Itadaki no Hecate Second

The Beginning of Final Days

"I'm home!"

"Welcome home, Yu-chan."

"Welcome back, son."

After school, Yuji went straight home. This evening, there would be no training with Hecate or board games with Bel Peol; instead, the former came along with him while dragging the latter along by the hand.

The Priestess made a small bowing motion that looked more like a slight forward tilt while the Strategist permitted herself a more proper greeting.

"It is an honor to finally meet Yuji's father," Hecate said sincerely with her soft voice.

Yuji smiled and glanced at the girl. "She's been looking forward to meeting you for a long time dad," he told his parent.

Kantaro chuckled and turned to Chigusa, who seemed to have the same idea. "Oh? Is that how it is?" he teased the Supreme Throne, who felt her face flush slightly, the reason for which was lost on the Mystes.

"I hope you'll be staying with us for dinner tonight, Berupeoru-san," Chigusa extended an invitation.

"Seeing as I'm already here for a discussion with your son and our other guest, I might as well," the Judge of Paradoxes said with a proud tone.

There was also another guest who had gone ahead of them. He—actually a 'she' in disguise—sat at Yuji's usual spot on the sofa before the television set.

"...the Secretary of Defense has confirmed earlier today that the rumors of terrorists operating in the country are true, and revealed that they are an international organization," a news reporter informed the public from Shinjuku. "Their goals, he claims based on the word of a representative from the United States of America, is to covertly seize control over the governments of powerful nations in order to gain a foothold over the rest of the world..."

The Spiral Organ narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Something bothering you, Lamies-san?" Yuji asked, noting his expression. Having been around Hecate for so long, he had learned to read the most subtle of changes on a person's face.

"It's just a feeling, but I am likely being paranoid," Lamies said, relaxing his expression and turning to the Mystes. "There is something I do have to discuss with you and the Strategist however."

Episode 11: The Beginning of Final Days

After sharing their meal together, with Kantaro having astonished the guests with his immense appetite and love for his wife's cooking, Hecate helped Chigusa in the kitchen while the familial patriarch watched them with a fond smile as he leaned on the wall behind them. Meanwhile, the Mystes of the Reiji Maigo, the Judge of Paradoxes, and the Spiral Organ gathered on the lawn at the side of the house with the sliding glass door shut behind them.

"Before we get to business, why did you decide to stay here for today instead of taking refuge in our temporary headquarters?" Bel Peol asked, referring to the manor which she and Hecate currently resided in.

"I simply wanted to learn about the changes within the Priestess in detail from one of the humans she had become close to," Lamies answered. "I am pleased to say that that woman's words have greatly relieved me."

"You seem so interested in humans and Denizens getting along, ever since we first met," Yuji said. "Why is that?"

"More than a few of us Denizens are interested in such an ideal for differing reasons," Lamies told him. "In time, I will reveal my own. But that is not why I asked for an audience between the two of you."