"Te-hee. I'm sorry. I'll be a really good girl from now on. I promise!"
"Not a chance. If you keep opening your mouth, I'll even gag you. Don't even ask Dad to untie the rope."
The girl turned her head away abruptly.
"Got it? I'm talking to you too, Dad. Don't you ever untie it."
"Uh... hmm. Yeah. Got it."
A rather foolish voice came out. There's a reason for that.
She says she's my daughter. That girl.
Long, black hair. Beautiful eyes that shine like emeralds.
She's very sharp and strong-willed, just like someone I know. She's fiery, but isn't that cool?
A smile keeps escaping me.
"Lupus. Lupus. Hey, you know?"
"Johanna. Johanna. Why?"
Johanna (not the future one) is the same. The corners of her mouth keep twitching.
"Whose daughter could be that cute?"
"I don't know~. Is her mom really pretty?"
"Ehehe... it's probably because her dad is so handsome!"
We looked at each other and laughed. We literally burst out laughing.
I want to run and hug my daughter right now. I feel like I'm going crazy. My legs keep fidgeting, but I'm holding back.
"I'll have to do it all over again... ha. When will I ever fix this."
Since Her Ladyship is in a bad mood. I have to be mindful.
I and Johanna also want to keep laughing, but we're holding back. The daughter glared at us a moment ago.
I'm just watching from a distance, but it's still good.
"Ugh. She's so lovely. It feels like she wouldn't hurt even if I put her in my eye."
"...It's really nice, but. It's a bit worrying."
"What is?"
Instead of speaking, I told her with my mouth shape.
'Beast'
"Ah..."
"She seems fine now, but you never know."
"...That's true."
The power of the beast I once had. The beast of contradiction passed its ownership to another when I gave it up.
And that is my daughter. Of all the more than 7 billion people, my daughter had to be the one.
As the former owner, I could feel that my daughter possessed the power of the beast.
Somehow, just as Johanna had sensed our daughter's existence by instinct, I also knew by instinct.
The instinct that occasionally helped me has been quiet lately. I don't know if it's because there are no problems, or because I've become weaker.
"Lupus... and the young me. Could you untie this for a moment?"
"Johanna? When did you crawl all the way here?"
"I'm used to being tied up. ...Ugh! Don't pull so hard!"
The future Johanna, with a little help from us, skillfully untied her restraints on her own.
The daughter... is still focused on the monitor. It seems she's too busy to pay attention to us.
The future Johanna introduced herself with a dignified air.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Johanna, from 10 years in the future."
"...Nice to meet... you?"
"Yeah!"
The words '10 years later' are quite suggestive.
Even without going through various analyses, what's certain is that Johanna is alive 10 years later, and her daughter is with her.
The future Johanna said to ask her anything.
Then, Johanna was the first to ask. She had a serious face.
"Is our daughter safe?"
"Yeah. She has perfect control over the beast's power, and her body is healthy."
"That's a relief..."
That was the only thing.
"Aren't you curious about anything else? How... I mean, how Tamamo and Morgan turned out?"
Johanna shook her head.
"No. I'm content as long as that child is safe."
"Yeah. I see..."
I have so many questions.
It's hard to ask like this, isn't it?
As if she had read my mind. The future Johanna gave a playful smile and tucked my arm between her breasts.
"What about you? You can ask me anything you want. Like my three sizes...?"
"Are you a pervert?"
"A pervert just for you."
Where has the pope gone?
All that's left here is a succubus who only thinks of sucking her husband dry.
"You were sad because you weren't satisfied earlier, right? Right now, secretly..."
"N...no!"
Clang! The future Johanna fell backwards. The culprit was Johanna.
The Johanna Punch of terrifying power, now! Her future self... killed!
"Lupus is mine! I can't give him up, even to my future self!"
Johanna hugged my arm tightly, just as the future Johanna had done.
And she watched my expression.
"...I'm, I'm okay too, right?"
To be completely honest, the future Johanna felt better.
But. To say that out loud would be suicide.
I succeeded in putting on a perfect facial expression.
"There is no one more beautiful than the you right now."
"I was asking if this is okay..."
Failure!
"I can grow them quickly too! M-my future self is big too! I'll become a body that will satisfy you!"
"Don't get weirdly motivated! Our daughter is here too, you have to watch what you say!"
"We're moaning and groaning every night, so why are you being so prim and proper all of a sudden?"
Cynical. Our daughter.
Johanna and I crouched in a corner.
My motivation suddenly hit rock bottom. The future is bleak.
"Can we become proper parents?"
"...Just because your future self came doesn't mean it has to be like that. Was it a time paradox? I heard there's something like that."
"Do you even know what that means, Dad?"
The daughter who had slammed the keyboard's enter key with gusto got off her chair.
A gait closer to a waddle than a stride.
If it's 10 years in the future, is she 10 years old? She looks much more mature than that.
"A time paradox happens when you go back to the past for real. This is a Singularity, so it's meaningless to correct it. The problem is that the correction is too annoying."
What more is there for a father to say to a grumbling daughter?
"I'll help you with anything. Just say the word."
"Uh... Mom too!"
"Me too!"
Isn't this a rather heartwarming scene?
"Tsk."
The daughter clicked her tongue once and then went back to the monitor room.
Instead of me, who was watching from a distance, Johanna stuck to her daughter's side.
"I don't have any power, but I have a few specialties. Can you tell me what the troublesome thing is?"
"...Since there are only two of us right now, I'll explain when everyone is here."
When everyone is here?
"I wasn't planning on seeing anyone at first. This is all because of this old hag. Problems arise the moment she shows her face... ugh!"
"Ouch!"
The problem that arises the moment she shows her face. I thought she just said it was okay because it's a Singularity, so what's the problem?
My curiosity only grew, but I didn't want to bother my daughter who was busy typing on the keyboard.
Instead, I watched my daughter work with Johanna.
My daughter. I can't believe it. I never dreamed that the day would come when we would meet so suddenly.
Is it the guidance of the Holy Grail? Or is it fate?
How did the power of the beast of contradiction manifest?
The more my thoughts piled up, the more it felt like time was flowing slowly.
Fortunately, I didn't get tired of waiting.
"Mikon~!"
"Kehak!"
"Do we really have to create a portal at our feet? I think it would be fine to just open it and walk in."
Tamamo, Draco, and Gilgamesh arrived all at once.
The three of them were happy to see me first.
"Father~!"
And they gave Johanna a greeting with an ambiguous atmosphere.
"So you were alive. Hmph. I wasn't worried. Don't misunderstand!"
And an ambiguous greeting to Johanna...
"Hee.... There are two of you? Are you from the future? I didn't see this with my clairvoyance. It seems the situation is getting interesting~."
Only Gilgamesh was carefree.
"Acho! You must be disguised as Your Holiness Johanna. I will not forgive you."
"Don't be a fool, fox. That is surely a ghost. Do you think a physical attack will work on a ghost?"
"I'm not a ghost or a disguise, I'm myself~."
As soon as the words that the future Johanna was real came out of my mouth, the three of them bombarded her with questions.
"I married Father, right? Right?"
"Don't think it's strange and listen. In the future, ahem... well. It's only natural, but I also..."
"How many children did we have? We must have had at least two per person."
This is so dizzying.
The future Johanna was not flustered. Just as she had looked at me and Johanna, she looked at our younger selves with nostalgia.
"I'm getting teary-eyed for some reason. I thought we could never become friends at this time. Yeah."
"That's a very interesting story. Are you by any chance claiming to have become friends with me?"
"No! Not friends, but... mph!"
The future Johanna's mouth was forcibly closed. Everyone's gaze followed the hand that was blocking her mouth to her face.
"I told you I'd gag you if you said it again, right? Mom, please stop making problems!"
Someone said.
"...If she's 'mom', then who's 'dad'?"
That was another fuse.