The Novel's Extra- Returned Hero

Ritsuka's POV

I blinked once, then raised my hand slowly and pointed at her.

"Hey… is that really you?"

She grinned, clearly amused, and mirrored me—this time pointing her thumb toward herself.

"Hey, it's me."

For a second, we just stood there like that—pointing at each other like a bad sitcom act. A moment later, both of us burst out laughing.

It was stupid.

It was warm.

It was very us.

I smirked. "For a second, I thought some kind of trouble was waiting outside my door."

Aoko tilted her head, hands on her hips in mock offense. "Are you saying I'm trouble?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly, but the smirk on her lips ruined any real threat in the glare.

"I'm kidding, Aoko."

"Ha… kuchun!"

A sudden, high-pitched sneeze escaped her. It was so abrupt—and somehow adorable—that I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing again.

She sniffled, looking thoroughly miserable now that the adrenaline had worn off.

"Ugh… Sorry, it's been a while, but... could I use your shower? If I stay like this, I'll catch a cold."

"Yeah, no problem! Come on in and wait a bit. I'll grab a towel."

She stepped inside, dripping quietly onto the tile floor, and I rushed toward the closet in my room. I grabbed every clean towel I had and sprinted back to the entrance.

"Here. Dry off with these for now."

"Ah… Thanks, Fujimaru."

She accepted the stack and immediately draped a few over her head, shoulders, and back. Her coat hit the floor with a wet splat.

Without really thinking, I placed a hand around her shoulders to guide her deeper into the apartment.

"Wow, I can't believe I ended up at your place by chance on my search when I came to this world," she said as we walked. "Lucky for me. Glad it wasn't unlucky for you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." She sniffed again. "When I first dropped into this world, it was just light rain. Then it turned into a downpour out of nowhere. It got on my nerves, so... I blew it away."

She lifted her right hand from under the towel stack and made a familiar gesture—thumb and forefinger out, the rest folded back. Like a gun.

It wasn't a joke.

That gesture wasn't empty, not from her.

To anyone else, it would've looked like something a kid might do while pretending to shoot bandits.

But Aoko Aozaki wasn't just anyone.

That was the origin of her most iconic technique—the Five-Point Spell, Blue Gun Magic. From the tips of her fingers, she could fire compressed magic bullets with terrifying force.

Not "blast" magic.

Not some long incantation.

Pure, condensed destruction. Instantaneous. Natural. Lethal.

I'd seen her fire those bullets in Chaldea.

Once, during a Singularity invasion, one of the more stubborn Demon snake god had broken through the rear guard.

(A/N: it was Fgo Dragon event in jp so don't think of it much)

Aoko raised her hand.

Bang.

That thing had been atomized.

No incantation. No complicated runes. Just pure, calculated willpower filtered through absurd magical circuits and an engine built to break rules.

Aoko Aozaki was a Modern Magus Killer. Not because she hunted them—but because she was too far removed from their system to be classified by it. A fifth-rate mage, the Mages' Association called her, despite knowing full well she operated at Mystery Rank: Apex.

"Was that Aoko-san… the one responsible when the rain suddenly stopped?"

She didn't even hesitate.

"Yep. But even if I blew away the clouds, I was already drenched by then. I figured I'd catch a cold—so I started thinking, 'What should I do?' That's when I saw an apartment with the lights still on."

Aoko rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, glancing toward the hallway.

"A woman soaked to the bone can't just knock on any random door, right? But I thought it'd be better than wandering aimlessly… So I came up to this place and knocked."

She smiled like it wasn't big deal.

"But if there wasn't a response… I mean, what should I do I thought?"

I looked at her sideways. "…What were you going to do?"

Aoko just grinned mischievously.

Then she raised her hand again, thumb and forefinger extended—bang, like a kid pretending to fire a gun.

Except it wasn't pretend.

"Of course… this."

My mouth parted slightly in disbelief.

"…Really?"

"Hey, I was gonna pay for the damage later! And I figured if I just broke the lock a little bit, it wouldn't be too bad."

"Aoko…"

"To be honest…" Her voice dropped to a casual hum, "the rain really had me irritated. So I don't even know if I would've held back~♪"

I looked at her silently, deadpan.

This girl… No, this sorceress.

This is exactly the Aoko I know.

"Kidding, kidding!" She laughed, throwing her hands up. "But seriously, thank goodness you were here! I'll just borrow your shower for a bit, 'kay?"

Then, with zero shame, she added:

"Oh, and while I'm at it—can you bring me a change of clothes too? Anything's fine!"

Bang! she mimed again, then disappeared into the hallway like a storm.

…Sigh.

She's just…

My thoughts were short-circuited when I realized she must've already started undressing.

Wait. Wet clothes. Taken off. In my bathroom.

I… forgot how hot she looked soaked—

Heat surged up my spine.

N-nope. Nope. Evil thoughts begone.

"C-change. Clothes. Yes. Just clothes." I muttered and stumbled back toward my room like a malfunctioning Roomba.

I yanked open my closet and grabbed the first pair of black sweatpants and a clean white shirt I could find. Baggy, comfortable, and safe—perfect. I even snagged a hoodie just in case.

Anything oversized. Hide everything. Yes. Brain safety.

I tiptoed toward the dressing room just outside the bathroom, ignoring every wild image trying to form in my head. My fingers trembled slightly as I opened the door.

I heard water running behind the frosted glass. The steam drifted out like a sigh.

Stop imagining. Stop imagining. STOP IMAGINING.

"I—I left your clothes here!" I called out, voice cracking slightly.

From behind the bathroom door, I heard her voice, muffled but cheery.

"Thanks! Just toss 'em anywhere, I'll grab them later!"

I set the bundle on the bench beside the towel rack and practically sprinted out.

Only once I was safely back in the living room did I allow myself to breathe again.

Calm down. Calm down. Be normal. This is normal.

But nothing about this felt normal.

Aoko Aozaki—the Aoko-san. Sorceress of the Fifth Magic. The terrifying, whimsical, bombastic storm of a woman I'd fallen for in Chaldea…

She was here.

In my house.

Showering.

Wearing my clothes in a few minutes.

Why?

I stared at the floor, my mind buzzing.

Why now? Why here?

My fingers gripped the edge of the couch as I leaned forward.

After all this time… after everything I've buried… why does seeing her again feel like opening an old wound and breathing fresh air at the same time?

---

Aoko's POV

I watched his figure disappear down the hall, towel bundle in hand.

He didn't even try to peek inside.

Even now, he's still so earnest… so painfully innocent.

That's… my type.

I looked down at myself....still standing in the entry of the bathroom, dripping wet, barefoot, and leaving little puddles everywhere.

Without hesitation, I'd hugged him. Pressed myself against him like it was the most natural thing in the world. And the moment he froze up and blushed, I just… laughed it off.

I didn't even think twice.

I wasn't like this with other people. Never had been.

Why was it so easy with him?

I reached for the shower dial and turned the handle. A low rumble filled the small space before hot water poured down from above.

I closed my eyes as it washed over me...heat rolling down my back, between my shoulder blades, soaking into my chilled skin.

But it wasn't just the water making my face flush now.

That memory…

Me, soaking wet.

Wrapping my arms around him.

Pressing my chest right against him without a hint of shame.

I leaned against the tile wall and let the warmth run through my hair.

"Uuuuugh… what was I doing?!"

The words echoed off the bathroom tiles.

I wasn't normally like this. I didn't do this. I wasn't the kind of woman to throw myself at someone just because I felt warm inside.

…Was I?

Alice's voice echoed in my memory, teasing and smug:

"You act like nothing's going on, but you're only this soft when he's around. What, did he burn through your circuits or your dumb brain?"

She said it half-joking, half-accusing—but maybe…

Maybe she wasn't wrong.

(Aoko Imagination)

Alice's smirk as she tilted her teacup and dropped another casual nuke on my mental state:

"A woman in wet clothes only shows herself like that in front of someone she's close to, Aoko."

Yeah.

That.

I gritted my teeth and looked at the fogged-up mirror.

"I'm such an idiot."

My heart wasn't cold or careful anymore. Not with him.

I had spent most of my life pushing people away—even if I saved them. Even if I fought for them.

But Ritsuka Fujimaru… I had let him get close. Without even noticing it.

He didn't demand it. He didn't push past my walls.

He just… was there.

So, slowly, bit by bit, I let him stay.

Even now, I came here.

To him.

I looked up at the ceiling as the hot water rolled over my face.

Maybe… just maybe… this time, I don't have to run away.

---

Ritsuka's POV

my heart refused to calm down.

I sat awkwardly on the couch, flipping through a manga page I'd already reread five times without understanding a single panel.

She's in my shower. Aoko-san. Wearing my clothes in a few minutes.

I buried my face into my hands, ears burning.

Just then—

Click.

The bathroom door creaked open.

Steam rolled out into the hallway like a soft fog, and with it came footsteps—bare, light, and unmistakably hers.

"Fuu~ That felt amazing."

I looked up.

And there she was.

Aoko Aozaki.

Wrapped in my oversized white T-shirt that reached down to her thighs, sleeves hanging loosely past her elbows, hair still damp and sticking slightly to her cheeks. She wore the sweatpants too, rolled at the ankles to fit, the waistband slightly loose on her hips.

She looked… casual. Effortless. Warm.

...Dangerously beautiful.

I swallowed hard.

"You're staring."

"S-sorry! I didn't mean to—I mean, I didn't—!"

"I'm joking." She waved it off, chuckling as she stepped barefoot across the wooden floor and flopped onto the couch beside me. "But that flustered reaction? Yeah, still cute as ever."

She leaned back, arms stretched behind her head like she owned the place. Like it was natural.

And maybe, for her, it was.

"You really kept your apartment clean. Not bad."

"Uh… habit, I guess."

"Your shirt smells nice."

I'm going to die.

I tried not to look at her legs exposed under the long shirt, but she caught me glancing and smirked knowingly.

"See something you like?"

"C-could you not read my mind?!"

"I don't need to," she winked. "You're not exactly subtle, you know."

I groaned and buried my face into my hands.

"...You're still the same, huh?"

Her voice was quieter now, more thoughtful.

I turned to her. She wasn't smiling anymore. She was just… looking at me.

"The same how?"

"You haven't changed. Even after everything."

There was a weight in her voice. Not sadness. Not regret. Something gentler.

She leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees.

"You didn't try to look at me in the shower. You didn't act all smug or pervy. You let me in, gave me a towel, gave me space…"

"Well, yeah. That's what anyone would do."

"No," she said firmly. "It's what you do. And I… like that about you."

My breath caught slightly. I couldn't meet her gaze.

"I'm not good with feelings," she continued. "I've always had… issues. Trust. Distance. Pushing people away."

She scratched her head, avoiding my eyes too now.

"Anyway, Ritsuka, I'm hungry."

"Aoko-san… wait a minute! I will bring food but it must be cold now, wait I will heat up the food for you"

I stood up and went to kitchen.

She looked at my back, blue eyes calm.

"I don't know what the future looks like here. But… I'm glad I did come finally."

I come back.

There was a long silence between us.

Not awkward.

Just heavy.

We sat side by side, close enough to feel the warmth between us. Her damp hair brushed my shoulder lightly as she leaned back again.

"You're not saying anything," she whispered.

"If I do… I'm scared I'll say something dumb."

"Then say something dumb," she said, almost laughing.

I turned to her slowly.

"I missed you."

Aoko blinked.

"That's not dumb."

I exhaled. "I've been thinking about you… ever since Chaldea. The hot springs, the fights, the way you called me out for being reckless…"

"And now you're the one acting like an old man." She gave me a soft nudge.

Then her smile faded again, replaced by something tender.

I stood up to get the heated food for her. But her smile was still on mind. It was Beautiful.

---

Ritsuka's POV

"Mmmhh! This is delicious! You've done it, Fujimaru! You could open a shop with this!"

Aoko's voice practically sang as she scooped another mouthful of curry into her mouth, cheeks full and eyes glinting with childlike joy.

"Well, I used my extra time to improve my cooking skills," I replied with a small smile, watching her eat like she hadn't had anything good in weeks.

"I see. That makes sense—it's too good, that's why I agree," she said mid-bite, already reaching for the toast I had placed beside the curry.

She looked completely at ease. Like she belonged.

The air conditioner hummed quietly in the background, the room pleasantly cool thanks to the dehumidification setting. But I could tell the air still carried a chill, so I quietly brewed a fresh cup of hot coffee and placed it beside her hand.

"…Ahhh, it's warming me up. It feels like my heart's loosening a little."

She cupped the mug and took a slow sip. "It's been a while since I had coffee, but properly brewed coffee is really good."

"Glad you like it."

Her eyes gleamed when she spotted the kouign amann and muffins I'd saved in the fridge. Before I could even offer, she was already helping herself.

Aoko-san is full-on hungry mode tonight…

"This handmade bread is insane too. Same with these muffins! You've spoiled me," she grinned. Then, with a mischievous glint in her eyes: "Maybe I should just be your official taste tester, huh?"

I chuckled without thinking.

"I'd love to have you as my partner."

Silence.

We both froze.

Then our eyes met—and just like that, red tinted both our faces in perfect synchronization.

Damn it. I said it without thinking…

To break the tension, I quickly slid the coffee cup toward her again.

"Here! Refill."

"T-thanks…" she mumbled, her voice quieter.

She took the cup and inhaled the steam like it would distract her from what had just passed between us.

A moment passed. Then, gently—

"So, how did you become human again, Ritsuka?"

I blinked.

"...You want the whole story?"

She nodded.

So I told her.

From the beginning.

How I was reborn as a newborn baby. How I felt my body torn from the Throne... then thrust into a dying baby, into the crying arms of a mother who looked just like my own—and how that mother died just minutes after giving birth to me. How I cried without a voice, how I was abandoned in front of an orphanage to die.

"...For seventeen years, I lived as new Ritsuka Fujimaru. With No Servants to call."

I stared into my coffee.

The warmth was fading.

"They called me a Japanese brat. They hated my face. Hated that I didn't belong here. But I kept going… because a dying mother asked me to live."

My throat tightened.

I tried to smile, I always do. The same way I did at Chaldea. The same smile I wore when Mashu was scared, when Da Vinci and Goredolf worried, when Romani and Caster Davichi disappeared.

But this time… the smile cracked.

"Ritsuka, are you okay?"

Aoko's voice was soft now, almost a whisper.

I quickly wiped at the corner of my eyes.

"I'm fine."

It was the oldest lie in the book. The one all men say.

But Aoko didn't say anything. She didn't argue, or prod, or ask for more.

She just reached across the small space between us—and held my hand.

Her fingers were warm.

She understood.

Not just the grief. But the kind of grief you bury. The kind you carry like a shadow and never put down. The kind you never want vengeance for, only the strength to live through. I wasn't planning to hunt the people who are reason for my parents death.

"You're not the same, you know?" she said softly, still holding my hand. "You've grown… but your eyes—they're still just like before."

I turned my head, and met her gaze.

Blue eyes.

Deep. Calm. Reflecting the quiet ache of memory like a lake catching the morning sun.

And in that gaze, I didn't feel alone.

"So… how did you get here?"

I asked suddenly, shifting the mood away from the heavy talk we'd just had. Aoko looked up from her cup, caught off guard for a second.

"Well, I met my strange old man," she said while tapping her cup absentmindedly. "He told me Ritsuka became human again and was living alone in a different world. So, I rushed over…"

I blinked. "That sounds… vague."

She smiled mischievously. "Maybe. But I thought—this is my chance."

"Chance for?"

"It's nothing!" she quickly waved her hand, eyes darting to the side.

'I want to be with Ritsuka.'

I cleared my throat and leaned back a little.

"So, what kind of trouble did you run into this time?" I asked, deflecting again.

Aoko blinked twice, then pouted slightly.

"What's with that wording? You make it sound like I cause the trouble."

"…I wonder," I murmured with a smirk, giving a slow, unsure nod.

Her expression soured.

"You need to nod clearly when I say something like that."

I didn't. Mostly because the image in my head was of her nearly blowing off Chaldea's entrance door with a single spell.

And the many times she'd 'solved' things by completely destroying equipment and doors because it was "faster."

Yes, she solved things… but the method was always open to debate.

"But," she added with a casual wave, "this time I already handled everything before you even noticed. No world-ending threats in this world. Unless you count the occasional demons popping out of Gates... which, So yeah—I call it a vacation."

"Vacation, huh?" I muttered. "There's nothing much here though. Just normal monsters. Not even anything like Singularities or Lostbelts."

"Exactly~ That's why it's perfect. Besides," she leaned in slightly, her eyes playful, "when you left Chaldea, remember how you said you wanted to travel the world?"

I paused."...I think so?"

"Well, I seriously considered sneaking off with you," she said casually. "I thought it'd be fun. Just you and me, traveling around, doing whatever we wanted."

My heart skipped.

What kind of romantic comedy line was that…?

"But I got swept into some mess right after," she continued, groaning. "And then again. And again. By the time I got back, poof—you were gone. Next thing I know, I'm in a different world, and here you are. Alone. Seventeen. And weirdly cute again."

She gave me a long, appraising stare.

"…What?"

Aoko tilted her head, amused. "Fujimaru-kun, have you… grown taller? And your build is definitely more solid than I remember. Are you sure you're only seventeen?"

I coughed. "Y-Yeah. Well, technically. But there's a reason."

She raised an eyebrow, curious.

"I'm a Shielder in this world," I explained. "Like Mash. So my body adapted to that class. Physically, I grew tougher. Stronger. I've been training constantly to get into Cube, too. On top of that, I've still got my Shadow Servant skills and leftover traits from other classes, but… yeah. I'm a Tanker."

Aoko stared at me. Then blinked.

"Wait… you're a Shielder? That's amazing!"

Her expression looked like she just learned I could shoot lasers from my eyes.

"I mean—really! I thought you'd be more of a Caster-type in this life. But Shielder… that's unexpectedly cool."

She gave me a small, admiring smile, then let out a breath and leaned back on her hands.