Shinji Matou at Your Service

In Ursula, a small, nondescript town in the vast and boundless fictional spirit world. There are no notable buildings here, nor have any significant events occurred. The residents live a peaceful life, and the entire town exudes a relaxed atmosphere.

Because of this, Shinji chose this place as their base, and Arcueid was willing to stay here. She worked part-time in a restaurant, strolled through the streets, or played (one-sidedly bullied) spirit monsters in the outskirts.

After some time, Arcueid became the restaurant's popular mascot. Both the staff and regular customers adored this lively girl with a bright smile. Seeing her energetic demeanor would dispel any worries.

However, today, that infectious smile was gone, and her usually vibrant state had turned listless. When there were no customers, she would lay her head on the table, muttering softly:

"Big liar."

"Bad guy."

"You promised I was your only partner."

"Hmph, I'll make you pay when you get back."

Those familiar with her knew right away that the problem lay with her "lover," the chef with the dark blue curly hair. Just as Arcueid had been promoted to hostess due to her excellent performance, Shinji had also been promoted from kitchen assistant to full-fledged chef because of his outstanding knife skills and learning ability.

It was natural for people to misunderstand. Anyone seeing a young man and woman constantly together, with the woman particularly dependent on the man and seeming very close, would assume they were lovers—especially since their hair, eye, and skin colors were different, making it clear they couldn't be related by blood.

But now, the two who always acted together and even synchronized their work schedules had one missing work due to taking leave. And judging by the other's demeanor, it wasn't a simple matter of falling sick or having something to take care of.

Unable to stand it any longer, the manager asked, "Are you alright? If you're worried about Shinji, you can go home for the day. I'll give you the day off."

However, this ultimate weapon for corporate employees did not make Arcueid happy. She lay on the counter, her hair swaying from left to right, and replied sulkily, "I have nowhere to go."

This ignited the gossip spirit in everyone present.

"Nowhere to go? What about Shinji?"

"He left me to find another woman."

The atmosphere in the store instantly became strange, with an undercurrent flowing where Arcueid couldn't see, quickly converging into a unified voice—let's kill that scumbag!

...

Somewhere in the dark, someone inexplicably felt a chill and sneezed several times. Reaching out to touch his back, he found cold sweat seeping out.

"No way, I've already explained everything to Arcueid; why is there still such strong resentment?"

Since stepping into the realm of the Third Magic, Shinji's mental perception had become increasingly strong. This was naturally a good thing but also had some hidden dangers, as he could sense not only goodwill but also malice.

"I'll buy her some snacks after I get up. Yeah, and get some for Sakura and Fujino too, to avoid being accused of favoritism. Justeaze is the best, never joining in their mischief."

Shaking his head to clear away distractions, Shinji moved forward in the dark, eventually stepping into a stone chamber filled with gold.

Yes, this was an unknown realm sealed by Mooncell, where even light couldn't reach. It was the sleeping place of the giant god Altira, the Wandering Star Vanguard, a forbidden area where Arcueid must never set foot.

Hiding in an inconspicuous corner, he carefully observed.

Various golden ornaments filled the ground, all guarding the temple at the center of the stone chamber. The brown giant god lay sideways above the temple, breathing steadily and leisurely, with a slight smile at the corners of its mouth, dreaming unknown dreams.

Everything was the same as when he'd first come. The stone chamber's owner hadn't woken up and hadn't battled Arcueid.

After listening for a while and confirming that the breathing rhythm hadn't changed, Shinji emerged from his hiding spot. With the help of feathered shoes, he silently skimmed across the sea of gold, arriving at the temple and quietly gazing at the sleeping giant god.

Last time, due to Arcueid's rampage, he had no time to observe Altira closely. Now, he finally had the chance.

Altira's beauty was unlike any woman Shinji had ever seen. It was a contradictory beauty, a blend of two extremes.

Her brown skin, darker than wheat, had an exceptionally glossy surface, creating a stark contrast.

Her overall lines were slender and soft, with no visible muscles, yet this tenderness exuded a terrifying strength that made one's heart race.

Her personality was equally contradictory: cold and ruthless to enemies, but very gentle to others, fearing that her strength might harm those around her.

This was the first impression derived from pure perception, devoid of preconceived notions and past life memories.

This impression was precisely why Shinji braved the danger of returning alone to this unknown realm. He needed to confirm Altira's essence with his own eyes to decide how to treat her. Although Shirou had joked about the Wandering Star Vanguard, Shinji knew this issue had to be resolved sooner or later. Since they had met, he couldn't just leave it unattended.

He secretly gathered his mental energy, connecting part of it with the Origin to be ready to strengthen his body at any time, and sinking another part into the sea of consciousness to facilitate an emergency logout.

After completing these preparations, Shinji activated his Feather Shoes, stepping into the void and reaching the top of the temple, right in front of Altira. He was close enough to touch her eyelashes.

The lines of her face, neck, and collarbone were visible, beautiful, as beautiful as her status.

Like a goddess, or perhaps even beyond that.

"Leaving everything else aside, the Wandering Star's aesthetics are indeed close to human."

Shinji sincerely admired.

"Because the Wandering Star references biological samples from the target planet before creating soldiers."

A moist breeze brushed against Shinji's cheeks as the sleeping Altira opened her eyes and mouth. The so-called breeze was her breath, which, surprisingly, was not warm but carried a slight coolness, perhaps marking her difference from humans.

She remained in a side-lying position, motionless, the tension in her cheeks betraying her inner anxiety—perhaps she had never been observed so closely, or perhaps she was worried about harming Shinji with any sudden movement.

Shinji's judgment was correct; she truly had a kind nature.

Raising his right hand, Shinji saw his waving reflection in her red eyes.

"Good morning, beautiful lady. I'm back."