A/N:
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I leaned back on the couch, half-finished cookie still in hand.
"By the way, Irina—you said you also have an Excalibur, right? But I don't see it anywhere on you."
She giggled, the kind of bright laugh that could melt tension instantly.
Then, with a bit of flourish, she untied the ribbon wrapped around her arm.
The simple fabric shimmered before my eyes, morphing and reshaping itself until a gleaming sword materialized in her grip.
"Hehe~! I've got Excalibur Mimic!" she said proudly, posing with it.
"It can change its form freely! Cool, right?!"
I blinked.
…Okay, not gonna lie—that was really cool.
"Wait, so you're telling me it can change shape freely?"
I asked, leaning forward, eyes lighting up.
"Then, can you turn it into a giant robot? Or a galactic spaceship? Ooh, how about a mechanical legendary dragon? No, wait! Let's make a new planet out of it!"
The room fell silent.
Every single person stared at me like I had finally gone insane.
Even Irina, who was puffed up with pride just a moment ago, froze mid-pose.
Her mouth opened slightly as her cheerful tone wavered.
"I… can't do those kinds of things," she admitted sheepishly.
Then, lowering her gaze, she added in a small, hesitant voice, "B-but… maybe… maybe I could someday?"
…Ah.
There it was.
That uncertain tone.
She was just trying not to crush my dream.
I sighed internally, forcing a nod as if deep in thought.
"Yeah, well… I guess if it could do all that, it wouldn't really be a sword anymore, huh?"
That excuse was enough to save my pride.
Barely.
Still, the idea of shaping worlds wasn't that far off.
Give me a year or two, and I could probably do it for real.
I shook off the thought, standing up and clapping my hands once.
"Anyway! You two can stay here for now. Just… don't cause any more trouble, alright?"
Irina smiled brightly and nodded.
Xenovia, still covered in healing light, managed a grunt that sounded vaguely like agreement.
Good enough.
I turned my gaze toward everyone in the room and spoke casually.
"By the way, I'll be heading to England tomorrow. Got some business there—nothing major. Might do a bit of sightseeing while I'm at it. So, I'll be gone for maybe three days… a week at most. If anyone wants something from there, now's your chance to tell me."
The moment the words left my mouth, everyone froze mid-action.
The only one who didn't look surprised was Akeno—since, of course, she already knew.
Rias blinked, setting her teacup down with a faint clink.
"England? All of a sudden? You didn't even tell me about this before."
Her crimson eyes narrowed, more in concern than anger.
"You're not going there for something dangerous, are you?"
I shrugged, smiling faintly.
"Nothing like that. Just… a bit of personal business."
Akeno chuckled softly behind Rias.
"Ara~ I already asked him the same thing. He insists it's safe, though I'll admit I'm curious about what kind of 'business' takes him overseas~"
Her teasing tone earned her a half-hearted glare from Rias.
I said, exasperated.
"Why are you saying it like that? You know I am going to the award ceremony already."
Sona adjusted her glasses, her expression sharp but composed.
"England, huh? That's quite a distance. Just be sure you inform us before leaving next time. And… try not to cause any international incidents while you're there."
"...I'll try my best not to," I replied dryly.
Koneko, munching on a cookie beside me, finally looked up.
"Bring back snacks," she said flatly, then added after a pause, "Lots of them."
I chuckled.
"Sure thing, small one. I'll fill a suitcase just for you."
Asia's eyes widened slightly, her voice soft and worried.
"Um… will you be alright, Zevion? England sounds so far… I-I hope you won't get hurt or anything…"
I gave her a reassuring smile.
"I'll be fine, Asia. You'll see me before you even have time to miss me."
Then Irina leaned forward, puffing her cheeks.
"England?! When we just met first time in years?! I should totally come with you!"
I deadpanned.
"You're supposed to be on a mission here."
"B-but—You will need a guide! And I know lots of places there!"
She protested dramatically, waving her hands.
Akeno laughed quietly, "Ufufu~ looks like someone's jealous~"
Irina turned red instantly.
"I-I'm not jealous! I just—! … okay, maybe a little."
Rias sighed, massaging her temple.
"Honestly… with you gone, this house might actually be too peaceful."
"Hey, that's rude," I said, though I couldn't help smirking.
"But I'll take it as a compliment."
"Oh, right—before I forget."
I said, snapping my fingers as shadows stirred around the room.
"I'm taking these fallen angels back into my shadow. Don't want them running around and causing trouble again. And considering they survived a month on scraps, I doubt they'll die from just four days without food. Just remind me when I get back that we still have to interrogate them, alright?"
I pointed lazily toward the three fallen angels still bound tightly in my shadow restraints.
Rias and Sona both let out a synchronized sigh—one of those 'we've given up trying to reason with him' kinds of sighs.
Sona adjusted her glasses, muttering under her breath.
"Fine. Whatever. Just don't forget where you're storing them this time."
"Noted," I replied casually.
The shadows beneath the angels rippled like liquid and swallowed them whole, vanishing as if they'd never been there in the first place.
"Well then," I said, stretching my arms and yawning, "I'll go pack up my stuff and get some sleep. Gotta catch an early flight tomorrow."
As I turned to leave, I gave Irina a quick look.
"Oh—and seriously, Irina. Don't cause any trouble while I'm gone. If you need anything, just ask the maid, alright?"
She pouted slightly.
"I won't cause trouble! Probably…"
"Yeah, that 'probably' doesn't fill me with confidence."
I muttered as I walked off toward my room.
With that, I left the living room behind, their quiet sighs and murmurs fading as I climbed the stairs—already planning how to deal with England tomorrow.
I entered my room as I started preparing.
"Wait… why am I even packing my own stuff?"
I muttered aloud, staring at my half-open suitcase.
"I literally have maids for this kind of thing."
I glanced at the shadow writhing beneath my feet.
"Giratina, summon Ravel here."
The shadows swirled and rose like black smoke before condensing into a small vortex.
With a fwip, Ravel popped out of the darkness—
…wearing nothing but her underwear.
I blinked.
She blinked.
The room froze.
Ah.
I guess she'd been changing when she got summoned.
Heat crept up my neck as I spun around, holding a hand over my face.
"Seriously?! What do you think you're doing, dirtying my eyes like that?!"
I barked, trying to cover my embarrassment with volume.
"Go get dressed or something! I've got actual work for you!"
Ravel, who had been covering herself with both arms, went from tomato-red embarrassment to tomato-red rage in a heartbeat.
"You're the one who teleported me here out of nowhere!!"
She shrieked.
Next thing I knew, she was stomping up to me and grabbing me by the collar, shaking me hard enough to rattle my teeth.
"I was in the middle of changing clothes! Do you even have the slightest decency?!"
She snapped, her wings fluttering in anger.
I raised my hands defensively, trying to keep a straight face.
"Look, I wasn't expecting this! Just—just get dressed first, okay?! Then yell at me after!"
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