Broly sat in a barbecue restaurant with Fujimura Taiga, devouring the grilled meat she piled onto his plate. His eyes,
however
, kept drifting through the glass window to a jewelry store across the street.Why're you staring at that jewelry store? Taiga asked,
following his gaze. Regretting giving back that sapphire someone gave you as a thank-you?The sapphire from Sakura's dad was top-tier, she added, smirking. You could've sold it for enough to buy barbecue like this for weeks.
No, I don't regret it, Broly said, shaking his head. I gave her that stone to make her happy.Then why the jewelry store?
Taiga pressed, curious.I gave her something, but not you, Broly said earnestly.
I don't have those stones anymore, so I want to find a place with them and get some for you.Taiga slid another piece of roasted pork belly onto his plate. So, you want to buy me jewelry?
Broly frowned, chewing. Do you need money for those stones?
Usually, yeah, Taiga replied. Unless you find an unclaimed gem mine and dig it up yourself. That's the exception.Where's a gem mine? Broly asked, leaning forward.No clue, Taiga said, shaking her head. She pulled out the sapphire, its ocean-blue glow captivating her.
Broly pointed at the jewelry store, clenching his fist. Can I just take the stones from there?Robbing is wrong, Taiga said firmly, launching into a lecture. Plus, if it's a gift, nobody wants stolen goods.
I sure don't.You don't? Broly blinked, confused, eyeing her fixation on the sapphire.
He couldn't tell if she meant it.I'm an upright person, Taiga declared, despite her family's underworld ties and her grandfather's arms deal just yesterday. You're young, Broly.
Don't go down a bad path and become a delinquent.What's a delinquent? Broly asked, tilting his head.Taiga paused, catching the curious glint in his eyes. Look, just don't steal or rob, okay?
Do that, and I won't be your wife or grill you barbecue.Her words clashed with the Saiyan values his father, Paragus, had drilled into him: take what you want if you're strong enough, even a king's throne.
The conflicting ideas muddled Broly's mind, but the promise of barbecue tipped the scales. Taiga, his barbecue-providing "wife," was clearly right. Paragus's teachings? Irrelevant.To Broly, Taiga's words were gospel, etched into his brain alongside the taste of grilled meat. The meal cost nearly 30,000 yen, with Broly eating ninety percent of it.
The restaurant owner, wiping sweat, thanked his stars it wasn't a buffet.Back at the Fujimura mansion, Broly, with nothing to do, noticed a big tree in the backyard. Its green leaves reminded him of his friend Baya from planet Vampa, so he scrambled up it. Lying on the treetop, he muttered,
Not soft at all. It was nothing like Baya's comforting bulk.Going home? he wondered. Sakura's joyful return to her family had left an impression.
On Vampa, he'd lounge on Baya, staring at the cloudless blue sky. Fuyuki's sky was blue too, but dotted with white clouds—a rarity on arid Vampa.That cloud… ice cream? Broly licked his lips, recalling the dessert from lunch. Sated, he wasn't too tempted. Drifting from cloud to cloud, he fell asleep on the treetop.The smell of food woke him that evening.
Leaping down, unnoticed, he followed the aroma to the kitchen. Seeing the busy chef, he remembered Taiga calling him to breakfast that morning. He darted to her room,
where she'd said he could find her if he needed anything.Inside, Taiga hunched over a low square table in her tatami bedroom, scribbling furiously. What're you doing? Broly asked, peering over her shoulder.Taiga yelped, her ballpoint pen skidding across her homework. Don't sneak up like that! You'll give me a heart attack! She grabbed correction fluid to fix the stray mark.So, what're you doing?
Broly repeated.Homework.
I'm a student, you know, Taiga said, exasperated.What's a student?Kid, enough with the questions! she groaned, pulling him into a headlock and ruffling his hair. Softening, she explained, A student learns knowledge. To survive in society, you need to know stuff. Wanna learn, Broly?Can you eat knowledge?
he asked, puzzled.Taiga grinned. Not exactly, but learn well, and you can go to a good school. Graduate, get a good job, earn money, and buy all the food you want. So, in a way, yeah, it's edible.Broly's eyes lit up. Breaking free, he knelt beside her, hands on the floor,
head bowed. Wife, I wanna learn knowledge!Taiga gaped. What's with the drama? It's not a dogeza. If you want school, I'll ask Grandpa. No need for this.Oh, Broly said, standing quickly. A fragment of an otaku's memory—likely from watching Slam Dunk—had spurred his theatrics.
Too bad no one in this world would get the reference.Why'd you barge in, anyway? Taiga asked.To call you to dinner, Broly said honestly.What, scared to eat alone? Taiga teased, picturing him intimidated by her family's rough-looking gangsters.No, you called me to eat this morning,
so I thought I should call you, Broly said, earnest.Taiga froze, then tackled him in a hug. You're too much, Broly! she squealed, rubbing her cheek against his. For an only child like her, this thoughtful kid was the perfect little brother. Sure, his endless questions annoyed her, but him coming to her room because she'd woken him for breakfast? Adorable.Normally, only burly gangsters like Scar-face checked on her meals. Compared to them, Broly was a treasure.
Her happiness meter soared, hitting 55 and climbing.Can we eat now? Broly asked, baffled by her excitement.Sorry, kid. Sis is coming with you, Taiga said, grinning. After just over a day, this boundary-less kid felt like family.As they headed to the dining hall, next door, at the former Fujimura mansion—sold yesterday—Emiya Kiritsugu slumped, frustrated. Being too cautious isn't always good, he muttered.Yesterday, spotting a cat-woman linked to the Tosaka and Mat families at the mansion, he'd suspected a plot.
He investigated today, only to learn she'd been sent back to her family. It was a coincidence, not a trap. His paranoia had cost him a day's rest, worsening his sleep deprivation.Cancel tonight's plan? Hisui Maiya suggested.No, the Holy Grail War waits for no one, Kiritsugu said. Something's up between the Tosaka and Mat families. I'll use their rift to deal with the Clock Tower's monarch.
His earlier fishing plan, using his wife Irisviel as Saber's master to lure enemies, had backfired. It drew out nearly every opponent, including one who boldly revealed their identity. Worse, the first enemy, Lancer, a skilled spearman, wounded Saber—King Arthur herself—with a cursed Noble Phantasm, leaving her hand impaired.With Saber weakened,
Kiritsugu targeted Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald, the Clock Tower's Mineral Department lord. Kenneth's magical prowess was formidable,
but his disdain for mundane tactics was a weakness. He'd rented the top two floors of a Fuyuki hotel, turning them into a fortified magic workshop. A magician's assault would fail, but a human's?Among Kiritsugu's supplies were detonators and explosives.
He planned to introduce Kenneth to gravity's embrace—courtesy of Mother Earth.
I need a new mobile so please give me a tip on my Patreon 😜
[email protected]/Horizons685
End of this chapter)