Editing Zero no Tsukaima:Volume8 Epilogue - MTL

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=== Epilogue ===

“My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers, bless this humble being, and make him my familiar.”

In the living room of Tiffania's house, Contract Servant was completed.

Though they searched in the forest… the woman in a black robe, who introduced herself as Sheffield, was gone. Only a large number of Alviss' were lying around. 

When Louise and the others returned to Tiffania’s house… they decided to give another "contract" to Saito. If they were attacked again like a few moments ago, it might get serious after all. 

Siesta and Tiffania watched Saito's contracting with Louise with worried expressions. Agnes, with her arms crossed, was nonchalantly watching what the mage was doing. 

“I guess he's willing to become a mage’s tool again. The runes make the sword training useless.”

“Maybe…”

Derflingr, who was leaning against the sofa, said in a somewhat painful voice. Agnes looked up at Derflingr surprised.

“Why so gloomy. Isn’t your partner coming back?”

Not answering Agnes’ question, Derflingr remained silent. 

Once the spell ended, Louise brought her lips to Saito’s.

Saito watched at her thin, but nicely shaped lips. 

When you think about it… everything started from here.

Various adventures crossed his mind. 

After this, a new adventure might start from here. With his hopes and fears in turmoil, Saito stirred a little. Seeing Saito acting this way, Louise asked him.

“You won’t regret it?”

Saito, gazing straight into Louise’s eyes, said.

“I have already decided it when I passed the gate.”

Louise nodded, and slowly pressed her lips against Saito’s. 

At once… a burning pain hit his body.

“Guaaaaaah!” 

Siesta tried to run up to Saito, who was rolling in agony.

“S-Saito-san!”

“I-it’s all right… it’s just the runes of the familiar being carved in…”

Both, Saito and Louise, said at the same time. 

And at once the pain subdued.

Saito watched curves appearing on his left hand. 

“Haah…” he moaned. Louise shut her eyes and pressed herself closer to Saito.

“D-did it fail?”

“No… it succeeded.”

Saito showed Louise his left hand’s top. 

Gandalfr's runes were firmly carved.

Louise gently traced each rune with her finger. ''This character string… is a bond between me and Saito.'' While caressing them… the amount of time when they were separated, the despair she felt, she was overflowed by the feelings.

Though everyone were still there, Louise desperately clung tightly onto Saito… and buried her face below his chest. And stayed like that, not moving. Saito gently held Louise’s shoulders. 

Everyone stared at the couple. 

“Well, as I said, I need to sharpen my sword for the battle,” Agnes muttered.

Though Siesta lifted up her eyes for a moment, she gave out a smile in the end.

The innocent Tiffania blushed.

“Your left hand… don’t stress it too much… I can’t help but worry.”

Derflingr muttered so silently that no one heard.

The awkward atmosphere hung around for a while…　

Tiffania, after saying, “Well, I’m sure you need various things to discuss,” hurriedly dashed out of the bedroom. 

Siesta came up to Louise and muttered quietly in her ear.

“…Only for today, I will lend him to you.”

…And left as fast as Tiffania left the room.

When Derflingr tried to say something, he was gripped by Agnes.

“All right, you also have to go.”

Finally alone, Saito and Louise gazed at each other in silence.

While they were looking at each other… tears started to fall from Louise’s eyes. 

“Louise.”

When Saito unconsciously hugged her shoulders tighter, even more tears started to fall from her eyes. Not wiping them, Louise opened her mouth.

“Th…”

“Th?”

“Thth….”

“Thth?”

“Th-thought I will never be able to meet you again…” 

While looking straight at him Louise sobbed.

“I-I…thought I, gu, had something important to t-t-tell, you, gu, went somewhere…”

Her speech overflowed with her feelings. 

“You didn't show up on the ship, you didn't show up in the bed, back at home… Do you know how worried I was?.. I couldn’t take it anymore… I couldn’t take it because…”

Louise was heavily pulling out words mixed with tears. Though she was incoherent and hard to understand, Louise’s feelings poured right into Saito’s heart.  

“But y-you visited me in my dreams… you were gentle, and, and…”

“D-don’t cry…”

Saito hugged Louise tightly, encircling her head with his hand. Louise started to weep more bitterly.  

[[Image:ZnT08-283.jpg|thumb]]

“Cruel… You left me alone, cruel…”

“I won’t leave,”

Saito said.

“I won’t leave you any more.”

When he said those words… he remembered how it hurt him so badly as well, since the runes disappeared.

“Don't go anywhere again.”

“Aye.”

“S-stay by me.”

“Aye.”

Saito nodded many times.

The inside of his nose started to tickle.

''That’s right, this is what I really wanted to do from the beginning.''

''Since I was not Louise’s Gandalfr, though I wanted to protect her… I misunderstood. I thought that not being a Gandalfr, I couldn't protect her.''

''But, I was wrong.''

''I can protect you, Louise.''

''Not someone else, me… I want to protect you.''

As he thought this, something warm spread inside Saito’s heart.

This warmth made Saito more determined.

''Some day, I might return.'' 

''But… not until I make Louise happy.''

''For the master who needs me so much, I will pursue her dreams.'' 

When he was determined like that, everything seemed simple. 

Louise was still crying.

“Y-you can look at other girls… You can touch them… You can k-k-k-kiss them, but… don’t go anywhere…”

Louise kept on crying for a while.


<center>* * *</center>


Louise, who finished crying some time ago and now had red and puffy eyes, was silent.

When he laid her down in bed, she lied down obediently. Yet, she gripped onto Saito’s sleeve and did not let it go. And pulled it down while biting her lips. So, Saito had to lie down next to her. Louise immediately placed her head gently on his shoulder.

He could smell the nostalgic aroma of Louise’s hair.

Louise silently drew her lips to Saito's ear.

“W-what?”

Saito asked looking at her burning eyes.

“Please.”

“Y-yes?”

“Till the morning breaks, be gentle.”

In the middle of this intimate… dangerous atmosphere, Saito stroked Louise’s head.

“…Ngh!”

Louise leaked out a moan.

Such an act from Louise made Saito almost die on the spot.

''What I want to do, I cannot do.'' What about the others, who are in a room next to theirs?

So, Saito torn by such conflict, desperately endured… until Louise said in an angry tone.

“Hey you…”

“Eh?”

“You put your tongue in that maid’s mouth, didn’t you?”

It wasn’t really me putting it in, but Siesta…

But saying that makes no difference, at least when your opponent is Louise.

Yada, he will be punched! Or maybe kicked!

Guard! Guard guard!

Saito frantically tried to protect his groin, after hearing Louise saying that in a sulky voice. Neither a kick, nor a slap followed.

Instead, a bullet of pink flew and knocked Saito down.

Louise, with a blush on her cheeks, lifted her moist eyes up to Saito and said in a sulky voice, 

“I want to have the same thing to gloss over.”

''Alright?''

''Not alright?''

The switch was triggered.

"Alright."

Saito framed her face with his hands, and, in trance, pressed his mouth against hers. 

“Nh…” Louise closed her eyes.

Taking the opportunity, his hand sneaked beneath her shirt and touched her breast. However, Louise Françoise did not show any of the resistance she had a while ago in the shallop. 

''Why doesn’t she?''

''Maybe this is a dream?''

''How do I confirm that?''

“Ah, indeed. If one feels pain, then one can’t be sleeping!”

''Well, to feel pain, I only need Louise to hit me.''

''Hm, what should I do to make her hit me?''

''Ah, say bad words!''

Saito, lost in his excitement, said, pressing his hand against her chest.

“Is this a breast?”

The sweet atmosphere disappeared immediately.

It was as if someone chanted Dispel Magic and blew it off like smoke…

“Is it bad?”

Slap.

Louise’s palm slapped him.

“Yup…”

“Are my breasts bad?”

Slap slap.

Her palm continued to hit.

Slap slap slap.

“They are flat and no good.”

He muttered in a silent voice as Louise’s palm continued to slap him.

“Aaah…”

The pain helped him to realize that it was reality.

So, this was not a dream.

But…

“No, stop, I was wrong.”

Slap slap slap slap slap slap.

Weren’t there other ways to confirm whether it was a dream or not? He realized too late.

“Wait. T-they are small but firm…”

“Hold your tongue!”

Louise’s knee flew up.

As it hit straight into his belly; Saito fainted.


<center>* * *</center>


In Tiffania's bedroom, Siesta was sleeping on the bed. A jar of wine was rolling next to her.　

Tiffania, leaving Siesta, took her harp and went out of the room.

Sitting on a chair in the courtyard, Tiffania began to play the harp.

And the sounds of the Founder's homesickness… melted with the night wind and wrapped Westwood Village up.


<center>* * *</center>


Agnes sat on a chair of in the living room, drinking sake.　

She heard the sounds of a harp coming from the courtyard.

Agnes closed her eyes and submerged herself into Tiffania’s performance.

“What’s the matter, Commander-san?”

Asked Derflinger, who she had as her drinking partner. Agnes opened her eyes.

Instead of the usual musketeer commander’s steel, one could see a girl's anxiety in her eyes.

“No… I just recalled my hometown. I can’t return there… such a useless memory.”

“You can’t return there?”

Self-mockingly, Agnes murmured, 

“It doesn’t exist anymore. It exists only in the corner of my memories.”

After a while, Derflinger said…

“What? A hometown is just a word. Find a new hometown.”

Agnes became silent and continued listening to the tune, settled, in the course of time; a gentle smile appeared on her face and she nodded.


<center>* * *</center>


Louise watched the unconscious Saito, who had started a journey into the world of sleep. ''If only he had not made that remark about my breast size,'' she thought passionately…

“…Melody?”

She noticed a tune playing outside the window.

Who?

Was that Tiffania?

Somehow, she started to feel nostalgic. While listening to the sounds… Louise recalled the other Void user.

Then felt uneasy…

That Myoznitnirn from before…

Though she could not understand why, she seemed to aim at Louise.

This Void’s familiar was not an ally…

And if there are Void familiars besides Saito, then there should be Void users as well…

It was an unknown, big flow of events. ''I myself, am only driftwood in this big flow.''

But… looking at the familiar breathe in his sleep, Louise thought…

''I have Saito.''

''At that time, it was Saito who saved me.''

''Aye, I may be just driftwood in a rapid stream. But… I am tightly tied with a rope.'' 

She thought…

The whole "noble pride" thing was long ago rooted out of Louise.

She wanted to use her God given powers on far more important things. Like… for the clueless familiar.

Louise quietly whispered to Saito.

''First of all, I’ll look for the way to bring you home.''

At that moment, she did not say those important words.

If she did… Saito would be chained to her by those words.

Sounds of harp continued. 

…This Tiffania, just who is she?

She looked like she was hiding something deep inside.

And she cured Saito’s near-to-death injuries.

''Tomorrow, I’ll ask for details…'' Louise closed her eyes.


<center>* * *</center>


“N…” Stirring, Saito woke up.

Next to him Louise was sleeping.

Her face, pressed closely against Saito’s chest, looked relaxed as she continued to sleep.

Seeing Louise like that… reminded him of a beautiful girl, carrying Elfin blood.

She, like Louise, was a Void user. Still, he’d have to talk about this with Louise. ''Tomorrow, I will speak with her,'' Saito thought.

On the other side of window, under the moonlight… he heard the half-elf girl, Tiffania, playing her harp.

On the other day, when he heard these sounds, he was reminded of his hometown, and it was painful…

But now it was different.

Because Louise’s head rested on his chest.

Something dear spread in his heart.

Even though dawn started to break… Tiffania's playing continued.　

The serenade of dreaming lovers echoed throughout the forest near South Gotha, soothing its listeners and healing their hearts.


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