they were a teacher and student at Homurahara Academy, the rent had instantly become quite favorable. Although Tohsaka Sakura wasn't short on money, Fujimura Taiga's kindness was still worth acknowledging.
Having figured out the correct way to "activate" Atalanta, Ian knew how to make her obey.
"Atalanta."
"As your Master, I command you... stop what you're doing immediately."
This was a method comparable to a Command Spell. Atalanta shivered all over, then reluctantly left Ian's embrace and stood beside him. Ian was thus able to say: "Teacher Taiga, please come in!"
"Alrighty~" Fujimura Taiga's energetic voice came through.
Swish! The door opened. Fujimura Taiga, dressed in her school uniform, looked at the interior of the house and happily spoke to herself: "Wow! It's so clean! It's like a completely different place! It was definitely the right choice to rent it to you!"
"Eh—?" Fujimura Taiga, regaining her senses, noticed Atalanta standing beside Ian. She narrowed her eyes like a little tiger, scrutinizing the person in front of her. "Who's this... I haven't seen her before?"
Suddenly, Fujimura Taiga realized something. "Ian! You're not bringing other women home when you have a student living with you, are you?!"
"If you're going to do that, I'll have to kick you out!"
"Of course not!" Ian quickly explained. "This is..." The man's gaze swept over the little cat-girl, then he very earnestly expressed his thoughts. "A very important companion of mine. Although I haven't seen her in a while—she's still very important. She plans to work with me at Homurahara Academy."
Atalanta immediately understood the hidden meaning in Ian's words. He might genuinely not recognize her. But even so—he still held her in high regard. A warm feeling surged through the cat-girl's heart, while Fujimura Taiga seemed a bit confused. She scratched her face, then said: "You have so many girls around you... you're truly a charming man."
"Uh... perhaps," Ian laughed awkwardly. "So, Teacher Taiga, why did you come here?"
"Oh!" Fujimura Taiga grinned. "It's the first day of school, right... and I just heard that Misaya suddenly resigned. I remember you two were quite close before, so I wanted to come and ask if you knew where she got a high-paying job."
"..." Hearing this, Ian's heart sank. Although he had predicted this outcome, it still touched him when he actually heard it. But touched as he was, Ian knew this was as far as it went—Misaya was a complete enemy.
"Sorry, I don't know. Misaya... hasn't contacted me in a long time."
"I see," Fujimura Taiga shrugged. "Well, if that's the case, I can only wish her well in finding a better job—I quite liked her."
"Oh, right," Fujimura Taiga glanced at her watch. "Ian, it's almost time, let's go to school together."
"Okay."
[You leave the residence with Atalanta.]
[It must be said that with the addition of the cheerful Fujimura Taiga as a cover, the silent Atalanta was not easily noticed.]
[You successfully arrive at Homurahara Academy.]
Inside the Homurahara Academy Kyudo Club.
Looking at the dojo in front of her, the cat-girl Atalanta felt a sense of awe. "Ian... is this where you usually work?"
"It's not really 'work'," Ian explained while tidying up the wooden spears scattered on the floor. "It's just that there's a place here where I can hide my identity."
"Then..." Atalanta's voice softened a bit, looking quite worried. "Can I stay here too?"
"What are you talking about?" Ian put the wooden spears back where they belonged. "I brought you here precisely so you could stay by my side. Or... do you want to go somewhere else? I can see if I can arrange it for you."
"I'm not going anywhere!" Atalanta flatly denied other possibilities. "Ian, I want to help!"
And so—the two began to clean the Kyudo Club dojo, and the atmosphere became much more harmonious.
[Time flew by quickly.]
[Soon, the opening ceremony officially began.]
[Homurahara Academy, which had been quiet all winter, also became lively.]
"Atalanta, aren't you going out to see?"
"No, I'm not." Atalanta sat beside Ian. "After all... it's so rare to be with..."
"Just call me Master if you want," Ian sighed. "You can do that privately, but definitely not when there are a lot of people."
"Then—" Atalanta leaned against Ian. "Master... can I go into heat now?"
"..."
"Yes," the man replied helplessly.
Despite saying "go into heat," Atalanta's actions were merely lying on Ian's lap. Beside him, she was like a real kitten.
But just then—a blonde, green-eyed girl in a school uniform, carrying a small bag, politely asked people for directions across the campus.
"Oh, oh... Mr. Ian is over there, right?"
"The Kyudo Club up ahead?"
"Do I need to register my name to enter?"
"Then—I'll write Artoria Pendragon."