In the heart of Snowfield City, cold wind swayed neon signs at street corners while two figures walked side by side through dimly lit streets.
Matou Yuu kept his hands in his coat pockets, fingers rubbing a few coins, occasionally glancing at the elegant blue-haired figure ahead and sighing inwardly.
Although known as the adopted son of the Matou family and a student at the Clock Tower, his monthly living expenses were already stretched thin.
Just buying a plane ticket to Arica had drained a significant sum from his ager wallet.
Add accommodation costs and the fact that the Goddess of Creation needed to replenish energy through als… The expenses were staggering.
He had thought fighting a Holy Grail War would be difficult enough, but it turned out that overseas, the biggest expense was simply money.
For example, the so-called business suite he found was rely a hotel with yellowed walls—80 dollars a night. Three als a day for two people cost at least 50–60 dollars, not counting the desserts Tiamat insisted on after every al.
Converted to yen, daily living expenses alone approached 30,000 yen.
In Fuyuki City that amount could buy the finest A5 Wagyu. Here in miserable Snowfield City… the best he could afford was a cheap mattress.
Worse still was the checkout system—pure legal robbery.
The late-night restaurant he had taken Tiamat to advertised a set al for two at 50 dollars—seemingly reasonable. When the bill ca, 8.25% sales tax plus 20% tip brought the total to 64 dollars.
"Huh?"
As if sensing the shift in the young man's mood, Tiamat stopped after finishing her al.
She turned around, blinked her bright red eyes, tilted her head cutely, and looked worried.
Matou Yuu snapped out of his daze, shook his head, and forced a smile. "It's fine. Don't worry. I was just thinking about future plans."
Although Tiamat tried to hide it, she still caught the deep sadness lingering in his eyes and between his brows.
Without a word she stepped closer and stared at him.
Then she extended a translucent, soft hand and gently stroked his hair. Silently, she opened her arms and pulled him into an embrace.
At that instant, Matou Yuu's face sank into an unbelievably soft sensation.
Even through clothing, the astonishing fullness and warmth were unmistakable.
A delicate, seductive fragrance drifted from Tiamat's dress, quietly invading his senses and making his head spin slightly.
In truth, while financially strained, he wasn't completely unable to support himself and his Servant. He had simply been hit with the harsh reality of Arican prices for the first ti and felt a twinge of anxiety.
Yet when he felt the heavy human heartbeat against his cheek and the gentleness radiating from Tiamat's mature body, Matou Yuu swallowed the words he had wanted to say.
…This doesn't seem like such a bad deal after all, does it?
After a brief mont wrapped in that warmth, he suddenly rembered sothing, tilted his head from the soft embrace, and asked quietly, "By the way… there's sothing I've always wanted to ask you."
"Hmm?" Tiamat was still holding him, but lowered her head slightly to gaze gently at the young man in her arms.
"Logically speaking, every Heroic Spirit who participates in the Holy Grail War should have a wish they want fulfilled, right? They accepted the summoning and descended into this world because they have sothing they wish to accomplish… or do they simply want to see how the present world has changed?"
Tiamat shook her head lightly. "My wish… is simply to witness how this world has changed."
She paused, lowered her eyes, and added softly, "If I must give another reason for answering the summons… it was probably because of you."
Yes—the reason Tiamat had appeared despite the imaginary-number interference was because she had sensed the deep, aching longing for love buried in the depths of Matou Yuu's heart.
As the Goddess of Creation, Tiamat instinctively pitied children starved of love and desperately craving it.
Matou Yuu fell silent for a long mont.
This young man who had accidentally wandered into the Type-Moon world at age ten and grown up there had never once experienced what people called familial love from childhood to adulthood.
In his previous life his parents had divorced young; he had been raised entirely by his aunt. He had finally caught the ti-travel trend, only to wake up and discover that the one raising him was that old monster—Matou Zouken.
In the Type-Moon world, if you wanted to convey how miserable soone was, no long explanation was needed. One sentence sufficed: "I live in the Matou household."
So… she had responded to the call because of this overflowing maternal love?
Matou Yuu looked up and gazed once more at this affectionate, motherly goddess.
Even in the cover of night her eyes were gentle and calm. Her innate aura of acceptance made her appear the perfect wife and mother, stirring an irresistible urge in his heart to call her "Mother."
Indeed… Tiamat was a woman who could beco his mother!
At that mont Tiamat suddenly showed a thoughtful expression. "Staying in this form will consu quite a lot of your magic power, won't it?"
Matou Yuu was startled but quickly replied, "It's fine. My magic power just increased recently, so I can still—"
Before he finished speaking, his eyes widened in shock.
A soft blue light radiated from Tiamat's body. Her originally full-figured, tall, mature form rapidly shrank at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In an instant the unparalleled goddess vanished, replaced by a petite loli who didn't even reach his waist.
Her long, slightly wavy dark-blue hair cascaded like a waterfall. Because of the sudden change in physique, the original dress transford into a kimono—now far too large for her.
The wide neckline slipped off her delicate shoulders, exposing them widely. The long sleeves dragged on the ground, nearly swallowing her small hands.
Tiamat awkwardly shook off the oversized sleeves, raised her cute white face, staggered forward with arms open, and threw herself at Matou Yuu.
Hug .
…
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