Two days had passed since Shinji Takamiya's Resurrection Ritual.
The sky over Tengu City was clear and flawless. The midday sun hung high, illuminating the quiet rooftop of Raizen High School during break.
At the edge of the railing, Gabriel sat casually, one leg folded. In his hands was a warm rolled omelet—neat, perfect, clearly not from the cafeteria.
Beside him, Origami Tobiichi ate in silence. Their lunches were identical. Because, indeed—the one Gabriel was eating had been made by Origami herself.
"Tobiichi-san," Gabriel said lightly, a half-smile on his lips. "Did you watch the news yesterday?"
Origami glanced briefly. "About the sudden death of the DEM founder."
She didn't mention the name, but both of them knew who it was—Isaac Ray Pelham Westcott.
Gabriel took a sip from his bottle of water, then closed it slowly.
"Heart attack, they said."
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"Too… convenient an explanation."
A brief silence. The wind whispered softly.
"If the detective were me," he continued quietly, "the truth would be revealed."
He crossed his left arm over his chest. His right hand rose to cover half his face, black bangs shifting, casting a silhouette far too dramatic for a casual conversation.
"Heh… solving the mystery of a death is no impossible feat for Gabriel Michaelis."
Origami looked at him evenly. "Do you want me to praise your performance?"
Gabriel paused for a moment. Then he smiled, as if he had expected it.
"No need," he murmured. "The truth doesn't require applause."
Yet far beneath the chuunibyou gesture, he already knew the answer.
It wasn't a heart attack.
It wasn't an accident.
The culprit was Mio.
And, as usual, there were no traces. No witnesses. No gaps.
The death was clean. Too clean.
Gabriel gazed at the blue sky, his expression returning to casual ease.
Secrets remain secrets—as long as the god has no intention of revealing them.
On the other side, Origami's eyes were fixed on the bottle Gabriel had just used.
The rooftop fell silent again.
A gentle breeze stirred, moving the strands of her long silver hair.
Her expression remained flat. No change. No hint of hidden intent.
Slowly, with a motion so natural it barely drew attention, Origami extended her right hand.
She took the bottle.
No comment. No permission.
Her lips touched the same bottle's opening.
She drank the remaining water calmly.
Even the tip of her tongue reached inside the bottle, making sure not a single drop was left.
Her expression remained emotionless.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Beside her, Gabriel was still in his dramatic pose—right hand covering his face, lost in his inner monologue about mysteries and fate.
He didn't notice the small detail that had just occurred beside him at all.
A few seconds later, Origami lowered the bottle.
She placed it back exactly in its original position. The corner. The distance. The orientation of the label.
Just like before.
As if it had never been touched.
The breeze blew again.
Origami continued eating her lunch in silence.
As usual.
Gabriel finally lowered his hand and casually glanced at Origami, then at his water bottle lying beside him.
He reached for it—his throat slightly dry after dramatically pose for so long.
But the moment he lifted the bottle and felt its lightness—
"Hmm?"
He tilted his head.
"Earlier… I'm pretty sure there was still a quarter left," he murmured softly. "Did I really drink it all?"
Beside him, Origami Tobiichi answered without hesitation.
"Yes. You drank it all."
Her tone was calm. Steady. Without a trace of wavering.
Gabriel glanced at the bottle once more, then shrugged slightly. "I see…"
(Note: Mc doesn't use his skills anyway, and don't ask me why. 🙃)
Without much thought, he reached to put it back.
Origami immediately extended her own bottle.
"Just drink mine."
Her movement was natural. Unhurried. Not awkward.
Gabriel paused for a moment. "Eh? Are you sure?"
"No problem."
Without doubt, Gabriel accepted it and took a sip.
The water flowed gently down his throat.
Beside him, Origami smiled faintly—almost imperceptible unless one looked closely.
In her mind, the memory of what she had added to that bottle of mineral water earlier resurfaced.
Something she had prepared herself.
Something she called, in her thoughts, her sweetest love potion.
The memory remained vivid.
A few seconds passed.
Gabriel paused mid-drink.
He held the bottle slightly away from his lips.
"…It tastes… strange."
Origami closed her eyes for a moment, her face remaining as calm as the surface of a lake without a ripple.
"Just your intuition," she replied flatly.
(Note: Do I need to tell you what the love potion is? 😏 You should be able to guess, since the girl is Tobiichi Origami.)
She returned to using her chopsticks on the rolled omelet in her lunchbox. The bite marks from before were still visible—the roll was long, but no longer whole.
Gabriel stared at it for a moment.
Then, without overthinking, he opened his mouth.
Origami's chopsticks moved forward.
He ate the portion that had already been bitten, as if nothing was unusual.
For him, it wasn't something worth making a fuss over.
An indirect kiss?
A myth.
Something exaggerated by teenage logic.
Meanwhile, Origami stared straight ahead with her usual neutral expression.
Yet beneath that calm, her mind worked with military precision.
The same bottle.
The same mouth.
The same portion of food.
More importantly—the love potion she had administered.
No mistakes.
No obstacles.
No resistance.
She recorded everything in her mind.
Slowly, the corner of her heart—rarely touched by emotion—felt something faint—not an explosion, not overt joy.
But a small sense of satisfaction.
Mission accomplished: 100%.
Without saying another word, Origami continued eating her lunch calmly—as if what had just happened was merely part of a normal routine.
Yet in her mind, one simple conclusion was noted: the distance had lessened.
Soon after, their lunch ended. The rooftop breeze stirred gently, playing with Gabriel's bangs that partially covered his eyes.
He looked at Origami Tobiichi with a rarely seen serious gaze.
"Tobiichi-san," he said softly but firmly. "You're close to me. That's why I want to tell you… tomorrow I'll be leaving the country. Don't look for me."
Origami blinked once.
"…For long?" she asked flatly, though there was a fraction of a second pause before the words came out.
"Yes." Gabriel nodded once.
"Quite a long time. That's why I said don't look for me. With your abilities as a former AST and your intelligence… you could track me down, couldn't you?"
Silence.
Origami remained still.
Her analysis was quick and precise—and she knew Gabriel was right.
Without warning, both of Origami's hands rose, gently pressing against Gabriel's cheeks.
Before he could process anything, his face was pulled closer—and their lips met.
Brief.
Gentle.
Quick.
Like wind brushing across the surface of water and vanishing.
"…?!"
Gabriel froze.
His eyes widened.
His mind stopped functioning.
A few seconds later, his system slowly kicked back in.
"W-WHAT—?!"
He stumbled back, dragging his feet several steps until he nearly tripped over his own shadow. His face flushed violently, reaching all the way to his ears.
"T-Tobiichi-san?! W-What was that just now?! Th-That—that—THAT just now—?!"
His hands trembled as he pointed toward his own lips.
"Without warning?! Without a full-board approval?! Without system notification?!"
Meanwhile, Origami looked at him.
A small smile appeared.
Gentle.
Warm.
Her lighter side—rarely seen—emerged for a moment. Moegami.
"Don't make me wait too long," she said softly. "Michaelis-kun."
Her tone was no longer flat.
There was something subtle in it.
Gabriel remained frozen.
"Oi… don't say that with an expression like that…!" he panicked. "It makes me look like the protagonist of some cheap romance drama!"
He turned his face away, still red.
"B-But… I never said I wouldn't come back! So don't act like this is the last goodbye! That's a red flag! Forbidden Word!"
He glanced at her briefly.
Then, more quietly—
"…And don't just kiss someone out of nowhere like that. You could give someone a heart attack, you know?!"
A pause.
His breathing hadn't fully settled.
But his voice softened, almost a whisper.
"…I will come back."
His hand clenched slightly.
"So… just wait like normal. Don't use military tech to track me down."
***
In front of the mansion gates, the silent midnight enveloped the courtyard.
Gabriel stood tall, his dark coat fluttering gently.
To his right stood Kurumi, to his left, Sith.
Perched on his shoulder, small as a finely crafted action figure, sat Morgan le Fay, composed as ever. Her legs were crossed neatly, as if Gabriel's throne-like shoulders were the only seat worthy of her.
Before him stood three figures:
Melusine, calm yet alert.
Bargest, sturdy like a wall of steel.
Ren, silent, with a faint expression.
Gabriel moved both hands in an exaggerated, dramatic gesture, as usual. Then he paused—his left palm extended forward, his right hand covering half his face.
"O swords and my spears," he said in a low, theatrical voice, "know this: the Pale Mist Master will never abandon you."
He slowly withdrew his hand, closed his eyes for a brief moment, then pointed at Ren.
"Spirit of Jester. By this, Ash bestows upon you the honor of guarding Black Castle, my treasures, my swords, and my spears."
His eyes opened once more.
His right hand slid into his pocket and produced a black stone inscribed with glowing blue runes—a Return Stone. Its light shimmered softly in the darkness of the night.
Silence.
Bargest was the first to speak. He bowed deeply.
"If that is your command, I will guard this place with my life. Not a single soul shall touch it without your permission."
His voice was steady, filled with the loyalty of a true knight.
Melusine snorted softly, crossing her arms.
"Master makes your departure sound like a final legend," she said evenly. "But very well. Go. I will ensure that nothing tarnishes what is yours."
Her gaze was sharp.
"Just… don't make me wait too long."
Ren remained silent for a moment before stepping forward half a step.
"…I accept that order."
His tone was light, tinged with a hint of jest.
"Black Castle will remain standing. The treasures, the swords, the spears—none shall be diminished."
He looked Gabriel directly in the eyes.
"A guardian is not a replacement. So… make sure you return."
On Gabriel's shoulder, the tiny Morgan gave a faint, meaningful smile.
Kurumi chuckled softly.
Sith exhaled lightly, as if all of this were too theatrical for her taste.
Suddenly, Kurumi hugged the dramatic young man's arm, while Sith pinched the edge of Gabriel's coat.
The Return Stone in Gabriel's hand glowed brightly before he crushed it in his fist.
In the next instant, the three figures dissolved into beach sand, scattered by a sea breeze.
Their existence vanished from the world without a trace, as if they had never been there at all.
___
Author's Note:
As I've mentioned before, the MC won't immediately start missions in another world—in other words, not to the One Piece world just yet.
A little spoiler: he'll first go to the world of Kage no Jitsuryokusha, a segment from the second season of the anime.
After that… well, basically, the MC will be hopping around between worlds for a while. For those waiting for One Piece… please be patient.
I also want to speed up the story, but if I skip too much, it won't make sense later 🤦♂️ 😭
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