Chapter 42: Christmas Special: Late edition

A/N: The chapter depicts a moment from the future.

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It’s Christmas Eve in Trinia. Everyone I knew was busy following the festive mood and had their own plans for the holiday.

As for me, I was gazing out the window inside my room, admiring the snow gently falling from the sky.

“How long do you plan to keep me waiting, ‘my lord?’”

A very haughty voice laced with impatience came from the doorway. It belonged to a white-haired girl covered in a white dress. Those yellow eyes and their slit pupils with soul-piercing gaze were squarely on me.

“Ruha… I didn't expect you to look forward to spending time with me that much.” (Kaito)

“That’s the first thing I hear out of your mouth today? Ridiculous. I absolutely cannot go against you, so I must endure the humiliation of being your companion out in the streets.” (Ruha)

I just smiled at her exaggerated reaction from the little bit of teasing I did. You say that but there was never a moment where you rejected the invitation.

“There’s no need to look so crossed. Alright, I’m on my way. We’re going to find presents for everyone in the group chat. I’ve already covered the people I know in Trinia from prior days, so let's make it quick.” (Kaito)

“I hear you loud and clear. I’ll be outside.” (Ruha)

The White Fatalis girl airily said as she turned her back and left for the Mansion gates. Before now, she regarded me half-heartedly due to our rather forced master-servant relationship, but lately I think I’ve gained some of her recognition as she mellowed out in her new environment over time.

I was about to make my way to the same place until I stopped to pick up my phone when a notification popped up.

[Specialist]: Kaito-san, I’m calling you to say Merry Christmas. When would you like me to bring my present to you?

[Singularity Found at the End]: It’s still Christmas Eve over here.

[Specialist]: Ah…

I read his message with an awkward pause not knowing how to respond further. I did a waiting game to see what else he wanted to say since I’m not sure how to further the conversation either.

[Specialist]: In that case, I’ll visit you tomorrow. Minato-senpai will be busy, so he told me to send his present to you.

[Singularity Found at the End]: Minato-kun bought a present? It’s been a while since the last I’ve heard of him. How’s he been?

[Specialist]: Minato-senpai got accepted into one of the most prominent universities in Japan. He’s too caught up with his studies to make time for group chat activities. And well, he doesn’t think he can provide much to the group as a normal person since he relegated all his powers to maintaining the Seal.

[Singularity Found at the End]: Does he think so little of us? We wouldn’t care about that much. Nep-chan might make fun of him for his depowered state, but it’s a little sad to not have him present.

[Specialist]: Worry not, Kaito-san. That’s why I’m here, to fill in his spot. He contacted me because he knew I would be here and called me the upgrade. And with the Seven Thunders of Retribution you gave me, I will give all my strength to contribute to the team.

[Singularity Found at the End]: Oh, thank you so much, Yu-kun. Please send Minato-kun my regards.

[Specialist]: Osu!

I can picture the silver-haired man stoically proclaiming his intent to serve and protect intensely. He’s an awkward but interesting kid for sure, Narukami Yu.

“Milord, the White Fatalis has been waiting outside in the cold with a displeased look on her face for some time. Is something wrong? Will you need me to discipline her again?” (Nebula)

“Aah, don’t mind it. I’m keeping her on hold, so it’s my fault. Keep the mansion safe while I’m gone, okay, Nebula?” (Kaito)

“But of course. As the Absolute, I shall not allow a single intruder in the house to step on the lawn.” (Nebula)

I hastily went through the halls of the mansion, greeting the residents along the way such as Anima and Illness-san. I caught my coat and scarf from the coat rack and pushed the door open.

Ruha glared at me for taking my sweet time and I sheepishly chuckled in response. She shot out her tail to wrap it around my wrist and dragged me forward with her back turned.

And now we’re out wandering the city streets for a good store to purchase any gifts befitting for any of my friends over on the group chat.

“Ah! There you are, onii-chan!”

I heard a cheerful voice behind me, so I turned around to see a lilac-haired girl panting with her hands on her knees.

“Nepgear? Why are you here… and you’re in your normal clothes too. Won’t you catch a cold?” (Kaito)

“I-I’ll be fine! I only came here to tell you something, so I’ll be gone in a flash back to my world after. It’s something important that you need to know!” (Nepgear)

This adorable and serious girl is unbelievably Nep-chan’s little sister. Yes, despite how her height surpasses her older sister and her personality is much more suitable as a goddess, it’s the truth.

She’s still rough around the edges with her confidence issues and her immaturity peeking out sometimes, but she is a lovely lady from my evaluation.

As for why I’m being referred to as onii-chan by her… I was present the moment she was born and had to support her in her endeavors when Nep-chan was absent, so it’s set in stone now.

“4Goddesses Online has a limited-time raid event for the holiday, so I wanted to invite you to Gamindustri to help me and the other CPU Candidates during it!” (Nepgear)

“Ah that. I already know about it.” (Kaito)

“Eh? You do?” (Nepgear)

Nepgear was shocked by my casual answer, not expecting this twist.

“Mm. Vert-san visits me almost every day. She’s really obsessed with Nebula’s tea, has been really insistent in turning Lilia-san into her little sister, and invites me to do dual gaming sessions with her any chance she gets.” (Kaito)

After listening to what I said, Nepgear widened her mouth and eyes in disbelief, giving a cry of grief.

She had this passionate invitation planned out but was one step short from someone else reaching out to me much earlier.

“N-No wonder Histoire-san said Leanbox’s Shares have been falling lately. Hold on, Vert-san, you cheater! You were sneaking out to visit onii-chan every day!” (Nepgear)

Nepgear hung her head crestfallenly. She weakly raised it up to stare at me with the corners of her eyes wet. She all but assumed that I accepted Vert-san’s invitation before her.

“T-Then you’re already busy for Christmas, huh?” (Nepgear)

“N-No. I refused her since I had other plans.” (Kaito)

Don’t look at me like that while speaking in such a sad tone. It triggers my protective instincts to hurry up and console you.

Nepgear’s face brightened up briefly before being toned down into a sad smile when learning I already had plans made.

“Oh… I guess you’ll be busy. I understand. You have so many people who love you after all. It would be hard to schedule time for everyone…” (Nepgear)

“It’s not like that. I’ve already spent enough time with everyone in Trinia the prior days. This year, Christmas will be dedicated to those in the group chat. I will be traveling to everyone’s worlds to hand out presents.” (Kaito)

“Ah! Mm! I can’t wait to see you in Gamindustri again!” (Nepgear)

I’m glad that calmed her down. Only… she still has this dull expression for some reason I’m unsure of.

“What’s wrong, Nepgear?” (Kaito)

“I’m wondering about the validity of a rumor I’ve heard before. Does Vert-san really see you as her onii-chan?” (Nepgear)

“Ahh… that’s right. It would seem her ideal fantasy she’s been working on making a reality is for Lilia-san to be her little sister and me her big brother. She’s spouting some absurdities like asking for my hand in marriage, so she can snag me and Lilia-san in one move.” (Kaito)

“… I never knew Vert-san to be so shameless. That’s so unfair of her.” (Nepgear)

Well, Nepgear isn’t the type to hold grudges against anyone, so she expressed her dissatisfaction with a cute pout. That’s when she lightly sneezed and rubbed her arms for warmth.

“Brr, the cold is getting to me. Sorry for taking up your time. Bye-bye, onii-chan!” (Nepgear)

Like that, her figure disappeared from view as she transported back to her own world.

I turned to my companion who was politely quiet the whole time to give me and Nepgear space.

“Are you not cold as well in those plain clothes?” (Kaito)

“Are you making fun of me?” (Ruha)

Ruha scoffed at my concern, tightening her tail wrapped around my wrist and pulling me again to continue the search. So pushy…

“I wonder who else we’ll encounter this morning.” (Kaito)

“Ara, should you so bluntly say something like that with me close by? I might misunderstand and take it as you being dissatisfied with me.” (Ruha)

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“You definitely have it wrong. I’m taking in consideration of my abnormal talent for encountering remarkable people. I treat it as an inevitability and not something personal towards you.” (Kaito)

The dragon girl merely smirked in amusement while I sighed.

After that little chit chat, there was a discernible figure in the distance. What do you know, there happens to be someone I’m familiar with again, proving my prediction right.

“Hello, Yomi-san. You seem to have some free time on your hand, wandering around the streets.” (Kaito)

“Eh? Ah. Good morning, Kaito-sama. Unfortunately, I’m still in the middle of my duties as Hirume-sama’s retainer. She has been growing more agitated about being holed up at home fixing people’s messes, so she ordered me to find her some sweets.” (Yomi)

This exhausted looking girl with silver hair is the personal retainer of the CEO of the group chat platform, Yomi-san. It’s not like she’s discontent with her position, but getting pushed around by Hirume constantly is taxing on her mind.

“Accounting for 3890 administrators and 3780234 members within our system, negotiating with over tens of thousands of World Creators we have contracts with, surveilling the progress of endless worlds and evaluating their potential as cultivating grounds for the members… Time may be meaningless to people like me, but even my mental strength has a limit. I got into some trouble recruiting an aggressive World Creator into the organization, so Hirume-sama had to step in and punch their face.” (Hirume)

“I-I see… you have it rough.” (Kaito)

The sheer scale of the organization she’s in is mind-boggling. I couldn’t imagine the stress managing all of that would impose on a person.

“Do your best. If your workload becomes any easier on you enough to push it back for some time, you can reach out to me, and I’ll figure something out that’ll help you relieve stress.” (Kaito)

“Y-Yes…! Thank you for the offer, I’ll think about it…” (Yomi)

Yomi-san lightly bowed with a flustered expression. And as if she came upon a brilliant idea, her eyes then sparkled with life.

“Kaito-sama, please come visit Hirume-sama and fawn on her! Most likely, the Sanctuary where Shallow Vernal-sama resides is where she’ll escape to for seclusion. She will deeply appreciate the affection given by her betrothed! I predict that her motivation will skyrocket from this action!” (Yomi)

She neared my face with a passionate request. Too disturbed by the closeness between us and the ticklish feeling of her breath on my skin, I dumbly nodded.

“Got it… I was on my way to buy presents for everyone in the group chat. Since Hirume is also someone related to it, I already had her on my list.” (Kaito)

“Oh thank you! Thank you so much!” (Yomi)

My hands were caught by hers as she vigorously shook it up and down. I’m feeling the strain on my arms from the force of her swings, and it became noticeable on my face. She stopped her way of expressing her gratitude now that she became worried for me.

With her mind returning to normal, she looked below and saw my hands being held by hers tightly. It took a moment of realization before a violent blush stormed in on her face.

“F-Forgive me for my impropriety!” (Yomi)

I tried to reassure Yomi-san who vehemently bowed in apology that there was no harm done. A few minutes later, she finally calmed down.

“I shall now take my leave since you still need time to finish finding good presents. See you again when Hirume-sama is with us next time.” (Yomi)

“You too.” (Kaito)

Yomi-san similarly departed as she searched for the sweets that would satisfy her boss’ sweet tooth.

“You’re as popular as ever. The work never ends for someone like you.” (Ruha)

“No kidding.” (Kaito)

Going by my track record, I’m still not done with the amount of people that I will be encountering any time soon.

Still, seeing Yomi-san was a pleasant surprise. I just hope that girl finds enough time to relax, knowing that her type with the strait-laced personality are the ones who are deeply troubled by work.

With my companion, we continued the search, running into some well-known brands and then dismissing others which had nothing that caught my eye.

Oya? Here’s number three of the day. Blonde hair and crimson eyes while maintaining almost a dazed look. Yup, that’s Yue-san all right.

“Hello, Yue-san. What are you doing over in Trinia? Are you not with Hajime-kun this time?” (Kaito)

“Nn. Nice to see you again, Kaito-san. I’m here in search of some wrappings for a present.” (Yue)

“I understand. Wait… wrappings? So you’ve prepared a present already for him?” (Kaito)

“Nn. Me. I’m the present and I’m searching for some risqué wrappings to entice him.” (Yue)

“With all due respect, too much information.” (Kaito)

I blankly stared at this married woman who was lacking some decorum despite being of royal-blood whenever the topic was about Hajime-kun.

“I feel like you’re insulting me in your head.” (Yue)

“It’s just your imagination.” (Kaito)

I plainly denied the accusation. I honestly don’t feel like helping her out much with what she’s troubled by.

“So anyway, I’m currently in the middle of business—” (Kaito)

“But you don’t have a job.” (Yue)

“I work to maintain world peace. Which is why I’m in a hurry to complete my own plans for the holidays. Now if you’ll excuse me—” (Kaito)

I attempted to walk past her but was stopped short when she grabbed my free arm. Please don’t do this to me.

“Wait, I only need your help for just a moment. You’re the perfect guy to ask this since you’re so experienced with countless other women.” (Yue)

“… And what exactly do you need my help with?” (Kaito)

I gave up trying to escape and turned to face her again. This is going to be a really awkward question she’ll impose on me for sure.

“You’ve obviously seen plenty of women in sexy underwear. I figured they must’ve told you all about the brands they bought it from. That information will greatly help me with my situation.” (Yue)

I closed my eyes and breathed in through my nose. I am exasperated by that question, but I will compose myself and not let my mind stray into any weird areas. Calm down, just be professional and answer her question.

“If you’re looking for something fancy or with style, I suggest looking over in the Hydra Kingdom. Here are the names for some of the brands that I’m familiar with. I’ll write it down on paper for you.” (Kaito)

I handed Yue-san the note paper and she was pleased with it, nodding in satisfaction from reading the names she saw.

“I heard Peperoncino-san came to visit Trinia and is window-shopping in Hydra Kingdom as usual. Go find him and I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to impart his wisdom to you.” (Kaito)

“Nn. You have my utmost gratitude. The clothing designs in Trinia are leagues ahead of any conglomerate on Earth. Hehehe, I am another step ahead of Bakaori once again.” (Yue)

Yue-san briefly bid me farewell and disappeared from my sight, probably teleporting to Hydra Kingdom like I suggested.

“Today is going to be a long day…” (Kaito)

The hunt for presents continued as the day barely reached noon time.

 

 

 

Afterword:

Ruha: The White Fatalis born from the egg Kaito won in his first gacha. She is the reborn ancestor of the Elder Dragons from her world and now lives in Trinia as the servant of Kaito. Their relationship started off rocky since it was a humiliation to her to bow to a human, so she attacked him at first sight. But Nebula was nearby and swiftly disarmed and flattened her. Now she begrudgingly obeys Kaito and has since then improved their friendship.

Narumaki Yu: A Persona user and a Wildcard from another world. He is the successor to Arisato Minato and has become a member of the group chat. The main character of Persona 4. He is upright but makes social hiccups sometimes. Possibly a siscon.

Nepgear: The little sister of Neptune from Gamindustri and a CPU Candidate. She is an immature goddess but is serious and determined when it matters. She considers Kaito her onii-chan and wants to spend more time with him.

Vert: One of the four main CPUs from Gamindustri. She is the goddess of the nation called Leanbox. An avid gamer and fujoshi. She was once Neptune’s enemy but now they're rivals after experiencing an adventure together. She dreams of having a little sister, but she also dreams of being a little sister herself.

Yomi: A young-looking woman who serves as Hirume’s aide. Because of her strait-laced attitude, she’s too caught up with her position as her retainer and is faced with the dilemma of not living up to the expectations as the friend and sisterly figure Hirume wished for in their relationship.

Hirume: The CEO of the organization that overseers the group chat system. Her personality is lazy, selfish, gluttonous, far from chaste, weak in the morning, tidy, and a prankster full of curiosity. She’s ambivalent about her job but is responsible, said to be more upright than anyone when it comes to it. Her favorite things to do are taking baths and spending time with Kaito. She has loudly proclaimed that Kaito is her betrothed the first moment they met. With how hasty the decision was made when their relationship only began they started off as playmates.

Yue: A vampire princess from another world. She is a married woman, and her husband is Nagumo Hajime from another earth. Hajime is everything to her and her undying love has been forged through fire and brimstone.

Peperoncino: A friend of Kirschtaria and a master from the organization known as Chaldea from another world. His personality is extremely friendly and fun, a mood-maker. When Kirschtaria trusted him with the knowledge of the group chat, his excitement went into all out high. He is into fashion and is a charismatic designer, often wearing sensational outfits. He fits right in with Hydra Kingdom in Trinia as their ever-evolving trends makes him feel like he’s constantly in his element.

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