At that moment, the air itself seemed to freeze.
Facing the Sion Lily who had stepped straight onto the red line of his Fetish system, Steve did not pounce like the pervert she half-expected.
Instead, his wide, panicked eyes suddenly narrowed.
Gulp.
A clear swallowing sound echoed in the quiet night.
But it wasn't desire. It was the careful deliberation of a strict gourmet studying a beautifully plated dish that looked suspiciously undercooked.
Steve stroked his chin, then slowly circled the loli alchemist who stood with arms crossed in a confident and slightly mocking pose. His gaze traveled from the top of her head to the tips of her toes and back again—from her exquisitely refined features courtesy of Atlas Academy's superior genes, down the still-growing petite body wrapped in pale-purple frills, across her youthful beauty, to the short white legs glowing especially bright under the moonlight.
"Hmm…"
He let out a meaningful sigh.
Sion began to feel uncomfortable under that X-ray stare. The aura of absolute dominance she had started with started to crumble. She unconsciously hugged her arms tighter across her chest and frowned.
"What's the matter? Have you looked enough? If so, then obediently come with me…"
"Failed."
Cold words cut her off like a blade.
"Huh?"
Sion blinked, stunned.
Steve stopped in front of her and gently wagged a finger, wearing an expression of genuine pain.
"Sion, Sion… Do you really think I'm some shallow man who starts drooling like Pavlov's dog the second he sees the words 'loli'?"
"You're wrong. Completely wrong."
He took a deep breath and launched into an academic lecture dripping with twisted, heretical theory.
"The so-called 'maternal loli'—its essence lies in the maternal! 'Loli' is merely the vessel that carries that essence!"
"It's like strawberry daifuku. Without the sweet, juicy strawberry filling inside the mochi skin, what's the point? It's just a soulless lump of dough!"
He bent down to meet her eye level, staring sharply like an interviewer dissecting every flaw.
"Look at yourself right now… Appearance? Maybe it's perfect. Atlas Institute's technology is truly unparalleled. This body perfectly replicates how you looked at age ten—even the skin texture is flawless."
"But… what about your temperament? What about your soul?"
"Your eyes are full of calculation and mockery, radiating the arrogance of 'I see right through you'!"
"Does this show even a trace of 'maternal instinct'? You're clearly just a precocious adult pretending to be a girl!"
The more he spoke, the more excited he became. He somehow produced a pointer from thin air and aimed it at her.
"If it were only about the appearance of a young girl, I have countless ways to achieve that!"
"My Four-Dimensional Pocket contains an Age Reduction Lamp, a Time Wrap, and even a What If-Only Phone Booth that can directly transform the body!"
"If I wanted, I could turn everyone in the world into little girls anytime!"
"However, maternal qualities—something that embraces everything, warm like the earth, deep like the sea—can never be faked with gadgets!"
"That is a treasure that can only be obtained through real experience, personality, and innate nature!"
Finally, Steve straightened up, voice heavy with regret.
"Unfortunately, Sion… Your tactical transformation was technically successful, but at the level, it's below standard!"
"Compared to your previous mature, girl-like behavior, the current you doesn't feel natural at all. Before, even when you had a sharp tongue, you would occasionally blush!"
"…"
A deathly silence fell.
Sion stood frozen. Strange reflections flickered across her glasses.
Tonight, to monitor this man at the charming campsite, she had held nothing back—experimental body-adjustment technology, the pain of magic-circuit reconstruction, forcing herself into this damn swimsuit despite the humiliation…
And the result? Instead of being moved or flustered, the man had launched into a lecture, nitpicked every detail, and finally declared "failed"!
"…Steve… you…"
Her shoulders trembled. Small fists clenched so tightly the knuckles cracked.
"Hm? What's wrong? Did I hit the mark…?"
"Go to hell!!!"
BOOM—!
With a childish yet murderous roar, a mysterious fiber beam lashed out at the spot where Steve had been standing.
"Uwah! Sion! Calm down! Let's talk! Abusing your Servant violates the Chaldea rules!"
"Shut up! You hopeless perverted bastard! Loli monster! I'll decompose you into spirit particles and reconstruct you a hundred times!"
…
…
Thirty minutes later.
At a quiet corner of the lake on the edge of the campsite.
The commotion had long faded. Only the gentle lapping of water against the shore and the faint cries of insects in the grass remained.
"Haa… haa… haa…"
Sion sat collapsed on the grass, breathing heavily.
It was an extremely undignified sight. Her body had been forcibly shrunk; although her magic circuits remained, her physical abilities had dropped to those of a ten-year-old girl. After the intense chase, she was exhausted and couldn't even lift a finger.
Steve was only slightly winded. Thanks to his Heroic Spirit physiology, he still had energy to spare.
He looked at the girl before him—face flushed with fatigue, hair disheveled, glasses askew.
The playful, teasing light in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a complex, gentle warmth.
He sighed and sat down beside her.
Then he reached out and gently placed his hand on her small head.
"…Don't touch me."
Sion muttered, but she didn't pull away. She only turned her face aside.
"You worked hard."
Steve gently stroked her soft, long purple hair. His tone was no longer frivolous—deep and sincere.
"Actually… you didn't have to go this far."
Sion's body stiffened slightly.
Steve looked up at the moon reflected on the lake surface and spoke slowly.
"You know, right? I… am not a person of this world."
"I came from another parallel world. I have my own history and past."
"There's an important reason I came here: 'If I don't act, the world might be destroyed.'"
"To me, this feels like a long business trip. A mission that must be completed."
His fingers slid through her hair before finally withdrawing to rest on his knee.
"After all this ends—when the freezing of human order is lifted and the Alien God is driven away… I will probably have to leave."
"I am not a resident of this world. Even on the Throne of Heroes, I am nothing but an exile."
"There is no reason for me to stay here."
Steve turned to face her. Under the moonlight, her eyes shone especially bright.
"So Sion… don't spend too much time on me. And don't change yourself to match my weird Fetish."
"I don't want to look for substitutes for the meals my late wife made. I don't want to see you… hanging onto this twisted tree that is destined to disappear someday."
"You are a genius of Atlas Academy. A future department head who will walk her own path."
"And for someone who is just passing through like me, it's not worth it."
He spoke with utmost sincerity—the words he had kept buried in his heart for a long time.
He liked Sion. Respected her intelligence. Even enjoyed their daily witty exchanges.
But precisely because of that, he didn't want to hinder her growth.
Yet instead of an understanding nod or relieved sigh, he received…
"…Are you an idiot?"
Sion's voice was very soft, yet carried a tremor pushed to its absolute limit.
She turned sharply. Flames burned in her purple eyes so fiercely that even Steve felt a chill down his spine.
"Calculations? Logic? Rationality? Do you think I didn't consider all of that before doing this?!"
Sion took a deep breath, her small chest heaving.
"I know you're not from this world! I know you'll leave one day! Trismegistus already calculated the probability—99.9%!"
"But… so what?!"
She suddenly grabbed his collar. With her current strength she couldn't move him, yet her aura seemed to swallow him whole.
"I am Sion Eltnam Sokaris! An alchemist who acts based solely on results!"
"If separation is destined, then before we part I'll squeeze every last drop of value out of you! If tragedy is destined, then I'll create happiness that surpasses that tragedy!"
"Don't give me weak excuses like 'not worth it' or 'just a passerby.' Don't try to look cool with such excuses!"
Her eyes reddened, tears threatening to spill, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
"Steve, this isn't just your problem."
"This is my choice. My way. My… love!"
"No matter where you go in the future, or whether you're a maternal lolicon pervert… it doesn't matter to me. Just having you here right now is enough!"
At this moment, the always calm, rational, data-driven Sion completely vanished.
In her place stood an ordinary girl in love who had cast aside every restraint, unwilling to let go of the person before her.
She didn't wait for his reply.
She knew this man, skilled at using logical fallacies to escape responsibility, would definitely say "but" or "however."
So she chose the most direct, effective, and irresistible method.
Sion suddenly gathered her strength, using her grip on his collar to lift herself up.
Then—
Under Steve's surprised gaze—
Those soft, cool, trembling lips pressed firmly against his.
"Huh?!"
Steve's pupils dilated instantly.
Lacking technique and experience, clumsy and forceful from nervousness, their teeth bumped painfully.
But this was the most sincere, passionate, and unrestrained emotion.
Moonlight poured down like silver water, enveloping the two figures—big and small—in gentle light.
The lake lapped quietly at the shore, as if offering the softest accompaniment to this awkward first kiss that transcended time, space, and even the Fetish.
In that instant, all calculations became zero.
All excuses became invalid.
In a world that might yet be filled with destruction and rebirth, two hearts were tightly bound together—living as one.
...
…
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