Reunions are beautiful, often deeply moving.
In novels or films, when lovers part for ages and meet again, the scene is always heart-wrenching, embraces, joy, or pouring out their longing.
But those are lies, crafted for stories to stir audiences' tears.
Roy couldn't say for sure, but to him, it felt true.
He'd imagined returning to his beloved, picturing the moment, would it be joyful, touching? Unforgettable, surely.
Reality, however, taught him a harsh, precise truth: for adults, those fairy-tale moments were fiction.
So…
"Open the door, Shiki… Don't keep ignoring me… I know ghosting you for so long was wrong, but hear me out…"
"I've got important things to tell you."
"Go die." came a flat reply from the room.
"Wahhh, fairy-tale reunions really are a scam…"
A young man's wail echoed through the Ryōgi estate's vast courtyard.
"Guess I'm not getting in today…"
Like a guilty husband banished by his wife, crying for pity, Roy slumped on the wooden steps, hamming up his sobs.
His pitiful act, a stark contrast to his earlier breezy demeanor, was so theatrical that Cú Chulainn's mouth twitched, unsure how to describe it.
If pressed, he'd give a thumbs-up, grit his teeth, and toss out a modern superlative: "Epic!!"
If acting had ranks, this guy could rival Medb.
If Cú Chulainn didn't know the context, he'd think Roy was genuinely heartbroken.
But really, wasn't this mess his own doing?
"Uh… good luck, man."
Patting Roy's shoulder, Cú Chulainn turned and left.
This was clearly their private drama, or some quirky couple's game. He wasn't about to meddle.
As Ireland's hound, he was blunt but had a nose for reading the room.
He'd brought Roy here, hollered to summon his "lil bro" Absent for half a month, planning a warm welcome, maybe a feast.
Unluckily, the Head of the Ryougi was away on business with Fujino, announcing the family's return to the mystic world, leaving Shiki in charge.
If it were just Cú Chulainn, this wouldn't be an issue.
Raised with strict manners, Shiki respected this powerful Irish hero who called her father "brother." Despite his messy personal life, she tolerated him within reason.
He wasn't her subordinate, practically an elder, and she couldn't judge an ancient hero by modern morals.
If it were only Cú Chulainn, he'd get top-tier hospitality, as long as he didn't wreck the place. But with that guy? Whole different story.
When Shiki opened the gate, she saw Cú Chulainn swagger in, trailed by a face she'd thought about for over a year. Her blood pressure spiked.
This idiot was finally back…
Longing? Sure.
Joy? Absolutely.
But did that stop her from fuming at this fool who promised a month but vanished for a year and a half, his fate unknown?
Not at all.
If Arcueid hadn't visited the Clock Tower to confirm Roy's status with Zelretch, Shiki might've thought he'd met some grim end.
For a time, she and SHIKI fretted daily over this fool, barely eating or sleeping, their worry compounded by some boy's persistent harassment, souring her mood to rock bottom.
Meanwhile, the mystic world shook.
The Mage's Association's Clock Tower descended into chaos.
The vampire princess of the True Ancestors, Arcueid Brunestud, successor to Crimson Moon, stormed the Clock Tower alone in broad daylight, demanding the Wizard Marshal, Zelretch.
Normally, with Arcueid's ties to the Third and Second Magic users, contacting a Lord for mediation would've made finding Zelretch a minor task. But, perhaps in her haste, she ignored her sensitive status. Her brazen intrusion blew the Clock Tower wide open, rattling the Dead Apostle Ancestors too.
Merem Solomon, on a Church mission in Europe, nearly lost his mind hearing Arcueid had barged in, dropping everything to race to London.
Altrouge Brunestud, the Dead Apostles' vampire princess, lost her composure at the news, rallying her forces and consulting Ancestors worldwide on how to handle it.
She couldn't fathom Arcueid's reckless logic but never imagined she'd cause such a fiasco.
Arcueid, White Princess and Crimson Moon's heir, storming the Clock Tower was a headache for all.
If the Clock Tower's Lords let her rampage, they'd lose face and authority, denting their prestige.
But confront her? Who would? Why? For what?
They weren't the Holy Church, Executor Knights, or Burial Agency, driven by fanatical hatred for Dead Apostles or True Ancestors. Her intrusion was, at worst, a blow to pride.
Sure, it'd spark rumors and erode some credibility, but no real loss.
Stopping her, though? The cost was incalculable.
Who could claim to best this vampire princess? Sealing Designation Enforcers? The Department of Policies?
Laughable. Those internal-war experts would fall to Arcueid's single hand. The previous Barthomeloi head died to Altrouge, after all.
Even tapping the Clock Tower's hidden reserves to subdue Arcueid, what then?
Use her for experiments? Harvest her power? Research?
Absurd. Even if they captured her, they'd do nothing.
As Crimson Moon's heir, a True Ancestor princess, her status alone was enough, unlike the worldly Altrouge with her vast network.
Merem Solomon and other Ancestors loyal to Arcueid aside, if they touched her, Altrouge would demand her back, for pride or deeper reasons.
The Twenty-Seven Ancestors wouldn't let Crimson Moon's heir fall to magi. War would erupt.
No one wanted that thankless task, not even the Barthomeloi, bitterest against Dead Apostles, who hesitated.
Knowing Arcueid's bond with Roy, Aozaki Touko, hearing the explosive news, messaged Kayneth and El-Melloi at the Clock Tower.
This swung the Clock Tower's rising faction from neutrality to Arcueid's side, vowing to oppose anyone who touched her.
The high-level meeting stalled.
No Lord dared propose action, fearing retaliation.
The Clock Tower scrambled to contact Zelretch, but he was absent, likely meddling in some parallel world.
Meanwhile, Dead Apostle forces converged on London, not attacking but amassing. Even Trhvmn Ortenrosse, at odds with both princesses, couldn't tolerate Crimson Moon's heir in magi hands and acted. The Ancestors' gathering drew the Holy Church.
Magi, Executors, clergy, Dead Apostles, varied factions swarmed London's outskirts, turning Western Europe's mystic balance into a mess.
British nobility and military, alarmed, visited the Clock Tower, demanding answers.
The deadlocked Lords offered: "Situation critical, no intervention possible."
Luckily, Arcueid wasn't there to wreck the Clock Tower, just to ask Zelretch about Roy.
Kayneth and El-Melloi, explaining her ties to Roy, calmed her down.
With their flattery, they convinced Arcueid to stay comfortably at the Clock Tower until Zelretch returned, resolving the crisis.
Zelretch assured her Roy was fine, his strength ensuring safety. Arcueid, relieved, asked to be sent to him, but was refused. Oblivious to the chaos she'd caused, the golden retriever returned to Japan, sharing the good news with Shiki and others.
While Roy's safety was a relief, the ordeal terrified Touko, Arcueid's guardian.
Upon her return, Touko pleaded with unprecedented seriousness: "I know you worry about him, but next time, tell me first, okay? I'll go, or come with you. You've blended into human society, but you've got to know your status! The mystic world seems vast but it's tiny. A few more stunts like that, and the whole world will implode."
Arcueid's clear-headed foolishness sparked the chaos, but at its core, Roy's year-and-a-half disappearance, leaving them worried, was the cause.
Shiki felt helpless affection for Arcueid's golden retriever antics but resentment toward Roy, shifting from relief to reproach.
Even SHIKI agreed: this was too much. Roy needed a lesson.
Thus, Roy faced the consequences of his actions.
Entering with Cú Chulainn, Roy spotted Shiki in a kimono, standing at the threshold to greet them.
Perhaps due to her teenage growth spurt, Shiki had changed since he left. Taller, her poise more refined, and, most notably, she'd heeded his advice, ditching the chest wrap. Her once-flat figure now had a gentle curve.
Seeing her welcome him, Roy smiled, thinking his punishment might be skipped.
He was wrong.
One glance, confirming he was alive, then Shiki turned, retreated to her room, and shut the door.
Click!!
Stunned, Roy approached and tried to push it open.
Locked from inside!!
A trivial lock couldn't stop Roy, now versed in most of the world's magecraft.
Intending to slip in and explain, he reached for the door, but a jolt of electricity and a magecraft barrier repelled his hand.
A specialized Bounded Field?
Now he got it…
Shiki's smile and silence weren't forgiveness but disinterest in arguing, choosing to bar him instead.
Ugh…
This rejection doused the heartfelt words he'd rehearsed for their reunion. Worse, Shiki was truly upset, she'd locked the door and set a barrier to keep him from sneaking in.
Zzt, Crackle!!
Touching the barrier, blue mana currents sparked across his palm, buzzing harshly.
He could break it in a second if he wanted, but the situation was different.
Early on, if Shiki teased him like this, he'd have barged in without hesitation.
Back then, he acted to fulfill goals, seeking his purpose. Though fond of Shiki, it didn't sway him.
Now, enlightened by the Count, his mindset had shifted. From guarded to open, he embraced his heart's desires. Looking back, he'd missed too many precious moments in his haste.
He was honest now, earnest, not just completing tasks but seeking happiness for himself and others.
His old aloof approach had to change.
He no longer saw himself as the Ryōgi's teacher, Shiki's mentor, or friend, but a suitor, a serious one. He genuinely wanted to pursue the feelings in his heart, chasing a happiness that might be his.
That's why Kokutou Mikiya's name rattled him so much.
Yet, despite resolving to seize the happiness slipping through his fingers, he'd shut that door himself with his antics. Worse, the other side had locked it.
Wahhh…
Ahem, the barrier's repulsion was weak, more symbolic than defensive, emphasizing warning over protection. It signaled that even a girl like Shiki had a temper and emotions. His vanishing act, worrying them so, was his fault.
If he broke the barrier now, he'd be done for, no seeing Shiki for a while.
The barrier also had surveillance and alert modules, meaning Shiki was likely watching his every move like a drama, fully aware of his dilemma.
Despite his groveling and pleas, her indifference showed he'd truly upset her.
"SHIKI, you in there? You can hear me, right? Talk to Shiki for me, let me in, or open the door~ I just got back and I'm locked out. It's too sad."
"Wahhh, next time I'll take you to the Atlas Institute to see high-tech stuff, or the Wandering Sea, or South America's big spider, okay?"
"…"
Silence was tonight's bridge.
Inside, unseen by Roy, Shiki, in a pale yellow kimono, sipped tea, watching his melodrama via a water-mirror spell.
SHIKI's voice chimed in.
Unlike Shiki's cool facade, tinged with surprise and amusement, SHIKI's tone was concerned. He addressed his coexisting main personality, "Is this okay? A light scolding's enough. Going on like this… isn't it too much?"
"He didn't mean it this time. You were worried too, right? Keeping this up isn't great."
"SHIKI, you…"
Shiki ruffled her hair, shared with SHIKI, sighing. "Didn't we agree to teach him a lesson? But one word from him, and you're soft… What spell did he cast on you, SHIKI? If you like him that much, why don't you date him?"
"Kidding, right? I like him, but I'm not happy either, I'm a guy…"
"Just a male personality, though. Your body's female~"
"Fair, but that's…"
SHIKI fumbled.
"Fine, no more teasing." Shiki said. "He vanished for so long, making me worry daily. Now he waltzes back like nothing happened? He needs a lesson. You don't want him disappearing again for a year and a half, do you? I can't take that."
"But…"
Noticing Roy's changes since returning, Shiki's lips curved slightly. "Looks like that dummy's grown a bit. Fine, let him explain, then we'll deal with him. He's a fool, but a worrisome one. No repeats."
"You've forgiven him?" SHIKI's tone brightened.
"Nope."
"Ohh, still playing coy?"
"Hmph, shut it."
Without denying it, Shiki smiled faintly, swiping her hand over the water mirror, dispelling the door's magecraft barrier.
___
If you're interested in reading more that 50 chapters, feel free to visit my pat reon,
https , // www .pat reon. com /XElenea