"Is that acceptable, Master?" Jeanne stepped closer to Shen He's side, her tone calm but watchful.
"It's fine." Shen He nodded. "Distance helps preserve an air of authority. Besides, when it comes to trust, those agents are still unreliable. It's fine to cooperate—but trusting them blindly? That would be foolish."
Having seen every episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Shen He understood the agent world all too well: a constant cycle of betrayal, manipulation, redemption arcs, double agents pretending to be triple agents, and last-minute self-sacrifices. Trust among agents was a plot device at best, and a time bomb at worst.
Their sense of loyalty could be inspiring—but it could also be terrifying.
"It's difficult to completely trust them?" Jeanne nodded, seeming to understand. Then her eyes lit up with anticipation. "In that case, shall we begin preparing?"
"Prepare? There's not much to prepare for." Shen He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "It's a playdate, not a battlefield. Just bring a good mood."
"I'll go wake Violet and the others!" Jeanne said enthusiastically, already hurrying toward the guest rooms.
Shen He watched her with a faint smile before pulling out his communicator. Even if this was a casual outing, some arrangements were still necessary. Fortunately, money wasn't a problem.
A short while later, Jeanne returned, dragging behind her a pajama-clad Violet and the two ritual-clad versions of Shi.
"Shi, you look a bit... disinterested," Shen He observed plainly.
"She is," Jeanne confirmed from the side. "Just now she was giving excuses like 'I'm tired' and 'I'd rather stay in bed,' but she's clearly wide awake."
"You could tell?" The two rituals stared at Jeanne, stunned.
She had deliberately squinted her eyes, dulled her gaze, and even made her voice hoarse, faking a cold. It was a flawless performance—until Jeanne poked her cheek and exposed the act.
"Of course," Jeanne replied confidently. "On the battlefield, children often fake injuries or exhaustion to avoid the front lines, while others push themselves beyond their limit. Observing a soldier's state is basic leadership skill. You can't fool me."
"...Fine. I'm perfectly fine," Shi admitted reluctantly, her tone indifferent.
Jeanne looked awkwardly at Shen He, silently asking for help in steering the conversation.
"Shi, you've got no clue how to relax, do you?" Shen He smiled. "Try thinking—what would Weaving do in your place?"
"...Weaving?" Shi murmured.
"Yes. You share memories now—your original self and the Weaving personality. Try copying her mindset. She's more cheerful and expressive."
"Like this?" Shi adjusted her posture slightly.
It was a minor change—just straightening her back—but paired with her smooth porcelain-like skin, deep obsidian eyes, and shoulder-length black hair, the shift was striking. The aura she gave off now wasn't majestic—it was more like controlled danger, a tight wire of mental tension.
"Perfect." Shen He nodded in approval. "Go get dressed. I'll grab breakfast and wake Saiki next."
Lelouch couldn't make it today—he had to stay with his sister. And unlike Saiki Kusuo, he lacked the ability to hop through time and space.
So Shen He sent a summoning signal to Kusuo Saiki. Moments later, a familiar pink-haired figure appeared in front of him—but with one major difference.
"...Saiki... Nanako?" Shen He blinked at the girl in front of him—pink-haired, same uniform, except it was now a short-skirted girl's version.
It was, unmistakably, a transformed Kusuo Saiki.
"I had something to handle that required me to be a girl," Saiki said without emotion, glancing down at herself. "But I can reverse it. It only takes a second."
One second passed.
Then two. Then five.
Still, nothing changed.
"My transformation ability is currently suppressed…" Saiki Nanako muttered. Then, calmly: "I'm going back."
"Wait—" Shen He interrupted before the return request was processed. "You transformed because one of your teachers was getting mocked by students for receiving fake love letters from boys, right?"
"Yes…"
Saiki Kusuo was stoic on the outside, but underneath was someone who genuinely cared—especially for people being unfairly treated.
To avoid further embarrassment for the teacher, she transformed into a girl and planned to confront the boys herself. But right after the transformation, Shen He's summoning interrupted everything.
"I recall your transformation cooldown takes two hours." Shen He's eyes narrowed as he analyzed. "If you return to change back and come again, your teacher will be humiliated in the meantime. But we're just going out today. Why not stay in this form and enjoy the day? Later, we can hop back through time and space before it ever happened."
"…You're saying what you really want," Saiki Nanako replied flatly, hearing through his inner thoughts.
"I just think Saiki Nanako is cuter." Shen He didn't deny it, holding up five fingers. "Five cups of premium coffee pudding from the system. Today only. Besides, gender doesn't matter to someone like you, right?"
"F-Five cups!?" Saiki's eyes widened. "You've been hoarding them and didn't tell me?!"
"I run ten low-tier gacha draws every day," Shen He smirked. "Naturally, a few puddings fall out. You can go back and change now if you want—but the pudding will still be waiting. Up to you."
Shen He's thought process was simple.
He didn't have any particular obsession with genderbent characters. But Saiki Nanako brought a unique energy: a rare combination of freshness and relatability. Unlike the chaotic, suffocating world Saiki hailed from, here, she wasn't swarmed by misfits.
In Chaldea's growing team, Kusuo had somehow become the most isolated member—despite being the first follower summoned.
Male stoicism came off cold, disconnected. Female silence felt composed, mysterious, even alluring.
Hearing Shen He's honest internal thoughts, Saiki Nanako went silent.
Then—
"Who... who is this!?" came a sudden cry of shock.
Jeanne, standing nearby, stared at Nanako with wide eyes. Style and even Violet joined in, their mouths slightly agape. The unexpected combination of three transcendent beauties now standing side by side created a stunning scene—one that could only be described as visual overload.
And in Shen He's ears, a clear system prompt sounded:
"Team relationship level is about to increase…"