6 Chapter 6: Hostage

Beta read by Shigiya and Paragon of Awesomeness

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--Sainan Park-

A princess, yes he didn't stutter. 

Thanks to his Reinforced vision, Emiya managed to read the lips of their pursuers while he had the opportunity, and boy had he learned a lot from that.

From the moment she appeared, things had just seemed strange to him. Aside from the obvious part of her being an alien with technology so advanced that it was indistinguishable from True Magic in some senses — there was an outlier. 

Specifically, her pursuit.

Not even once did she show any genuine fear for her life or anything of the sort. Lala acted in a completely carefree manner, showing absolutely no signs of dread and anxiety, at most only mild annoyance. Peke showed more genuine fear when he appeared, but even then that fear had been for the sake of Lala's own well-being rather than their current situation. Sure, it was very possible for him to just come up with a crazy theory and let his paranoia get the best of him, but Emiya rarely mistook such cases from his long eons of accumulated experience.

His suspicions grew after seeing the girl's reaction to those two men barging inside his house. Again, not a single ounce of fear was visible in her eyes, as if she knew that they were not going to hurt her. The bowman realized that there could have been a possibility that Lala was hiding some crucial information about these pursuers. 

Not to mention how they actually tried to warm him at the beginning instead of taking him out immediately. They obviously did not want violence and were only there for Lala alone.

"E-Eh, what are you…" the pink-haired girl spoke, being caught off guard by his question.

"Don't even try to lie to me. I already gave you enough leeway by helping you run away from your so-called captors. If you lie to me again, even if only by omission, then I will leave you here long enough for those two to recover and take you back to your father." Emiya said, his voice somber and as dark as possible. 

He was aiming to intimidate the girl, to make her crumble and reveal everything she was hiding and more. It might have felt wrong to some, but he wouldn't risk his family's well-being blindly for the sake of someone who had secret agendas. He was trying to distance himself from the Counter Guardian that had regularly killed thousands. But that didn't mean he would revert to his foolish teenage self and blindly save anyone without a word.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you!" She said cheerfully, making him falter as the girl didn't even appear to be affected by his tone. "I'm Lala Satalin Deviluke!"

His eyes began to twitch, "You already introduced yourself." 

"Mou, you're as impatient as Daddy!" Lala mentioned. "Anyways, I came here from a faraway planet called Deviluke…" just like that, she began telling the boy her life story and the reason why she landed on Earth.

The more the retelling of previous events went on, the more Emiya's expression broke down from deadly serious to unbelievable, and then facepalming himself.

This girl couldn't be any more of a headache.

"Alright, let's… back up a bit here. So, you escaped your home world because your father wanted to marry you off to some suitors you did not like…" Honestly, Emiya was waiting for another type of response, like how she was going to get assassinated by jealous siblings or family members who wanted the throne, or her father being abusive and treating his daughter extremely poorly. But given how she cheerfully talked about him initially, he discarded that possibility. "You traveled throughout the galaxy, performed real teleportation to travel a vast distance to my bathtub for some reason… all because of this?" 

Lala energetically nodded her head.

"Good, so now that we've established that, explain to me in which scenario can a human like me ever hope to shelter you from a planetary race capable of shrugging off arrows that can match bullets and has armies powerful enough to conquer entire planets?" He asked, not wanting to entangle himself with such a complex yet simple problem. He gave himself about five minutes of wait time for those two men to get back up and continue their chase. 

"E-Eh, but you were so awesome just now! Using a bow like 'woosh!' and then having arrows explode into hundreds of pieces! I've never seen anyone do anything like that; you humans are really strong!" The girl's eyes shined with amazement and excitement at what she had seen. "Was that Magic or Ki? I still don't see any devices that could have allowed for such a thing, but you didn't even use any chants!" 

"You're dodging the question," he mentioned. "But I'll answer yours first, since I get the impression you won't stop pestering me until I do. First off, I am human and not an alien. Not all humans can do what I can and I won't confirm whether it was Magic or Ki, that is my secret to keep."

From her words, it was obvious that she was no stranger to the existence of magic. Then again, given she was a princess from another planet with highly advanced technology that rivaled magic itself, he shouldn't be surprised by her knowledge. Which made him wonder, since Mana wasn't a scarce resource in this world, then the danger of having the public know about Magecraft might not cause the mysteries to weaken for all he knew. But she also mentioned Ki, and unless this world had another system he was entirely unfamiliar with, then she had most likely been talking about Od.

"Aw, that's sad." She sighed, disappointed he wouldn't share information about his abilities with her. Why would he even do that with someone he just met? "Nevertheless, I'm sure Shirou can take on any goons or guards Daddy will send to Earth. You even had that other amazing sword you didn't use!" 

"And why would I do that for you?" His question threw off the alien Princess once again, as she gazed at him with confusion. 

"What… do you mean?" 

"Believe it or not, you are not my priority here, my siblings and parents take that spot by a wide margin. The reason I brought you here was that I didn't want to endanger Rito and Mikan, and also not not risk damaging my house more than it already has been. If your presence here means that my siblings will have to live in fear over a possible assassination or attack from an alien species…" 

Light flashed, his hands extending forwards where a newly formed spear came to rest in his palm, the bladed tip pointing right at the middle of Lala's stomach. 

"…Why don't I restrain you right now before handing you over to those two once they wake up, and save my family the trouble that would come with getting involved in this mess? A minor cut with this spear won't kill you but it will put you to sleep long enough for the others to take you back to your father without any further struggles from you. Or better yet," he raised the spear before stopping right in between her eyebrows. "I can kill you and those two right here and there. Incinerate your bodies and destroy all evidence, meaning the ones who I hold most dear will be safe and I won't have to deal with any more aliens."

His voice did not carry the slightest warmth, nothing but cold indifference as he stared at Lala with sharp eyes. 

"Y-You hooligan!" From her hat, the sentient robot, Peke, shouted in disbelief. "What kind of person are you to point that weapon at Lala-sama!? You promised to help us and now you're going back on your word—"

"I said no such thing." Emiya cut him off. "I never once mentioned anything about helping Lala with her case; she barged into my bathtub unannounced and I was just being polite by letting her stay. Now the situation has changed; I learned of your identity, which you didn't bother bringing up yourself, and the true reason behind your escape, which puts me and my family in danger."

He wasn't the naive boy once known as Shirou Emiya. That part of him died long ago after being betrayed by his ideals, the dream of becoming a hero… The catalyst that made him become a glorified cleaner for Alaya. What he dreamt of being a chance to save more people turned out to become a hellish torture where he killed thousands, millions in some cases. for innumerable years — to the point of becoming a machine… a tool of destruction. 

"You can't do this! Lala-sama has been kind to you and this is how you repay her!?"

"We only met an hour ago at best, and I recall no such instances of her being the one displaying kindness during our interactions. As best she showed basic courtesy as a guest… after her initial intrusion."

"What about your pride as a man? A beautiful young maiden is in need of help and you would betray her!?"

He shrugged, "I'm fresh out of that. Maybe Rito would have agreed to take you in without the slightest hesitation; he's an honest boy with a good heart. I can say the same for Mikan — both of them would have taken an alien princess in simply because she asked. Unfortunately for you, I am not them, and I will not be swayed by such stupid reasons."

"You!" The robot shrieked in anger, unable to believe that they stumbled upon such a hateful human.

"Enough, Peke!" Lala shouted sternly at her hat. 

"A-Ah, b-b—" Peke couldn't bring himself to defy his master, so with a sigh, he relented and turned quiet.

Lala still did not show any signs of confusion or anger, her eyes were crystal clear as they gazed at him. Truth be told, they unnerved him to some extent, not because he feared her or anything like that — rather she didn't fear him. One of his eyebrows raised as she began to smile while slightly moving forward and making the spear touch her skin.

"L-L-Lala-sama!?" He wasn't the only one taken aback by her action, did this girl not feel danger at all?

"Shirou, you may say all those mean things, but I know you're not going to hurt me." 

He wondered where she got such an idea from. Lala spoke those words with so much confidence behind her tone that it made him curious.

Emiya couldn't help but smirk. 

"A bold assumption on your part. I guess an hour is enough time for an alien to read someone like me?" He said with heavy sarcasm.

"Yup!" 

"Is there perhaps something wrong with your brain? I refuse to believe that there exists an entire race of your kind behaving in such a way. Makes me wonder what kind of expression you'll wear when I hand you over to those two." For someone to be this trusting, borderline gullible, would be hilarious in his opinion were it not so mind-bogglingly frustrating. It reminded the former Counter Guardian of a certain red-headed boy from his last summons.

"No, I'm pretty unique, even Mom says so!" She said cheerfully, "I know Shirou won't hurt me because Shirou is a good person! Even if you're saying that you'll hurt or kill me, you still saved me from Maul and Smutts when you didn't need to. Even now you worry about your siblings, something which I can relate to as well. You're acting mean but I can see that you don't enjoy it, you don't look happy with the act of killing like Daddy. You have a good heart, and spending an hour with you was enough for me to see it. But if you're still convinced that I'm a dangerous person to you and your family… then do it, I won't blame you." 

"..."

That was unexpected, Emiya was not ready for such a heartfelt speech from the alien princess. He wanted to laugh when he heard the girl describe him as having 'a good heart'. He was the farthest person possible from whatever image she had in her mind; no Counter Guardian could honestly call themselves anything but a mass murderer and destroyer — for that was what they existed for. Even if he had somehow been given a new life in this world, his past could not be denied and he knew that… no matter how much he would have wanted to forget it.

The blood of innocents beyond counting would forever stain his hands.

…But her words somewhat resonated with him.

Unfortunately…

"You're wrong about one thing: I can and will hurt you." He whispered.

"—!"

Psht!

Lala's eyes widened in shock for the first time since the beginning of their conversation, the spear in his hand moving swiftly before leaving a scratch on her cheek. 

"Shi… rou?" 

Her fingers touched her cheek, feeling the warm sensation of blood. She tried to talk, but her strength waned rapidly as everything started to turn dark, a cold feeling spreading inside her as it quickly took over her limbs, making them feel so heavy it was impossible to move. The world around her spun around, she could barely hear Peke's distorted voice but Emiya's still remained as clear as a bell. 

"This is for putting my siblings in danger, having your bodyguards break the window of my parents' room and make a mess of the carpet, and finally for all of the headaches you'll cause me."

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The nameless spear disappeared from his hands, breaking into countless pieces and disappearing into the surrounding air. Emiya extended his arms and gently caught her body before it could hit the ground. 

"What… What have you done to her? I swear if she's—"

"Your creator is still alive, I just sent her on a temporary trip to Morpheus' realm." He said, confusing the sentient robot with his words. "Something told me that she would have caused a lot more trouble if I didn't stop her for tonight."

"She'd better be okay, or I'll rush to your face and detonate my body!"

"Oh, such a loyal creation. Some would envy such a relationship between their close ones — let alone from a robot who gained a sense of self and its creator. I warn you though: do not speak of what happened to anyone in my house unless I say so. Do not reveal your existence to my brother and sister… or I'll make sure to take you apart myself as crudely as possible and sell your remains as scraps." Piercing amber eyes locked in on the swirling eyes on Lala's eyes, the robot trembled under the intense gaze before hurryingly agreeing to stay quiet. In Peke's mind, this human did not mess around and was actually willing to hurt Lala — something that not even Zastin could ever bring himself to do no matter how fed up he was with her behavior. 

Emiya did not doubt that Peke would have gone to such lengths; he'd seen similar cases in the past. Though some of those cases were due to mind-controled suicide puppets, but not all of them.

The girl was lighter than he expected, he barely felt anything while carrying her. The cut on her cheeks had also already stopped bleeding, though it hadn't been a deep wound to begin with. He did not lie about the spear's effect, being a Mystic Code made to paralyze its victims upon cutting their flesh, but he had weakened and altered the effects to only put her to sleep. 

Lala did not seem to possess or even control Magical Energy, so she had absolutely zero defenses against the effects. It would have been awkward if it hadn't worked; she was an alien with an entirely different constitution after all.

"Hmm, I obviously can't keep her in my room, Mikan's is out of the question and the living room… probably. At least until I've cleaned up Ringo and Saibai's room; the bed and floor are covered in glass shards and that of course brings up the broken window." He spoke to himself, walking towards the entrance of the park.

"Hurgh," groaned a figure standing up in front of him, followed by another person. It was Maul and Smutts, both having suffered no major wounds despite that the last attack being one that would have shredded any human to pieces. He could still see the shards of his sword sticking out their bodies, having barely pierced through the skin. It had done no lasting damage, but it seemed quite painful.

Emiya was once again amazed by the sheer toughness and durability of this species. A few speculations later, he concluded that he would have to bring out his more lethal Noble Phantasms to even hope of being able to truly kill them if push ever came to shove. Something strong enough that it would have done far more damage to the area than a few holes in the ground and a broken gate.

"How was your nap, gentlemen? I hope you enjoyed the road, though it is a bit rough in my opinion on top of it being a bit chilly outside tonight." 

"Lala-sama!" The men shouted in a stupor when they saw their Princess unconscious in his arms before struggling to their feet. "Hand her over to us, now." 

"I'm not so sure about that; she does want to go back home with me, after all. Even though her reason for running all across space is frankly idiotic, it is somewhat valid. Nobody wants to be basically sold to the highest bidder." 

"How dare you say that!" Maul exclaimed. "Gid-sama would never do something like that to her! He may be the ruler of the galaxy but he also cares for his daughter a great deal. Lala-sama just does not see it yet, but only the strongest of her suitors will be eligible to marry her. If that happens, she'll be kept safe and will have everything she'll ever desire."

"Truly?" Emiya commented, interested in the pieces of information he was getting about this reality and the different worlds outside his world.

"An Earthling like you who has no idea of the true scope of the galaxy cannot possibly understand our emperor's intentions." This time, it was Smutts who spoke, slowly walking behind him to block any path of escape. Unlike last time in his home, the man had his guard up and wouldn't be caught by surprise by a sneak attack. "The fate of millions of worlds are at stake here. For this reason, we need you to hand Lala-sama over to us now."

Maul cracked his fingers, "If you don't comply, then we'll break your bones. You can't fire your arrows at us at this range while carrying the princess, and don't expect to outrun us either." 

For some reason, Emiya found this whole situation quite amusing. They were right about one thing: he couldn't hurt them with how tough their bodies were unless he brought out his stronger Noble Phantasms. Kanshou and Bakuya would most likely be more than enough and Overedge would be pushing it a bit too far. But while dealing with one of them, the other one could easily take Lala away.

Oh well, he could easily use another method…

Fwish!

"Wha—!" Both Maul and Smutts grew nervous when the air all around them abruptly shimmered with blue motes of light. Both men froze when before their eyes appeared dozens of swords all pointing at them…

"Magic!?"

At first, they expected for the brat to have been wielding some sort of advanced weapon that allowed him to launch such powerful projectiles from a distance. It wasn't unheard of for such weapons to slip through their radar with the black market operating all across the galaxy. And the possibility for even someone from a backwater planet like Earth to acquire such a weapon was something they had considered. But, the sight of swords forming in midair without any signs of him using a storage device as well as those same swords floating in place without the use of a hovering gadget made their throats dry up as the truth became apparent. 

"You know, there is a simple fact that both of you fail to understand; I do not care about the fate of these worlds you're talking about. Millions could die and I won't be phased. But again, I heavily doubt the situation will reach such an extreme in the first place, which if anything makes me care even less. Break my bones? Sure, come at me and strike me where I stand now, and that'll earn the two of you an up close and personal view of these swords exploding into a cloud of molten metal — just like the one from before. Both of you may not die, but what about her? Are you willing to put your princess in harm's way because your pride wouldn't let a teenager like me walk away and bring her to a place she wants to be?" He threatened them with a smirk on his face. "I, on the other hand, will survive as my own weapons cannot harm me."

That last part was a lie, he was just as affected by the weapons he Traced blowing up as anyone else. But they didn't need to know that, not like they could even deny or confirm his claim.

Smutts clenched his hands, his teeth grinding against each other.

"You spineless coward, you're using the Princess as a hostage!" 

"Yes, of course I am." Emiya easily admitted. "Do not take this as a bluff, for I am willing to go to extreme lengths if I have to. I will use whatever tactic or dirty trick that gives me the greatest chance of victory."

The three of them were stuck in a stalemate, but Emiya was the one holding all the cards. The bodyguards didn't dare take a single step forward with Lala's life on the line. Even if there was a chance that he was only bluffing, they couldn't risk it. If by misfortune this kid turned out to be a real lunatic and harmed their Princess… then countless planets would get destroyed by the emperor's fury, and they in particular would die a truly agonizing death!

"You're not human... What planet are you from?" Maul asked. "We have information and reports about the life forms on this planet; we know well how the human species works, but the power and ability you displayed… We've never heard of anything remotely similar."

Shrugging his shoulders, Emiya acted ignorant. "I am human, you just need to do a better job with your research or fire your current informant. Now, stop trying to stall for more time and let me pass. Or else…" 

He eyed one of the swords, a steady stream of Magical Energy flowing inside of the weapon. Maul's heart stopped when he saw red creeping along the blade with the tell-tale sign of miniature cracks slowly spreading as well. The mental image of everything around them getting hit by those shards, including the princess… he glared at the boy who started to walk away at a leisurely pace. 

Never had they felt so useless and frustrated during their career as the royal family's bodyguards.

Just as Maul was considering using his body as a shield and even going as far as to sacrifice his life so Smutts could attempt a last-minute rescue, Emiya spoke.

"If you want Lala to come back, then she'll have to decide for herself. I won't keep her prisoner or anything like that; if she wants to leave then I'll even hold a feast over the occasion. But after hearing her story, I don't think she'll be wanting to go back anytime soon, so tell your emperor to talk to his own daughter himself face to face and sort out their issues like a normal family." 

All of the frustration, hate, and anger he and Smutts were experiencing at that moment vanished. That attitude… it felt so familiar yet foreign at the same time, like if they were facing someone much older and imposing. 

Lala wasn't in any danger, she just managed to find someone strong who was willing to go this far as to protect her. He displayed powers strong enough to halt them in their tracks and even pierce their incredibly tough skin, while also proving himself ruthless enough to target their weak spot by holding a sword to their princess' neck. Still, they had a task to bring her back.

The two aliens glanced at each other, as if relaying silent messages, then Maul stepped forward. "You win today, but don't believe that this is the end. We will return with reinforcements; you can't keep her forever." 

Emiya stopped, though he didn't turn back to face them as he spoke.

"Is that so? I suppose that would be problematic for me, were it not for the fact that you'll need to return to your base of operations alive in the first place to inform your colleagues." 

They grew confused at his words, but that confusion died immediately when they heard the sound of metal screeching and the sense of imminent danger wash over them. Looking above, they saw the still present cluster of swords all aiming at them, some of them having gone all red with cracks all over them — showing signs of detonating any second.

Their jaws fell, how the heck did they forget about this!? 

"Shit, not again!" 

Woosh!

Instantly, all two dozen of the summoned weapons flew across the sky and aimed straight for the pair of bewildered men. Since he didn't have the time or the opportunity to Reinforce them the same way as his previous weapon, these Broken Phantasms instead detonated on impact, creating an explosion that obliterated the park's entrance and drowned both men in a dome of fire while Emiya and Lala were already gone from the scene.

All emerging feelings of respect and admiration for the boy vanished and were replaced with pure anger from the injustice.

"Damn you!" Maul shouted.

"Ah, all of our clothes burned away!"

"What!?"

Zastin wouldn't be happy with them, that was for sure. Those tailored uniforms were expensive, and would likely be coming out of their pay after a failure like this.

{Break}

While they were walking back, Emiya took a deep breath. This was the first time in more than a decade that he used anywhere close to this much Magical Energy. He could feel that the circuits inside his body had grown quite warm, as they weren't used to absorbing so much Mana for so long. Another aspect he would need to train. This world had made him far too relaxed, and now the appearance of aliens with durability superior to that of many Servants appearing out of nowhere made him worry. 

"You are a talented liar I must say." Peke spoke, breaking his silence. "I almost believed that you were going to hurt Lala-sama again and use her as a hostage."

"Who said I wasn't? If they had insisted on pushing forward, then I would have resorted to using her as my shield for real." He answered nonchalantly, being truthful with his answer. Luckily, those two decided to not pursue him for another fight, something he hadn't wanted to risk as his limited physical prowess as a human made him far weaker than his Heroic Spirit self.  

"…You are a despicable human." The machine said with a deadpan voice.

"I never denied it." 

"Why couldn't it have been someone else in the bathtub? Any human would have been a safer choice than you…" 

He chucked, imagining what would have happened if Rito were there instead of him. That boy would have probably used his football as a weapon on the bodyguards before running away with Lala similar to how he had. Though his brother wouldn't have been able to deal with those two, ending up being captured in the end. Maybe Lala could have used that bracelet of hers to teleport them somewhere else in such a scenario, but that would've left them both naked. And knowing his brother's clumsiness, they would have ended up falling in the middle of nowhere in a very… intimate position.

If it was Mikan, then she would have called him for help instead. Not taking any chances to deal with these guys on her own, she was mature enough to know her limits.

"Hmm… Shi-rou?" Lala spoke, making him halt in the middle of the road and stare at the girl.

The weapon's effect couldn't have run out so quickly, she should have been unconscious till next morning. 

'Maybe it's her alien biology; her species' physiology could be far superior to that of humans, much like how her guards have much tougher skin.' She didn't show a powerful physical defense like her bodyguards, as his spear had easily cut her skin like it would have with any human. So he didn't know if he should expect all of her people to be just as resilient or strong as Maul and Smutts. 

"Lala-sama, you're awake! I'm so happy! I thought this human did something bad to you and I was going to…"  Peke started rambling, his voice getting ignored by Lala as she tried to open her eyes but would close them immediately after. So she was still under the effects, she only temporarily woke up and was already falling back to sleep.

"I'm… still… here?" She whispered, her voice hoarse. 

"It wasn't an easy decision for me to make, mind you. I was sorely tempted to just hand you over to your bodyguards and send you home. But then, I realized that my family could get targeted regardless and decided to keep you as a hostage until things smooth over." 

Emiya stiffened as Lala's hands came to gently caress his face. She looked at him with tired eyes and a smile. 

"I knew… that… Shirou was a… good person." 

"Again, you're wrong." He was quick to deny it. "Your presence just happened to be more convenient than you leaving would be, despite the headaches I know you'll give me. Don't create a false narrative out of thi — and she's back to sleeping." He gazed at the scratch on her cheek and found the cut to have already healed over.

Leaving behind nothing but a red line that would soon disappear. 

"Interesting."

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It took him quite a while to return to his house, as he was just walking at a slow pace without using Reinforcement. It was already very late by now, with all the houses in the neighborhood having gone dark and not a single traffic sound coming from the road. The only source of light being the street lamps. He breathed out white mist caused by the cold ambient temperature, the temperature having plummeted so much that he expected it to start snowing at any moment.

No one else had come for him and Lala, so he was at least sure that both Maul and Smutts had gone back to whatever base or ship they had with their literal tails between their legs. For all he knew, they could come knocking on his door tomorrow and then have a cordial conversation with him. 

As he reached the front door and was about to call for someone, the door opened on its own with someone standing on the other side of the threshold. Wearing a sweater to keep warm from the cold weather and sleepy eyes, Mikan stared at him in her sleepy state.

"Onii…-chan?" 

Oh, when was the last time she called him such? Almost two years at least if he remembered correctly. Honestly, he missed hearing her calling him that, not that he would ever admit it.

"Ah, Mikan, were you sleeping just now?" He asked.

She nodded while rubbing her eye and letting out a small yawn. The girl was so tired that she didn't notice that she'd just called him Onii-chan, or else she would have a face shining bright red.

"You were gone for so long!" She exclaimed, worried for him. "I-I tried to call you but you left your phone here, and Mom and Dad's room is locked… I thought you accidentally fell asleep there." 

As her drowsiness faded, she finally noticed the girl in her big brother's arms, sleeping peacefully as he had her in a princess carry. Mikan squinted her eyes before looking at him suspiciously.

"…Who is she?" 

"Her? Well… this may be our guest for the next little while; her name is Lala. She'll be sleeping here for the night."

He wasn't planning on revealing her alien status or story of being a runaway from her father seeking to marry her off. Not yet at least. There was a time for everything and this wasn't it.

As if on cue for that principle being violated in the worst of ways, Lala began muttering in her sleep.

"Hmmm… Shirou's spear… so big."

"…"

"…"

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"She's also very delusional." He said with a perfectly straight face while Mikan suddenly felt a bit wary of this girl… For some reason she felt threatened by Lala.

"Now come on, go to sleep. I'll handle everything from here on my own. Also don't stay up so late during school days." He said before entering the house and heading towards the living room to grab some pillows and blankets for the girl to sleep on the couch for the night. He'd clean the mess in Ringo and Sabai's room tomorrow, and then she'd be able to sleep there.

It didn't take him more than a few minutes to arrange everything and settle Lala on the couch. Peke had to revert back to his normal body to recharge, and he just had to do so right as he was still holding her, leaving him with a naked girl in his arms.

At least Mikan had gone back to bed.

Rolling his eyes at the absurdity of it all, Emiya placed her under the blankets before heading back to his room to end this chaotic day.

Tomorrow would be just as bad, unfortunately, if not worse.

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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.