[FMMISM] Chapter 3: Sajyou Family

"Ragna, how have you been lately? You've been in Tokyo for three years already. Are you used to life here?"

It was a bright morning, and the Sajyou family was quietly enjoying breakfast in the dining room.

The one who spoke to Ragna from the head of the table was a man named Sajyou Hiroki, a mage who practiced black magic, also known as witchcraft.

Hiroki was the father of the Sajyou sisters, Manaka and Ayaka. Despite his intimidating profession, he was actually a kind middle-aged man who could be seen anywhere.

Ragna, at the end of the table, swallowed his dumpling before replying, "Yes, I'm used to it now. Thanks to Manaka and Miss Ayaka's care, and you too, Mr. Hiroki. I really appreciate everyone."

"You don't need to be so formal. Just treat this place like your home. Right, Ayaka?"

"…Um."

Sitting across from Ragna, the youngest daughter who would enter middle school next year nodded slightly.

At first glance, Ayaka appeared to be a quiet, reserved girl with brown hair. But this introverted beauty was actually just a facade she maintained in front of her revered father and elder sister.

Whenever Hiroki and Manaka weren't around, Ayaka became talkative and overbearing. It was as if her small body housed both Matou Sakura and Tohsaka Rin's personalities, ready to switch at any moment.

Hiroki took a sip of miso soup, smiling warmly at Ragna.

"By the way, if Manaka hears you calling her by name, she'll probably get upset again. How about calling me grandfather?"

"No, that's... ahahaha..."

Since the day they met, Ragna had become an adopted child of the Sajyou family.

However, officially, he was not Hiroki's adopted child but Manaka's.

Ragna didn't understand how a fourteen-year-old girl could adopt a foreigner with no clear background, but after Manaka visited the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, it was surprisingly done in an instant.

Moreover, neither Hiroki nor Ayaka had any objections to becoming his grandfather and aunt.

Regardless, it was best not to think too deeply about this, though he must admit, magecraft was really a convenient thing.

"I heard you, y'know."

Suddenly, from the other end of the dining room came the slightly frustrated voice of a young girl.

Approaching the three at the dining table was a girl with astonishingly ethereal beauty and radiant golden hair.

Despite her petite body, she wore casual clothes reminiscent of a maid outfit, her fair skin peeking through. Below her short skirt were long, slender legs encased in white knee-high socks.

She was none other than Sajyou Manaka, legally recognized as Ragna's mother.

Due to the contamination effects of the black mud that had engulfed her, Manaka's body had not changed in these three years. Even though she was already seventeen years old, she still had the open-hearted innocence of an elementary school student.

When Manaka stood next to Ayaka, who had just entered sixth grade, they looked like same-aged sisters. Clearly, in another two or three years, Ayaka would probably look like the elder sister rather than the younger one.

Thud!

Manaka approached the dining table with a stern expression and placed a stainless steel tray filled with broccoli salad heavily in front of Ragna.

"Ragna, you must eat this. You never eat vegetables, and it worries me a lot, y'know. It doesn't feel as satisfying as leek dumplings... nutritionally..."

Without even glancing at the salad, Ragna continued to enjoy the dumplings on his plate before replying, "Manaka, humans didn't ascend to the top of the food chain just to eat plants."

Upon hearing this, Manaka put her hands on her hips and pouted.

"Now you've done it. Since you're still being stubborn, I have a corresponding countermeasure—your allowance for this week is gone!"

As soon as these words came out of her mouth, Ragna jolted upright, his posture suddenly stiffened.

"Allowance... No, I'm begging you, don't cut it off, please..."

After saying this, Ragna reluctantly began to tackle the broccoli salad placed before him.

"I just need to eat it, okay?"

During his time living with the Sajyou family, Ragna would demand a hefty allowance of 1.5 million yen per week from Manaka, which he would spend all within five days.

Naturally, he had his reasons for doing so.

As Christ once said—Do not pile up the wealth of the earth.

When the ostentatious prosperity returned to nothingness, the dawn of the new millennium approached. A symbol of wealth was one of humanity's sins, wherein the filthy golden grail was only for opening the door of heaven.

Ragna was an enemy of humanity, a Juvenile Beast—No, in fact, at this point, he couldn't even be considered young or juvenile; he was merely a Larva Beast.

As a larva of Beast VI, Ragna constantly struggled against the desire to evolve within himself. He wanted to kill someone, he wanted to devour souls, he wanted to evolve into his complete form, to destroy the world.

In order to suppress these overwhelming desires, Ragna lived in modern Japan like an ancient Roman tyrant by going to nightclubs, bars, racetracks, pachinko parlors, and so on.

Looking back on his life in Tokyo, one could say it was a life of revelry and debauchery every night, or perhaps more accurately, a life dominated by indulgence in food, drink, gambling, and prostitution.

Through such a lifestyle, he finally managed to quell his 'starvation' in a sense, managing to save himself from succumbing completely to the desires of Beast VI.

Fortunately, this kind of life was only up until today.

Next, he was preparing to participate in the Fourth Holy Grail War held in Fuyuki.

His goal was not to obtain the Holy Grail, but purely for amusement.

Being a man of amusement was the way of existence for Beast VI who wished to live peacefully in modern society.

"I'm heading to Fuyuki today to make my final preparations for the Holy Grail War."

As Ragna told his plan to Manaka beside him, she immediately looked melancholic.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? If you had, I could have prepared a bento for you."

"Duh, I deliberately waited until this morning because I didn't want that to happen..." Ragna muttered with a sigh. "Seriously, a bento made by my mom is only something you'd want for a grade school field trip..."

"Ragna! Did you just call me 'Mom'?!"

Manaka's eyes suddenly lit up before grabbing his arm and shaking him vigorously.

"No, you misheard. I said 'Mara'." Ragna said with a poker face.

"You did! I heard it clearly! I definitely heard it!"

"I didn't say 'Mom', I said 'Mara'."

Ayaka, who had been quietly eating all along, blushed at their conversation, her childish face showing a hint of embarrassment. {T/N: In Japanese, 'Mara' is known as dick.}

"Disgusting..." Ayaka muttered quietly.

"It's not Mara, it's Mom! You said it clearly!" Manaka persisted, raising her voice.

"Ahahaha..."

Hiroki could only laugh helplessly as he saw his eldest daughter shout a vulgar word during breakfast, while his youngest daughter blushed in embarrassment.

Eventually, the atmosphere in the dining room became awkward.

"You're so annoying and noisy..." Ragna frowned and muttered quietly.

"Ugh... Ragna is so stubborn, Mom is so sad..." Manaka pouted and began sulking.

Ragna placed his chopsticks on the plate and clasped his hands together.

"I'm full, thanks for the meal."

"Oh, Ragna. Since you're going to Fuyuki, remember to greet Mr. Matou for me." Hiroki suddenly looked up to remind.

"Gotcha."

Ragna stood up from the table, glanced at the sulking Manaka, and then gently placed his hand on her silky blonde hair.

"Hmph." Manaka snorted with her head down and her cheeks puffed out. "If you think I'm an easy girl to deal with, you're totally wrong, Ragna..."

"I'll be back before dinner tomorrow...." Ragna paused for a second, then added, "By the way, I've been craving squirrel fish, but the Chinese restaurants in Tokyo aren't authentic enough. Could I ask you for a favor... Mother?"

"Sure, leave it to Mom! I'll do my best!"

After hearing the word 'Mother' from his mouth, Manaka suddenly became cheerful.

Indeed, she was really easy to handle.