I had arrived at Fate-san’s temple to offer my greetings. My solar plexus was still throbbing from her initial tackle, but we eventually finished our formal exchange and things proceeded smoothly from there... until we settled into a rather peculiar arrangement.
"Haaaaah... I’ve been starved for Kai-chan elements for so long. This is so healing..."
"..."
I wasn't sure what kind of "elements" my body was supposedly secreting, but Fate-san seemed delighted. I was sitting on a soft cushion, and she had plopped herself down right on my lap, clutching my hands tightly. Essentially, it was a position where I was embracing her from behind.
"Oh, I was so lonely while you were gone, Kai-chan! I couldn't even focus on my work!"
"...That sounds like business as usual to me."
"...True."
It was exactly what I’d expected; apparently, Fate-san had done next to no work over the last two years. Since we’d started dating, she did occasionally—and I mean very occasionally—actually do her job, so I could only imagine the headaches Chronoa-san had to deal with.
Anyway, I decided to put that aside and simply enjoy the time with her.
Fate-san’s way of showing affection was remarkably simple and easy to understand. As her current posture suggested, she just wanted to be pampered. She was honest with her emotions, and seeing her lean on me with her heart and soul was incredibly cute—and more than a little heartwarming.
"...Hm? What’s wrong, Kai-chan? Oh, I bet you’re so moved by seeing your lovely girlfriend again that you’re at a loss for words, right?"
"Ahaha, well, that might actually be true."
"Hehe, then let’s flirt some more! You need to replenish your Fate elements too, Kai-chan!"
"...By the way, Fate-san, your ears are bright red."
"...Don't go noticing things you don't need to."
Even though she was the one being aggressive with the skinship, she was actually dying of embarrassment. The only reason she hadn't looked back at me for a while was undoubtedly because her face was flushed crimson. In moments like this, she really was a lovely woman.
"...Hey, Kai-chan."
"Yes?"
"...I love you."
"...I love you, too."
The time I spent with Fate-san was so warm and happy that it was only natural I ended up staying longer than intended.
Once I finished greeting my lover, I traveled between the worlds to visit the rest of my acquaintances. Seeing everyone so genuinely happy about my return was truly moving.
Because so many of the people I knew were demons, I didn't feel like much had changed despite the two-year gap. Of course, that didn't mean things were exactly the same.
For instance, Orchid had apparently taken a fourth wife during my absence. Amalie-san had been officially named the Crown Princess—the next in line for the throne—and was busier than ever.
Mitsunaga-kun had been granted noble status and seemed to be doing well managing his territory, despite a few struggles. He looked quite fulfilled.
His relationship with Princess Cattleya was going great, too, though they hadn't held their wedding yet. Alice later told me they had been waiting for my return before setting a date.
Another notable change involved the King of Hydra, Laguna-san. Well, her habit of ditching meetings to slack off was still the same... but her reason for skipping work had shifted from fishing to self-improvement.
The cause, surprisingly, was Lilia-san. Lilia-san had grown incredibly strong over the last two years; apparently, she had achieved her first-ever victory against Laguna-san about a year ago, despite previously claiming she was no match for the king.
Laguna-san, however, was a warrior at heart before she was a king. She didn't let the loss slide. She retrained her sluggish body and managed to get her revenge a month later. Since then, the two of them have held mock battles once a month, and their win rate is reportedly sitting at an even fifty-fifty.
Laguna-san, who had long been the undisputed "Strongest in the Human Realm" without a single human rival to speak of, seemed rejuvenated now that Lilia-san could challenge her. She spent every day energetically training. Of course, she was only energetic about the training... her kingly duties were being neglected even more than before.
While some had changed like that, others remained exactly as I remembered them. By the time I finished greeting every one of them, the sun had completely set, and I finally reached my final destination: the Sanctuary.
Shiro-san had specifically asked me to visit her last, so she must have had some reason for it... but I wondered what it could be.
"...You’ve arrived."
"Yes. Sorry I’m late, Shiro-san."
"It is no matter. Once again, welcome home, Kaito-san. I am truly glad to see you return to this world."
As she spoke, Shiro-san’s lips curved into a faint smile. I felt like she had become just a little bit more expressive than before. We shared a moment of joy over our reunion, and then...
"Now then, let us begin our 'Revenge Match'."
"...Huh?"
...Wait. Hold on. What is this goddess talking about? Revenge match? I... I have no idea what’s going on here.
Serious-senpai: Suddenly stands up!
???: "No, it's no use... just stay in your seat."