Confrontation and Doing Some Shopping To Repay a Debt

"Haha...funny how stuff like this can happen, huh?" I asked with a wry smile, trying to play off the fact that I'd just fell through someone's roof. But the sword didn't move and neither did I get a laugh from the person pointing a sword at my face.

The dust cleared up a little and something else was pointed at me...a staff. Like a magic staff. How did I know it was magic? Because a magic circle was slowly coming together at the end of it.

"How do you expect you'll repay us for what you've done?" a serious, if not straight up cold as ice voice spoke and I could finally make out who was pointing the sword at me. They had the appearance of a young woman in her late teens with a slender physique, soft skin, and green eyes. She has finely textured blonde hair that seems as if sprinkled with gold dust and under the light coming in through the hole in the roof...it sparkled like liquid gold. Her face looked a year or two younger than me but it was steely and dignified, with zero emotion showing.

She was stunningly beautiful.

...She's also Artoria Pendragon from the Fate series. Though from the lack of Excalibur...it doesn't seem like she's her servant form. Reincarnation maybe?

"...I didn't do it on purpose, so does that count for something?" I asked, cringing at my own reasoning. Artoria's face went even colder as the sword inches closer to my neck. It wouldn't kill me and I could take the hit - I'd heal - but Kunou who was shaking wouldn't be fine. I had to avoid a fight. "I'll give you my details and I'll pay for the repairs in increments--" before I could finish, however, the sword shook as it poked against my neck.

"I don't care about the roof!" Artoria gave an indignant shout, her face looking slightly saddened, "You destroyed our lunch! My sister spent all morning making my favorite meals...and you destroyed them!" she self-righteously shouted with a serious face but all I could manage in reply was...

"Eh?"

"Hamburgers...glazed pork cutlets...beautiful bowls of rice! All destroyed! By you, you dastardly knave!"

"Eh?" I still couldn't compute how someone could get so angry over food. Even if her expression was still mainly emotionless, just like her tone (though the latter was filled with regret), her aura was still whipping around her body. "Okay, okay, calm down!" I quickly got up and pushed the sword and staff away from me, "How about I buy you whatever food you want? I had to go and do some food shopping anyway, so we could go and pick up stuff for you..."

As soon as I finished, the staff was pulled away from me and I turned to look at the mage, only to be stunned by her similarity to Artoria.

Golden blonde hair which is left loose and over her shoulders instead of plaited and tied up like Artoria's, blue eyes (the only thing different on her face to Artoria), and a beautiful, youthful face. Though unlike Artoria she looked much more upbeat and energetic. She looked like a more normal girl, if I had to put it any way.

"Onee-sama...we should let him buy the food...budgets are a bit low after all..." the girl said and I finally took in her attire and realized who she was. She was wearing what looked like a Japanese middle school girl uniform consisting of a grey blazer with blue plaid accents over a white dress shirt with a black tie, a black skirt, and black shoes. But the thing captured my attention the most was the huge blue hat with a black bow and yellow stars on it and a matching cape with pink flowers and a white interior. She was Le Fay Pendragon from Highschool DxD.

...Seeing that she's here, it would be safe to assume that not everyone from Highschool DxD was added. Which is good because I don't wanna deal with that pervert Issei. He's a good guy and all but if he made a pass on Monika or even Yasaka...well, Highschool DxD would be losing it's protagonist. Or it's protagonist would be losing his ability to procreate.

Upon hearing Le Fay's words, Artoria's eyes went wide before she nodded her head, "Mhm, that's good. You will pay for our new food," she then pointed the sword back at me, "But if you scheme to get out of it, I will attack without holding back!" she suddenly pointed the sword at Kunou who was hiding behind me, which made me frown, "That warning especially goes to you, fox-girl! You're kind are known for their slyness--!" she was interrupted by me bringing the sword back to pointing at me.

Even as Artoria tried to move her sword, I kept it frozen in place, "Don't point the sword at her, please. She's done nothing to you and she's only a child," I got that out calmly, yet I felt anger bubbling to the surface at the thought of a fellow Therianthrope getting hurt. I felt a kinship with Yokai, so I wouldn't just let people threaten them. "She's under my protection, so if you point that sword at her again - I'll attack without holding back. Me landing on your food will seem like a trivial thing when I've blown up you and your house with a punch," I said before picking Kunou up and placing her on my back and walking past the Pendragon sisters. I found the door and turned my head to look back at them, "Are you coming or not?"

With a slight stutter, they both answered yes before following quickly behind me. Though I didn't miss Kunou sticking her tongue out at Artoria.

Ah, what a cute kid.

. . .

POV Change - 3rd Person

Yasaka laughed with a hand over her mouth, obviously joyous over Haru's protectiveness around her daughter, "See? He's already taking up his duties as a bodyguard. So why are you so against him taking the job?" hearing what she said, Monika rolled her eyes before replying with a snappy tone.

"Haru's just being a decent guy, okay? Probably has something to do with his instincts mixing with his weird desire to protect people," Monika said before bringing a hand to her chin, "Though those blonde-hair sisters seem a bit troublesome."

Hearing Monika, Yasaka laughed before motioning behind Monika, "Says the little girl who's bringing along her neighbor's kouhai because apparently she needs to 'learn her place'. Exactly who is troublesome here? Hmm?" Yasaka teased as she looked at the squirming Akane who was being held in place by Monika's telekinesis.

The redhead had tried to attack the two of them almost instantly as soon as Haru shot off. But how could she hold up against a powerful Esper and the Leader of the Yokai Faction. She was a normal human, after all. Relative to Monika and Yasaka at least.

"The only troublesome people here are this redhead," Monika motioned to Akane, "And you, you thieving fox. Do you think I'd truly believe that you only want Haru to work for you?" she asked, her green eyes narrowing dangerously, "I won't let you take him from me, you know that, right?"

Yasaka lost her teasing, jokey expression and looked seriously at Monika before looking down at the ground where Haru was walking with the two sisters and Kunou. She watched them with a small smile before turning back to Monika, a serious expression back on her face, "I wouldn't expect you to give up so easily either. But I'm the same. From the second I saw him, I felt something in me rekindle. I'm not willing to give up my chance at nurturing that, Monika," Yasaka spoke these words with such seriousness that even Akane stopped her struggling.

Years of hurt were clearly evident in both Yasaka's eyes and her tone. Hurt that had ravaged her into loneliness. Hurt that had turned her into a superficial person who only focused on leading the Yokai Faction and looking after her daughter.

Thinking about it, one thing popped into Monika's mind: an animal is most dangerous when they're backed into a corner, and Yasaka...she's backed into a corner, emotionally at least, and now she's found her way out of it. This made Monika, and even Akane, raise their guards up against this woman.

Not because of her strength. But because of her determination.

Monika kept eye contact with Yasaka for a while before sighing, "Haah~ Do you want to come back to the apartment for some tea while we wait for Haru?" she asked, even turning to Akane who just glared.

"I'm not against it," Yasaka lost her serious expression and huffed, acting like some kind of Tsundere. Before Monika could reply, Yasaka teleported all of them away as they popped out of existence.

. . .

POV Change - Haru

"Artoria, put that second pork cutlet back where you got it," I sighed as I looked down at the petite blonde woman. As we walked here, we each introduced ourselves to each other, so me calling her name wasn't weird or anything.

Turns out she's a 21-year-old and Le Fay is 15 and in her third-year of Middle School. Because of Le Fay's age, she and Kunou actually got on quite well, while the older siblings (even if I wasn't Kunou's actual older brother)...we didn't get on too well.

"There were 10 pork cutlets on the table when you smashed in. These two boxes make it even," Artoria said with a deadpan expression and I felt my eyebrow twitch.

Grabbing the box that was already in the trolley, I pulled it up and put it in her face, pointing to the top right of the box which had the number 8 on it, "There's 8 pork cutlets per box, Artoria! Don't you know math or something?!" hearing what I said, Artoria just stared at me before slowly trying to put the pork cutlet in the trolley, "Stop! Please, think of my wallet!" I gave a helpless shout before hearing Kunou and Le Fay giggling.

Both me and Artoria turned to look at them, only to see them looking at us, "What?" we said in tandem, only making them laugh even harder.

"Onee-sama, you two truly do look like a couple," Le Fay said through her giggling, though deep in her eyes I could see that she was kind of sad. I think I know why as well - this Artoria is a reincarnation of the original Artoria Pendragon, with the memories and everything. How do I know? Well...

"Couple? I'm 'King' so why would I have a male consort?" Artoria asked with her usual deadpan expression, making Le Fay's expression go frozen for a split second before she faked a few more giggles.

...The reason I know is because she's practically just like the Saber from Fate/Stay Night.

Kunou, oblivious to what both Le Fay and I were thinking, spoke up in between her own giggles, "Mama would probably be really jealous if she saw you and Artoria-neesan right now, Onii-san," she said with a finger on her chin like she was thinking up how her mother would react. Just thinking about it myself kinda makes me wanna shudder.

But a sudden noise and gathering brought my attention away from such thoughts and looking around - ignoring Artoria taking the pork cutlet box from my hand and adding the two of them to the trolley - I saw that there were some people gathering in the aisles and looking toward the same place. Smiling, probably rather savagely, I turned to Artoria, Le Fay, and Kunou before asking them a question, "Do you guys want some bentos we can eat now? They're on a half-discount price at the minute. I'll go and fetch them if you want?"

Artoria quickly nodded, followed by Le Fay and Kunou. The latter of which who was blushing because her stomach rumbled as she said yes.

Still smiling, though more gently, I gave Kunou a pat on the head, "You wanna come with me?" I asked, feeling like this next thing would be a fun experience for her and a nice memory of when we won bentos together.

"Mhm!" she quickly nodded, her cheeks red with what seemed like excitement as she clambered up my back and onto my shoulders. With her height of 142cm, and my height of around 187cm, it looked quite natural for her to be sitting on my shoulders, and with that sorted out, I gave a 'don't add any more pork cutlets to the trolley' look to Artoria before setting off to get us our bentos.

I wonder...how will these 'Wolves' react to meeting a real Wolf~?