As evening approached, the group arrived at Disneyland.
An awkward silence hung in the air.
It was awkward.
"I'm dying of boredom here. Someone do something!"
"I've never seen Dumpty like this before... He's never been this awkward..."
"Why does it feel like we're stuck with just Asclepius and Atalanta?"
"It's suffocating."
Nero grew impatient watching Ayaka and Dumpty walk in awkward silence, while Jingmi felt alienated seeing Dumpty's ill-at-ease demeanor for the first time. Heracles sighed, comparing them to other Argonauts, and Medea Lily could only observe, shaking her head.
And then...
"Master, this chicken skewer is delicious."
"Oh, thank you."
True to her Alter nature, Saber Alter was casually sampling the amusement park's street food. Yet, she diligently offered tasty treats to her Master, Ayaka, and whether intentional or not, the awkward tension didn't worsen.
"He's especially prone to guilt and kindness with children... So, Medea Lily, could you handle this?"
"Me? But I'm not very good at this sort of thing..."
"Still, since you're a child yourself, shouldn't you be able to break the ice between them?"
"Hmm..."
Medea Lily pondered what to do. Seeing the two continue to awkwardly avoid each other's gaze while sightseeing, she felt a pang of pity and decided to act. But first...
She took out her phone, accessed Amazon.com, and purchased an item. With hyper-speed delivery, a package appeared right in front of her.
She immediately opened the box and took out a medicine bottle.
"What's that?"
"It's similar to the medicine Master took. Perhaps if he becomes a child, the situation might improve...!?"
"... Gods know nothing of human hearts."
Even Nero shook her head, seeing Medea Lily trying to solve things with medicine.
"No, if he reverts to childhood, wouldn't he feel better in the amusement park atmosphere?"
"It's worth a try."
"Umm... what should we do?"
"Hoo, using medicine is hard to approve, but leveraging the amusement park's mood is right. Since Master can also become a child, how about recreating those eight years ago?"
Medea Lily nodded at Heracles' suggestion. She quickly ran to Ayaka to give her the medicine, but...
"What's that, Ana?"
"Huh? Ah..."
She was immediately stopped by Dumpty. Medea Lily felt a bit intimidated by Dumpty's gaze from his adult height.
"Is that perhaps..."
"It's... medicine to become a child."
"Who are you planning to give it to?"
"..."
Medea Lily quietly glanced at Ayaka. Ayaka frowned.
"Trying to make me a child with medicine...? To manipulate my memories...?"
"That wasn't the intention... right, Ana?"
"Yes, that wasn't the intention... But, could you take it for me?"
Medea Lily timidly offered the medicine, knowing Dumpty would get angry if forced. Ayaka stared at the bottle... then closed her eyes tightly and accepted it.
"Are you serious?"
"You can become a child too... Since we promised to come here, it might be better if it's like back then."
Ayaka immediately opened the bottle and gulped it down.
Smoke emanated from her body, and she reverted to a child, her clothes changing to her childhood attire.
"... Amazing. Modern mages would do anything to get their hands on this."
"I know, right!"
Dumpty also reverted to a child. The two walked again in awkward silence.
"It hasn't improved at all...!?"
"Should we call other Servants..."
"Calm down, Ana, Jingmi. There might be some progress."
"Umm, or how about calling your other selves, Ana?"
"Ehh..."
Nero suggested summoning other Medusas, and Medea Lily shook her head in refusal.
Nero and Jingmi watched anxiously, but...
"Hey, Ayaka. Is there anything you want to eat? There are plenty of restaurants."
"Saber gave me food, so not really..."
"She's picking junk food, typical of an Alter. She's watching out for you in her own way, Ayaka. You picked a good Servant."
"I guess. Compared to you, not really..."
"Your mind is still the same, huh. This isn't a medicine that rejuvenates the mind."
"There's such a thing? Mental rejuvenation, that's impressive. I'm fine as I am. If my mind reverted... I'd be a bit embarrassed."
"Handling the aftermath would be tough!"
Still, they started talking bit by bit, easing the atmosphere, and everyone felt somewhat relieved.
They went on rides, and the two seemed to be slowly growing closer.
"There's such magecraft? The Age of Gods is really..."
"I didn't know there was magecraft to open bottle caps either. Circe knows a lot of useless magecraft. There's even magecraft to remove stubborn grease stains."
"Compared to grand magecraft, it's surprisingly useful. Could patent it at the Clock Tower."
"Right? Olga was amazed too."
"Who's Olga?"
"Lord Animusphere. Here, is Marisbury still the Lord? His daughter."
"... Close?"
"She's clingy. Of course we're close. How should I put it? Like a younger sister around my age?"
"Heeh..."
The atmosphere cooled slightly again...
"You have a lot of women around you..."
"Yeah... why so many? What's so good about someone like me."
'Manaka... is there any worth in me that she'd like? I don't understand. At best, I'm just living off connections, what's so great that even Artoria... Is it because of food? Really, because of that...?'
Dumpty, perhaps due to feeling guilty towards Ayaka, had his self-esteem plummeted and was cowed. Ayaka watched him with a complicated expression.
"Master, wait... I have something to say."
"Talk after eating, Saber. What is it?"
"This amusement park, it's quite strange. Not just the surroundings, but even this food feels lacking. Yes, it lacks vitality."
"Vitality? Do you know about rice grains?"
"What are you talking about? I mean... well, mana, I should say. Vitality is directly connected to mana, Merlin told me. The mana around here is odd."
At Saber Alter's words, Dumpty and Ayaka began to look around.
"Hmm... guys, is that true?"
"Umm? Ah, yes, it is."
"But why didn't you tell me?"
"Well, we were more worried about Master..."
"Jingmi..."
"To be honest, it wasn't the right atmosphere to mention it. Sorry."
"No, Heracles... it's understandable."
Since the atmosphere was cold and it wasn't urgent, Dumpty nodded in understanding.
"A Caster? Definitely feels like some alien bounded field."
"Perhaps..."
'Paracelsus or Medea? Paracelsus would target a small village rather than a big amusement park. For something this scale... Medusa maybe. In terms of field, Medea is more suitable than an alchemist like him.'
Dumpty analyzed coldly...
"For mobility, Ana, no Medusa. Show the power of the Gorgon sisters."
"The, the sisters are for later..."
"? Understood."
Dumpty immediately summoned all the other Medusas.
"But thinking about it, won't this stand out...?"
Medusa and Stheno might not, but Gorgon, due to her size and appearance, would be noticeable. However...
"Don't worry. Master's blessing is upon us."
Medusa, just summoned, smiled faintly as she looked around. The surrounding people passed by without noticing anything unusual.
"... There's perception interference too?"
"It's not for shocks like explosions, but for appearances like this, they don't feel anything strange. Of course, limited to Master's Servants."
"I see... I summoned them without thinking again. Ayaka, hit me for being so stupid...!"
"Are you a masochist?"
"That's harsh. I was just trying to lighten the mood."
Instead of physical violence, Dumpty received verbal abuse and pouted. Ayaka looked troubled, as if to say 'this isn't it...'
Another awkward current flowed... The Medusas quickly scattered and soon reported the enemy's location. Heracles carried Dumpty, and Saber Alter carried Ayaka as the group swiftly arrived at the spot.
The location was none other than Disney Castle, the iconic symbol of Tokyo Disneyland. It shouldn't be accessible, but it had been altered into a sanctified place.
"To dare modify this place overflowing with dreams and hope, are you planning to make some mermaid princess!"
"What's that about..."
"I hope Ayaka doesn't know... Please, don't lose your innocence."
"Huh?"
Ayaka tilted her head at Dumpty's oddly sincere expression.
Soon, a witch revealed herself from inside.
"Fufufu, how did you find this place? I was trying to gather more mana before returning to my Master, but I got caught because it's a famous spot? What kind of children are... huh?"
And, as Dumpty predicted, it was Medea.
"Gorgon, breathe!"
"Ah──"
Kwaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!
Thus, Medea was blown far away.
"... Is she dead?"
"Probably not dead yet. I hope she survives and causes trouble for those guys."
'To find out who's leading the blackened Servants, having a mage like Medea around would make finding clues more fun.'
After blowing away Medea, who was harming the amusement park, the group returned.
"... Want to ride that? No lines."
"The carousel...?"
At Dumpty's suggestion, Ayaka decided to ride together. Since they looked like siblings as children, the attendant let them ride on one horse, with Dumpty in front and Ayaka behind.
The female members watched Ayaka with envious eyes... and Ayaka, holding onto Dumpty's waist, rode the carousel.
"... I'm sorry."
"Apologizing again after coming all this way?"
"I don't expect forgiveness. I just want to apologize."
"....."
Ayaka bit her lip as she listened to Dumpty's apology. Her arms tightened around his waist, and with her head lowered, she spoke to him.
"I'm the one who should... apologize."
"What does our Ayaka have to be sorry for... I'm the one who should apologize."
"It's not your fault... You didn't do this because you wanted to."
"In the end, it's my fault. If I had done better, at least Manaka wouldn't have left."
"Sis was always hard to understand, even from the start. But I loved her because she's family... Hearing your story, I understand her even less. What I am to her, I don't know anymore."
"But she's still your family. I know the pain of loneliness. You spent eight years alone at such a young age. It's my fault.
"So...! ... Stop apologizing. I'm the one who got angry at you without knowing anything."
"Not knowing was normal, and your anger and hatred were justified. There's no reason for you to apologize."
"That's exactly what's wrong with blindly acting like that. You remembered that promise. Even now, you're doing this for my sake. It's not that you're bad..."
"But I'm not a good guy either."
"You are a good person."
"... Why do you think that?"
"You changed Sis. You changed our home. When you were there, our home was more lively and joyful than ever. It felt like going back to when Mom was alive. That wasn't just to deceive us, was it? You did it sincerely."
"In the end, I did it for my own convenience."
"As you said, in the end, we were happy. And I'm the one involved... Later, when I meet Sis, I'll punch her. That should be enough."
The two had a serious conversation as the carousel slowly rotated. Soon, a quiet silence fell between them. Dumpty cautiously spoke up.
"Then, your past eight years...? No one can compensate for that."
"But dwelling on it and staying stuck is foolish. Yes, it was lonely and hard. So, should I keep making excuses and fighting with you? That... I hate even more."
"Ayaka..."
"I don't know why you're saying all this. You must have your own reasons. But... I just want to stop. Are we going to keep being awkward like this? Today alone has been exhausting, are we going to be like this from now on? We'll be together until we find Sis."
In short, Ayaka was asking to be taken along. Dumpty also intended to take Ayaka with him until they found Manaka.
"Isn't that too fast, Ayaka? It hasn't even been a full day yet."
"Thanks to you, I probably won't be able to sleep tonight if we don't settle this~"
"... I see."
'You... are strong enough to overcome this so easily. Unlike me... why are the kids around me so strong?'
Soon after, the carousel ended, and Dumpty got off first, offering his hand to Ayaka. Ayaka took his hand and slowly dismounted.
"What do you want to ride next?"
"I don't know... it's my first time."
"My first time at Disney too!"
After riding the carousel, the relationship between the two had improved. Everyone watched with relief and nodded, but...
"Um, Ayaka."
"Yeah?"
"Later, when we sleep, want to sleep together?"
"No, not in a weird way, just because I have a lot of stories to tell..."
"....."
"Um, did that sound like a bad joke?"
"..."
"... I'm sorry──"
"Pfft..."
"... Were you teasing me, Ayaka?"
Ayaka chuckled and relaxed her expression.
"Why are you so flustered and nervous? We just settled things. Of course, it's not 100% resolved, but I don't think you're bad. Seeing you get nervous and anxious over every little thing, you're easier to read than I thought, Berserker?"
"Guess I'm an easy man."
"Hah..."
"... Oh, by the way, those Medusas over there, they have sisters too, right? How about we ask them for advice on what to do with Manaka later?"
"Really?"
"Yeah! Advice on how to torment Sis... can you give some? Since it's a Master's request...? Things you've thought of before... or experiences you've had? You'll talk, right?"
It was fine if they did it, but if the Master got sulky, it would be a problem. The Medusas steeled themselves, knowing they'd get scolded by Stheno and Euryale later no matter what.
"... They're easy to read like you."
"Everyone's like that here!"
"... Hehe."
"Snort... Hahaha!"
Soon, Dumpty and Ayaka laughed together.
"Phew... it was a joke, then."
Stheno let out a sigh of relief, but...
"No? I'm serious."
"Can you give some advice?"
"..."
The four braced themselves for scolding from their sisters... and promptly fled.
"I'll have to give them butter cake and souvenirs later."
"You really have a bad personality, don't you?"
"You too, right? Ayaka."
Despite the age difference, the two seemed to get along well.
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