As Tatsurou made his way to the Monorail station, he unwarped the sandwich that Emma gave him...
"Whoa...this is really good, must be one of those homemade sandwiches, that Emma makes..." Tatsurou said as he finished unwarping it and took a bite of the tuna salad sandwich, which had mayo, lettuce, tomato, and a hint of garlic in it.
"Hime always told me that, Emma was a good cook but for a sandwich so simple like this, to taste so good, my hat is off to her!" Tatsurou said as he smiled and took another bite, while he kept walking.
"How long, has it been, since I walked at night like this?" Tatsurou asked himself as he looked up to the stary night sky.
"This reminds me a lot, of those times when I would bring clothes or documents to Hime when she worked, the night shifts in the hospital..." Tatsurou said as he took another bite of the sandwich as he smiled a bit.
"I wonder, when Hime, is coming back home..." As Tatsurou said this, he made a brief stop.
"So much happened, in such short time since she left...how will I explain Shirayuki and Marie living with me, for starters...or why I'm in the Soteria intern program..." Tatsurou thought as he sighed a bit.
"She's going to be angry, for not telling her what's going on...I could tell her when she calls me...but I'm a bit afraid, of her reaction..." Tatsurou said as he sighed again.
"On the other hand, knowing Hime, when I tell her everything that's happened, she'll understand, but she will probably murder me, for having kept it a secret for so long..." Tatsurou said with a discouraged tone as he took another bite of the sandwich and began walking again.
"I'll ask Yumeko, if she can get me one of those, Strike force suits, to protect myself from Hime, when she comes back and I tell her all of this..." Tatsurou said as he sighed again...
A bit later, as Tatsurou finished eating the sandwich, he arrived at the monorail station that was close to the hospital, and as he entered the station proper, he threw the plastic that wrapped the sandwich in a trash can, and after that, he made his way towards the monorail and as Tatsurou stepped inside, the empty cart.
"Finally..." Tatsurou said with a relieved tone, as he took a seat and let out a sigh, but right after it.
"I still can't believe, that I was able to call and make this gauntlet mine..." Tatsurou said as he looked at his right hand and moved it around, a bit.
"Hmm...can I...?" As Tatsurou said this he clenched his fist, but then opened it up almost instantly, but nothing happened.
"Weird...I thought I could call it, like this..." Tatsurou said with a surprised tone and expression as he looked at his hand, but it didn't last long as he began to make various gestures and moves with his hand to try and call the gauntlet, snapping his fingers, crossing them, or even making shadow figures poses with his hands, good thing that Tatsurou, was alone inside the monorail.
"I don't get it...just how..." As Tatsurou said this he was hit with, sudden realization.
"Wait, if this works exactly, like the way Marie, calls her weapon then..." Tatsurou said as he looked at his hand for a bit.
"Won't hurt try..." Tatsurou said as he extended his arm.
"Come to me "Frida"!" Tatsurou said as he looked at his hand and in the blink of an eye, the black adorned gauntlet materialized, in his hand.
"No way..." Tatsurou said as he began moving his hand around, as if analyzing the gauntlet.
"I never gave it a long look, it's quite beautiful..." Tatsurou said with an impressed tone, as he ran his fingers on the gauntlet.
"I'm really happy that I was able to do this...in a way this is a step forward, to get stronger, and also, I now can...!" As Tatsurou said this something quite sudden and unexpected happened, that something felt like a sound wave, that passed next to Tatsurou, and after that, the monorail stooped moving, without warning.
"What the!" Tatsurou said with a surprised tone as he got up.
"The monorail stooped? But that's impossible, they run on argavite...!" Tatsurou said still with his surprised tone, that also became a confused one, as he looked around, but it was when Tatsurou looked out the window of the monorail, that his eyes opened wide, as he saw that it wasn't just the monorail that stooped, but all of District 4...
"N-No way..." Tatsurou said with a confused tone, as he placed his hand on the monorail's window and looked at a road, that had cars that came to a sudden halt, people that were walking on the sidewalk, still as statues, but more impressive than that was a plane that stooped in mid-air, as it was about to take off.
"Just what is going on..." Tatsurou said as he took a step back from the window, as this was something too sudden and weird even for Takamagahara standards, but as Tatsurou took his steep back and began thinking of reasons for whatever was happening, he was interrupted by a voice.
"Lord Kurokami, please, do not be scared..." A soothing voice said this, from behind Tatsurou surprising him a bit, and as he turned around, he saw a young beautiful girl, around the same height as Marie, that had deep silver hair that reached to her shoulders with a very small ahoge, that sprouted out of it, she had light blue eyes and she wore a white and silver strapless dress, that looked more like armor and equally white and silver sandals, but something that stood out was the black folded wings, on her back.
"Who...are you..." Tatsurou asked with a confused but also surprised tone as he looked at this girl, that slowly approached him.
"Oh! Please, forgive my rudeness, Lord Kurokami..." The girl said with a surprised tone as she stooped walking.
"I am Frida the Valkyrie, that was once responsible to keep peace on this world..." Frida said as she made a courtesy bow, towards the still surprised Tatsurou.
"So that means, you're..." Tatsurou said as he looked at the gauntlet.
"Yes, Lord Kurokami, I am the previous user, of that gauntlet..." Frida said as she pointed at Tatsurou's gauntlet.
"But before we keep this conversation, let's take a seat..." Frida said as she turned to one of the seats of the monorail.
"W-Wait..." As Tatsurou said this, Frida took a seat and gently patted the one that was right next to her, and upon seeing this Tatsurou complied, as he walked towards her.
"So, Frida-san? What's happening, right now, or what's wrong, with the town?" Tatsurou asked with a curious and worried tone, as he took a seat and looked out the window, and saw that everything was still looking as if it was, stooped in time.
"Please, do not worry, Lord Kurokami, there's nothing wrong with the town, were just inside the Mioji..." Frida said with a reassuring tone, as she moved her hand a bit.
"The...Mioji?" Tatsurou asked with a curious tone, as he looked at Frida.
"Yes, this place or realm, to be more precise, exists between the world of the mortals and the world of the gods, if I had to be more specific this is the place, where souls of Valkyries wander..." Frida said as she raised her index finger a bit.
"I see, this, kind of sounds like the Yomi..." Tatsurou said as he scratched his head a bit.
"The...Yomi?" Frida asked with a confused but also curious tone, as she tilted her head.
"It's...a bit complicated, to explain..." Tatsurou said as he smiled a bit.
"So why does everything, look like it's stooped in time?" Tatsurou asked with a curious tone as he looked at Frida then out the window.
"The reason for that, is because the Mioji, is in the same plane of existence as this world, in a way, a bit like a mirrored world, and for us souls, everything looks normal, but for mortals, the world looks, as if it came to a halt when they come here..." Frida said with an informative tone, as she raised her index finger a bit again.
"Hmm, I think, I get it..." Tatsurou said as he rubbed his chin, a bit.
"But say, Frida-san, why am I here?" Tatsurou asked as he looked at Frida.
"Ah! Yes, the reason as to why you're here, is because I wanted to have a word, with you..." Frida said a bit embarrassed, as she intertwined her fingers a bit.
"A word?" Tatsurou asked with a curious tone.
"Yes...but before that, I have to first ask for your forgiveness, for bringing you here, without asking..." Frida said as she made a slight bow to Tatsurou.
"You don't have to worry about that...I'm not angry..." Tatsurou said with a reassuring tone, as he moved his hands a bit as if he was telling Frida, to stop bowing.
"Really? That's a relief..." Frida said as she stooped bowing and placed her hand on her chest.
"So, what is it, that you want to talk about?" Tatsurou asked with a curious tone.
"Well, I said that I wanted to talk, but I want to mostly thank you, for what you did..." Frida said as she looked a bit away from Tatsurou.
"What...I did?" Tatsurou asked with a tone, that was more confused than curious.
"As you already know, Lord Kurokami, I am the Valkyrie, that was once responsible to keep the world at peace and stop wars, but mankind..." As Frida said this, as she made a small stoop, and looked down.
"But mankind, never stooped creating more war and breaking peace..." Tatsurou said with a calm yet sad tone, as he looked at Frida.
"Yes...it pained me so much...I just wanted to protect this world and it's people...but everyone, kept making wars and more wars, it hurt so much seeing that happening and having to listen to the prayers that begged for someone to stop it, every day, all the time...hurt me, even more..." Frida said as she kept looking down.
"I did very, very bad things...I hurt so many people...and I made so many sins, unbefitting of a Valkyrie, that had to keep the peace...I turned...into what I despised the most in the end..." Frida said as she looked at Tatsurou.
"I had and I deserved, to be put down by my sisters and trapped inside the gauntlet that allowed me to do all those mistakes...and I was ready to accept this fate, as long as it stooped me, I accepted it..." Frida said with a sad tone, as she placed her hands on top of Tatsurou's.
"When that woman, wanted to revive and use me to start a war and I couldn't do anything to stop her...I was scared of repeating the past...but thanks to you, that didn't happen, that's why I had to find a way to thank you..." Frida said as she held Tatsurou's hands.
"I'm sorry, for entering your body like this...but I had to pay you back for what you did and I didn't mind, if it was just helping from time to time, without us making any contract, but today, when you made a contract with me...I was happy..." Frida said as she smiled a bit.
"I was happy because, even when you knew about my mistakes and sins, made a contract with me...but, I don't deserve such kindness and I understand, if you want to break this contract and have nothing to do with me..." As Frida said this, Tatsurou interrupted her.
"Frida-san, I won't break this contract..." Tatsurou said with a reassuring tone, as he let go of Frida's hands.
"Listen, I know what you did and in a way, I understand your reasons...and I won't blame you for it, because I can see, that you regret what you did...but I also see, that you want to make up for those mistakes with everything you have and that is more than enough, for me...and like I said in the enchantment, I forgive you...so raise your head!" Tatsurou said with a reassuring tone, as he placed his hand on Frida's head and gently patted it.
"Lord Kurokami...thank you...for accepting me..." Frida said as she teared up and blushed a bit.
"P-Please don't cry..." Tatsurou said with a worried tone, as he looked at Frida.
"I'm sorry...I just couldn't help it...but are you really sure, you want me, as your weapon?" Frida asked a bit curious, as she cleaned her eyes a bit.
"Of course! But please, don't call yourself a weapon, when you have a name, Frida-san..." Tatsurou said as he smiled.
"Yes, I will do that, from now on..." Frida said as she smiled and grabbed the hand Tatsurou was using to head pat her and placed it, close to her forehead.
"Lord Kurokami, thank you, for accepting me..." Frida said as she smiled a bit.
"I have to go now, I will talk with you again, very soon...but if you need my help, you just have to call me!" Frida said as she placed her forehead, on the top of Tatsurou's hand.
"Thanks, Frida-san, I will!" Tatsurou said as he smiled and suddenly, in a blink of an eye, Frida began to shine, and soon enough she vanished.
"Frida-san?" Tatsurou said as he got up and looked around a bit and as he did, Tatsurou saw, that the monorail began moving once more and by consequence, everything else, also began moving.
"Looks like, I'm out of the Mioji..." Tatsurou said as he let out, a small sigh.
"I wanted to ask her, some more questions..." Tatsurou said as he scratched his head a bit.
"Well, looks like I have to wait, for Frida to come and talk to me again..." Tatsurou said as he sighed and took his seat again.
"But now that, this is over...I have to think about how I'm going to ask Shirayuki that..." Tatsurou said with a determined tone as he blushed a bit...
Meanwhile, in Tatsurou's apartment, in the bathroom, to be exact...
"Thanks, for washing and drying my hair, Marie! But tell me, how did you get so good at it?" Shirayuki, that was wearing her usual long pink nightgown and sitting on a stool, asked as she smiled.
"You don't have to thank me! To be honest, it's because back in Lourdes, I was one of the girls responsible, for washing the hair of the younger girls in our dorm..." Marie, that was wearing her usual tank top and shorts, said as she smiled and brushed Shirayuki's hair with a comb.
"I see, that explains, why you're so good at it!" Shirayuki said as she smiled again.
"But I have to admit, the girls would always fight, to decide who would get to have her hair washed, dried and brushed by me...I lost count of how many hours they would waste playing rock, paper, scissors just to decide..." Marie said as she let out a sigh.
"Well, I have to admit, your so good at it, that I probably would do that too..." Shirayuki said as she laughed a bit, with Marie doing the same right after.
"But I have to admit, Shirayuki, I really like your hair! It's so smooth to the touch, feels like silk, and it's easy to brush!" Marie said as she calmed down with the laughing.
"I'm a bit jealous, to be honest...since I struggle quite a bit with mine, every morning or after a bath, with the hair tangles..." Marie said as she laughed a bit again.
"I noticed that the other day, is it really painful?" Shirayuki asked with a curious tone.
"Well, it's not that bad, when someone brushes it for you, but it's a bit painful when you do it alone..." Marie said as she sighed again.
"Then, let me brush your hair after, you're done with mine, Marie!" Shirayuki said as she placed her hands together and her ahoge wiggled a bit.
"Really? Thanks!" Marie said as she kept brushing Shirayuki's hair and then a bit later...
"Done! Are you ready for me, Shirayuki?" Marie asked with a curious tone as she stooped brushing Shirayuki's hair.
"Y-Yes! I'm ready!" Shirayuki said with a determined tone, as she got up from the stool, she was sitting on.
"Good! Give it, your best shot, then!" Marie said with a happy tone as she winked and took a seat on the stool and handed Shirayuki the brush.
"Ok!" Shirayuki said still with a determined tone, as she grabbed the brush.
"I'm sorry, Marie...but how, do I start? I never did this before and I don't want to hurt you..." Shirayuki said with a worried tone, as she grabbed the tips of Marie's hair.
"Hmm...well, first you should look for the hair tangles, by running your fingers through my hair and separate them and after that, you can start to brush it gently..." Marie said with an informative tone, as she lifted her index finger.
"Alright then!" Shirayuki said as she gently ran her fingers, through Marie's hair, and after a bit, when she found all the tangles, Shirayuki proceeded to brush Marie's hair.
"So...how is it?" Shirayuki asked with a curious and a worried tone, as she kept brushing Marie's hair.
"You're so good at this! I can't believe, it's your first time, Shirayuki!" Marie said with a pleased tone as she smiled.
"It makes me happy to know, that I'm doing a good job!" Shirayuki said as she smiled.
"Say, Marie, about what we talked, earlier..." Shirayuki said as she stooped brushing Marie's hair.
"I know, I'll follow those rules, we talked about! No sneaking into Tatsurou's bed anymore, don't cling to Tatsurou as much..." Marie said as she used her fingers to count some, of the few rules she and Shirayuki made, after agreeing with the proposal, of sharing Tatsurou.
"It's not that, Marie! It's about that other thing, we talked about..." Shirayuki said as she blushed a bit.
"Oh! Right, so you want my help, to get a bit closer to Tatsurou, is that it?" Marie asked with a curious tone, as this was another thing they agreed upon, since they were aiming for Tatsurou, they decided to help each other, get closer to him, instead of fighting.
"Y-Yes, I would like your help..." Shirayuki said as she blushed a bit.
"Sure! Go ahead, what is it?" Marie asked with an excited and curious tone.
"W-Well...Tatsurou still calls me, with honorifics...so I would like your help, so that he calls me just "Shirayuki" instead of "Shirayuki-san" you see..." Shirayuki said with an embarrassed tone, as she kept blushing, Marie just looked at her for a bit in silence.
"Fufu, Shirayuki... you're so cute..." Marie said as she laughed a bit.
"P-Please, don't laugh, Marie!" Shirayuki said as she pouted a bit.
"Ok, I'm sorry for that, Shirayuki..." Marie said as she stooped laughing.
"But I have to be honest, I was also a bit embarrassed when Tatsurou called me by my given name, but the feeling afterward, is just the best! Consider it done!" Marie said as she gave Shirayuki a thumbs up.
"Marie..." Shirayuki said as she smiled and blushed a bit.
"But you have to help me too when my turn comes around!" Marie said as she gave Shirayuki a quick wink.
"O-Of course, I will!" Shirayuki said with a happy tone, as she proceeded to brush Marie's hair again...
Then a bit later, when Shirayuki finished brushing Marie's hair, they got out of the bathroom and as they were standing in the corridor, that led to the bedrooms...
"Thanks for brushing my hair, Shirayuki!" Marie said as she made her way to their room.
"Your welcome...wait, are you going to bed already?" Shirayuki asked with a curious tone as she looked at Marie.
"Hmm? No, I'm going to go and finish reading, that light novel, I bought the other day, volume 2 ended on a cliffhanger and I'm dying to know what happens!" Marie said with an excited tone as she smiled.
"I see, then I won't bother you, go have some fun!" Shirayuki said as she smiled.
"I sure will!" Marie said as she made her way to the bedroom and Shirayuki looked at her for a bit.
"Just what is...a "cliffhanger"?" Shirayuki thought with a curious tone, as she went to the living room...
"I wonder, when Tatsurou, is coming home..." Shirayuki said as she got to the living room and looked at the watch on the wall.
"It's already 22:58 pm, I'm starting to get worried..." Shirayuki said with a worried tone as she sighed and her ahoge pointed down.
"I wish, I had a phone to call him..." As Shirayuki said this, the door of the apartment opened.
"I'm home..." Tatsurou said as he entered the apartment, and as soon as Shirayuki heard him, she went to greet Tatsurou at the door.
"Welcome back, Tatsurou-san?!" Shirayuki said with a surprised tone, as she saw Tatsurou coming inside with a handbag that had his torn up gakuran and hoodie and with a band-aid on his face.
"W-What happened?!" Shirayuki asked with a worried tone and expression, as she got close to Tatsurou.
"It's kind of a long story, but don't worry, I'm pretty much ok..." As Tatsurou said this, Shirayuki gave him an angry look.
"Pretty much ok!? You have a band-aid on your face and your clothes are torn apart!" Shirayuki said as she pointed at Tatsurou's band-aid, then at his clothes.
"Did you get, into a fight again?" Shirayuki asked a bit angry, as she crossed her arms.
"W-Well, yes, but don't worry! It's just a small cut and..." As Tatsurou said this, he was interrupted.
"No buts!" Shirayuki said as she grabbed Tatsurou's arm and pulled him, towards the living room, and when they got there, Tatsurou took a seat on the couch.
"Wait a second, Shirayuki-san, I told you that I'm ok..." As Tatsurou said this he was interrupted again.
"Tatsurou-san, you shouldn't get into fights, like that!" Shirayuki said a bit angry as she looked at Tatsurou.
"I know, but there wasn't any other way, to deal with it..." Tatsurou said with an embarrassed tone, as he looked a bit away.
"Even if that's the case, I don't like to see you like this..." Shirayuki said with a worried tone, as she took a seat on the couch next to Tatsurou.
"Now, let me take that band-aid off and cure that cut!" Shirayuki said as she moved her left hand towards Tatsurou's cheek.
"Hmm, It's pretty cute..." Shirayuki said as she peeled off the band-aid with a rainbow.
"You can thank Emma-san, for that one..." Tatsurou said a bit embarrassed as he looked away and soon enough, Shirayuki removed it, and as she did that, she also drew the kanji for, cure with the index finger of her right hand, on the air.
"Sukunahikona...please, bless me, with your power of cure..." As Shirayuki said this the tip of her index finger, glowed pink and then she proceeded to run the said finger on the small cut Tatsurou had, and soon enough it vanished like it never was there, to begin with.
"Thanks..." Tatsurou said as he looked at Shirayuki that moved her finger away.
"No need to thank me...is there any more cuts or anything else that hurts?" Shirayuki asked as she smiled.
"Not really, thanks for asking..." Tatsurou said as he smiled and looked at Shirayuki stooping her curing magic, by placing her hands together and making a small prayer.
"Say, where's Marie?" Tatsurou asked with a curious tone.
"She's in our room, reading a book..." Shirayuki said as she finished praying.
"I see..." Tatsurou said as he looked a bit away, from Shirayuki.
"Wait, this a perfect moment...I'm alone with Shirayuki, so I can ask her that..." Tatsurou thought as he glanced at Shirayuki.
"S-Shirayuki-san?" As Tatsurou called Shirayuki, she looked at him a bit, surprised.
"Yes?" Shirayuki asked with a curious tone, as she looked at Tatsurou.
"W-Well, I have been thinking quite a lot, about that thing, you've been asking me, for the last few days..." Tatsurou said as he looked a bit away from Shirayuki, that at first didn't understand, what Tatsurou was talking about.
"What, I have been asking? Is he talking about the...calling me, without honorifics?!" Shirayuki thought as she blushed a bit, upon realizing what Tatsurou was talking about.
"Y-Yes, what is it?" Shirayuki asked with a curious tone as she looked at Tatsurou.
"As I said, I have been thinking a lot, about it and I want to know...if you still want me, to call you...w-without honorifics..." Tatsurou said as he scratched his cheek a bit.
"O-Of course! I would be happy if you, did that!" Shirayuki said with a happy tone, as her ahoge wiggled around, quite a lot.
"If...your still ok with it, then I'll start to call you without honorifics, from today onwards...S-Shirayuki..." Tatsurou said with an embarrassed tone, as he blushed a bit.
"Then, I'll do the same too, T-Tatsurou..." Shirayuki said also with an embarrassed tone, as she blushed, but Tatsurou on the other hand, blushed even more, upon hearing Shirayuki say his name without honorifics, and so, a sudden silence reigned between them, as they looked away from each other.
"I-I don't know, what made Tatsurou do this, but I'm so happy about it!" Shirayuki said as she smiled and her ahoge wiggled around.
"God! I don't know if my heart, can handle this..." Tatsurou thought as he smiled a bit, but as he and Shirayuki's gaze met, they looked away from each other, as they blushed once again.
"W-Well, i-it's already a bit late already...so...I'll go ahead, take a bath, eat something, and then it's off to bed for me..." Tatsurou said with an embarrassed tone, as he got up from the couch.
"Ok...then I'll go heat up diner..." Shirayuki said also with an embarrassed tone, as she got up and saw Tatsurou going to the bathroom and when he was finally gone.
"Tatsurou called me, without honorifics! He finally called me, without honorifics! And it's just like Marie said, it feels so good! I'm so happy, right now!" Shirayuki thought as she smiled and her ahoge wiggling around once again, as she made her way to the kitchen, to heat up diner, for Tatsurou...
"I-I did it! I...called Shirayuki without honorifics...I did it!" Tatsurou, that was now, inside the bathroom, said with a happy and embarrassed tone, as he blushed and celebrated as he raised his arms, but it didn't last long.
"W-What am I thinking! Celebrating like this inside the bathroom..." Tatsurou said with a very embarrassed tone, as he placed his hands in front of his face while he squatted and blushed...