Mitigating Obstructions

As punishment for going behind her back and Rayshifting without her permission, everyday Mash would drag her Senpai back to his room after he had finished his allotted Rayshifting time.  Nobody in the Command Room would say anything against this either, there were no regulations or quotas to meet regarding Rayshifting, so it was purely by Ritsuka’s will when and how frequently he Rayshifted.  If he was allowing the Demi-Servant to tell him when he can and can’t Rayshift, that was entirely his decision.  Also, given how many personnel needed to be present for Rayshifts, while the staff were more than happy to help humanities final Master, getting a break was appreciated.  For weeks, the sound of ‘Okay, Senpai.  That’s enough for today.’ was the signal there would be no more excursions into the past to gather resources, since once she had taken him back to his room, the Japanese Magus did not sneak back in to overwork himself.

And whether whatever the young Shielder girl was doing with Ritsuka behind the closed door of his room was as ‘passionate’ as they speculated or not, until Mash had left his room, it was an unspoken rule to not interrupt or monitor what was occurring inside.  Both Mash and Ritsuka were old enough to decide what kind of relationship they had, even a more physical one if they chose; it has been almost five years since he came to Chaldea.  Neither were children, or even minors anymore.

But of all the wild speculations and sensual theories of how the two’s relationship had developed, none would have thought that the lilac-haired girl would be sitting on her Master’s back as he did push-ups, dressed in her heavy armor to ensure that he is incapable of fulfilling the agreed upon condition that would allow him to Rayshift for a little longer.

Even after weeks of trying to make up for the extra ten hours Mash had found out about, he hadn’t been able to complete a single set of twenty-five push-ups.  Even if he made it to fifteen she’d manifest her shield to ensure his arms gave out by his twentieth.  He had tried to just skip a day in favor of spending his time training or studying, but Mash insisted that he try at least once a day since he did go behind her back.  The only thing that could get him out of this ‘not a punishment’ now was if there was a more pressing matter to attend to, otherwise Ritsuka was reminded each time that he felt Mash’s soft, plump rear settle on his back to not make her angry.

Kinda concerning how used to this I am now, though.  He thought, straining to get the fifteenth repetition of his set done.  After how exhausting the day had been, he tried to get Mash to make an exception and let him rest today, but that was rejected with the sweetest of dark smiles, and his arms were screaming at him now.  Mash looked to be deep in thought about something, not even noticing that he had reached the point where she’d manifest her shield to make things more difficult.  If this was literally any other day…  but I… I can’t keep… going…  His arms buckling under him, Ritsuka was barely able to lower himself to the floor gently as the sweat dripped down his brow and his lung tried to supply his muscles with the oxygen they so desperately wanted.  However, Mash didn’t immediately get up off of him like she normally would.  It was almost as if she had even noticed that he had stopped, as she wiggled her butt on him to get more comfortable and continued to stare at the wall behind him, lost in thought and blushing beautifully.  Huh?  Mash…

“Oh Senpai!  I told you to stop talking about that.”  Distracted by her conversation with the foreign Master from a separate timeline in her intestines, Mash was trying to get off their current topic of conversations.

The redheaded girl living in Mash’s utopia wouldn’t let up though, teasing her relentlessly.  “Stop talking about what?  How you blew me from one side of your colon to the other with all the gas you had last night?  I told you beans were a bad idea, but you didn’t want to listen.”

“But… Quetzalcoatl-san made such delicious burritos, I couldn’t refuse.”  Licking her lips remembering the taste of the Mexican dish, Mash knew that Gudako was just teasing her.  She just wanted to tease her back.  “If you keep it up, maybe I’ll ask Boudica-san to make me some beans and toast tonight.  She loves making British dishes.”

“Oh?  Would that be okay, Mash?  Are you not satisfied with just sitting on my other anymore?”  Feeling a bit nostalgic at the comment, Gudako laughed a bit at how embarrassed this Mash would be if a bit of gas slipped out now.  “Might as well go all the way and sit on his face while you’re at it.  Trust me, he’d appreciate it.”

Instantly regretting trying to outdo a master at her own game, Mash’s blush deepened as she thought of her Master’s handsome face disappearing under her rear.  “Gu-G-G-Gudako-senpai!  I couldn’t possibly-”

“Is my back really that comfortable, Mash?”  Interrupting her train of thought, Ritsuka spoke up after waiting about a minute for her.

“O-Oh!  S-S-Sorry Senpai!  I got a bit… distracted.”  Instantly shifting her clothes to her casual uniform, Mash quickly stood up and got off the dark-haired man.  “How many did you do?  Did you get to 25?”

In her rush and panic, Mash didn’t cover her skirt properly, so as he was looking back at her, Ritsuka got a clear view of her white cotton panties through the dark stockings she was wearing and looked away quickly in embarrassment.  “I-It’s fine…”  Slowly pushing himself up with a bit of help from his kouhai, he flopped down on his bed to rest a little.  “If I said ‘yes’, would you believe me?”

“Of course, Senpai!”  Standing over his bedside with a sweet smile, Mash leaned down over him, brushing her hair behind her ear.  “After all, you know better than to lie, riiiiiiiiight?”

Keeping the same, sweet and gentle tone in her voice as she drew out her question, Ritsuka stared straight up into her mouth, or rather, he couldn’t look away as it had somehow captivated him.  The soft, slender fullness of her lips, the texture of her tongue and the layer of saliva coating it, her warm breath that flowed over him.  The inside of her squishy cheeks looked so slick and slimy, and he didn’t even want to think of the things she’d be able to crush between her teeth with her strength as a Servant.  Why have I been so focused on Mash’s mouth lately?  For some reason, when Mash warned him to not go behind her back anymore or she’d have to do something more drastic than forcing him to do push-ups, the way she cupped her cheek in her hand and brushed her fingers against her lips lingered in his mind.  “I-I know, I know.  I got to 15 today.”

“Only 15?  Are you feeling alright, Senpai?”

“Y-Yeah…  I think I just need a day to let my arms rest.  I know I haven’t made up any of the time yet, but could we skip doing this tomorrow?”

It has been almost three weeks now, and I’ve been making Senpai do this every day.  His body needs to rest.  Realizing the ironic oversight in her punishing him for not taking better care of himself, Mash stood back up straight.  “Yes, I believe it would be best to only have you try to make up your unauthorized Rayshift time when you wish going forward.”

Couldn’t you just forgive me?  The thought had been on his mind for a while now, that even if he did lie to her before, it wasn’t like her to hold a grudge like this.  But it was a good excuse to spend a bit more time with her alone, even if it was just her sitting on him.  Or is it because she’s sitting on me I don’t mind so much…?  His cheeks burning a bright red as the thought of them just having a normal conversation like they used to, only with him on all fours and Mash seated on his back flashed through his mind.  N-No.  No, she’s only sitting on me to make the push-ups more difficult.  I’m sure she finds it just as embarrassing.

“Of course, if you feel up to it tomorrow, just let me know.  I’ll always be willing to supervise you, Senpai.”  Turning to leave, she smiled back to him over her shoulder as she opened the door.

Oooor, maybe not?  Plopping his head down on his pillow and staring up at the ceiling, he couldn’t help but smile a bit and closed his eyes.  “I’ll see you in the morning, Mash.”

“Yes.  Good night, Senpai.”

Hearing the door close behind her, the clack of her heeled boots echoed softly as the diligent Demi-Servant went to go about her evening.  After a few more minutes, he’d get up to eat and shower before going to bed, but for now Ritsuka needed to rest until his arms weren’t so sore.  However, not even a minute after the sound of Mash’s footsteps faded, he heard the sound of heeled footwear coming back and his door opened and closed again.  He didn’t have the energy to lift his head or open his eyes, and instead just smirked.  “What, did you forget something, Ma-!?”  Stopping mid-sentence as something hefty, and soft settled on his chest, Ritsuka opened his eyes to see a head of long, flowing violet hair covering most of the black jacketed back of the girl who had decided to make his chest her seat.

“Hmm…?  Whaddya know.  You’re more comfortable than you look, Senpai.”  Looking back with a mostly disinterested face attempting to hide the touch of crimson to her cheeks, his self-proclaimed ‘devilish kouhai’ smiled mischievously at him.  “Or should I call you ‘Seat-kun’ from now on?  How do you like the feel of your kouhai’s butt on you?  Since I know Mash’s measurements, I know that mine is a bit bigger than hers.”

“BB!  What are you doing?  Get off me!”  More embarrassed than angry, Ritsuka tried to turn over to get the Moon Cancer to get off him, but she just applied more pressure to hold him in place.

“Why?  You let Mash sit on you.  It’s not nice to play favorites among your kouhai.”  Scooting back a bit closer to his face, BB giggled naughtily as she reached back and lifted the back of her skirt up tauntingly, not showing the panty-clad rear behind it, but enough to show a bit of his chest in the shadow of it.  “Unless it’s me, teehee.  Though, if you want me to move, you could always try lifting me yourself.  Since I was made with the perfect proportions, you should be able to do that at least, right?  Or should I scoot back a bit more?”

Catching the briefest of glimpses of the rogue AI’s butt as she slid back a bit more, Ritsuka looked away as he brought his hands up to stop her, only for them to be restrained by her black and pink shapeshifter ribbons.  “BB, w-what do you want?”  Struggling to free himself, while this was a bit more aggressive than how she normally was, the sadistic Moon Cancer wasn’t exactly hurting him.

“What, Senpai?  I thought you liked this kind of treatment?  If not, why let Mash sit on you everyday?”  Letting a tinge of her jealousy show, BB turned around on Ritsuka’s chest and leaned forward so most of his face was eclipsed by her abundant chest.  Hmph!  When you started Rayshift less I thought I’d get a chance to assist you a bit more, but instead you were doing something like this with Mash!  Well, I may have come to Chaldea after her, but my Kouhai Parameter and Affection stat are maxed out!  I’ll steal Senpai back from that goody two-shoes.  She thought, pushing back her embarrassed hesitation with her competitiveness.  “Or is there a reason you let her treat you like the world's saddest, but most comfortable seat?  If you like being on your hands and knees so much, I have a space back in SE.RA.PH. that you would love.”

Even though they weren’t touching him, the young Magus could feel the heat of BB’s bust radiating into him.  Looking into eyes as pure as they were devious, Ritsuka knew it was nothing to hide, but still felt like he should.  “I-It’s not like that.  I’m just trying to get Mash to let me Rayshift a bit more, I swear.”

Perking up at that tidbit of information, BB sat up straight, shifting herself back without paying attention so she could see most of his torso.  “Okay, explain.”

A bit calmer now that she wasn’t in his face, Ritsuka explained the events that led to him letting Mash ‘sit on him’ as BB was insistent he call it.  She was fixated more on the ‘skinship’ between him and her fellow kouhai, but by the grin on her face by the end of his explanation… he knew she had come up with an brilliant [read: devious] idea.

“Soooo… Senpai?  You want to Rayshift more?”  She asked innocently, scooting a bit forward again with her trademark, PTSD-inducing grin.

“Y-Yeah…”  Trying to ignore the fact that she had her legs on either side of his head, his eyes drifted down to the hem of her skirt keeping her crotch hidden as she wrapped her fingers around it.

“But you don’t want to upset Mash, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then, would you like some… help?”  Slowly raising her skirt hem, but still revealing nothing to him, she reveled in the struggle on his face to look away.  Of course, if he really wanted, she was pretty sure she’d give her body to him… after he fully submitted to her and became her plaything.  For now though, she needed to get him to want to listen to her more than he did to Mash.  “If you do as I say, I have a plan that will let you Rayshift a bit more.  Of course, it’ll cost you though…”  Leaning in close, she whispered in his ear in a low, sultry tone,  “Maaaster.”

He knew it was a terrible idea.  This was a trap, a part of some grand scheme.  Ritsuka wanted with every fiber of his being to refuse BB’s temptation and reject her offer for help…  I could Rayshift more again?  And Mash won’t get mad at me?

The Next Day

Watching the clock very carefully, Mash had to reluctantly allow Ritsuka to Rayshift one more time, despite the fact that it would go over the eight hour time restriction.

I really should have expected this, but I guess being a bit lenient wouldn’t hurt.  She thought.  It was amusing to see him scramble to slip the startup procedure with just enough time to make the cut off.  But now that he was returning, she’d have to escort him to the kitchen to get something to eat since he wouldn’t be trying to get some more Rayshift time today.

“BB Channel!  BB Channel!  BB Channel!”

Huh?  What was that?  Just as Ritsuka was returning and the Coffin opened, Mash heard a high-pitched phrase echoing through the room as something approached.

“BB Channel!  BB Channel!  BB Channel!  BB Channel!  BB Channel!  BB Channel!”

As the chanting got louder and clearer, there was a general nervousness that fell upon the room.  Everyone knew what was coming, and it was too late to run.

  “BB Channel!  BB Channel!  BB Channel!  BB Channel!  BB Channel!”  Reaching a crescendo as the one cheer took over the computerized equipment, and switched the monitor to show the progress with which they were being hacked, there was a moment of silence as everything went silent.

Then, in a flash of light as a piano-heavy theme song came out of everything with a speaker to play it, the door opened to reveal the public menace who invited herself to Chaldea without permission, the Moon Cancer, BB. “Congratulations, Senpai and everyone else on Chaldea’s staff!  Did you enjoy a fun day of slaving away to give yourselves the best shot at saving your pathetic race?  Well, do I have good news for you.  We at BB Entertainment have run into a bit of a problem and have selected all of you to help fix it!”

“Oh, BB-san.  I guess what you’re saying is you have a problem you want Senpai’s help with, right?”  Approaching the troublesome Servant, Mash smiled as sweetly as she could.  “But Senpai just finished Rayshifting for the day, is it possible to wait until tomorrow to handle it?”

“Nope.  Sorry Mash, but I need Senpai to handle this ASAP.  I can’t go too much into details with it, since it’s related to top secret Moon Cell information, but if left alone for too long it could become a big problem.”  Rejecting her fellow kouhai’s request, BB walked into the room and gently pushed Ritsuka back into his Coffin.  “You don’t mind, do you, Senpai?”

Hesitantly looking past the busty AI, the young man shrugged his shoulders at Mash, like he was leaving the final decision up to her.  This simple action made the Shielder girl quite happy, since it was the same as saying he trusted her to look after his health.  Heehee, oh Senpai.  Well, you have been good lately.  Maybe I can be a bit lenient with you.  Outwardly not displaying her giddiness, Mash sighed and started to head over to one of the consoles.  “Alright, I suppose since it’s an emergency.”

However, getting between her and the Rayshifting equipment, BB smiled at her.  “Hmm?  What’s this?  Mash, are you thinking of observing my time with Senpai when I’ve never done so to you?  This may be a bit of an unforeseen incident, but it’s still my chance for some alone time with Senpai.  I’m fine with the other staff watching, but not my rival.”  Assertively turning Mash around, BB pushed her towards the door.  “And don’t worry, I’ll get Lip to man the cons- er, I mean Prote- um, Melt?  Darn it!  Where are Violet and Kazura… Okay, not Drop, but Violet would be perfect for this.  Senpai!  Why did you have to summon only my daughters with hand problems?!”

“I-I suppose that is fair.”  Reluctant to leave the Command Room, she had to admit that, as someone who also calls herself Ritsuka’s kouhai, there were times when she’d have to comply with something she didn’t want to in the name of fairness.  Besides, the other staff, Da Vinci-chan, the Director and Holmes-san will make sure BB behaves… probably.  “Well then, Senpai, I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“R-Right.  See you tomorrow, Mash.”  Ritsuka replied, waving as he got into the Coffin again.

Bowing politely as she left, the Demi-Servant headed back to her room, since she now found herself with some free time to practice her new Noble Phantasm with.

“Hey, Mash?  I try to not ask every time I hear you talking to a Servant I don’t recognize, but who is that ‘BB’ girl?  She mentioned the Moon Cell, but we never encountered her when we went to the SE.RA.PH. in my timeline.”  Speaking up from within Mash’s body, Gudako asked about the unfamiliar Servant.

“Hm?  Oh, you mean BB-san?  She’s an AI program created in the Moon Cell to manage its operations, I believe.  According to Senpai, a few years ago, she hacked into our systems and…”  Explaining the events, as explained to her by Ritsuka after BB just appeared one day, that transpired to prevent Sesshouin Kiara’s ascension to the seat of Beast III, Mash tells her that apparently Ritsuka was sent to the Seraphix oil rig that Chaldea used to own and not the Moon Cell proper.  “After that, BB-san just kind of invited herself to stay in Chaldea and has more or less behaved herself ever since…”  Omitting the whole fiasco with the Servant Summer Festival for now, Mash entered her room just as she finished.

“So she was something like a maintenance program then?  I’ve heard about the ‘Far Side of the Moon’ before, but it sounds like she served a similar type of purpose as Archimedes did on the Near Side.”  Gudako said.

“Did you just say ‘Archimedes’!?  As in the Archimedes?  You met him?  And you’ve been to the Moon Cell?”  Excited to hear yet another story from her other senpai’s timeline, knowing that it would feature such a famous Greek philosopher had her extremely excited.

Mash’s Camelot

Sigmoid Colon

Because of a certain dietary choice her utopia had to process, Gudako had yet to return to her favorite resting spot in Mash’s transverse colon.  While that meant she had to deal with the lavender-eyed girl’s waste piling up around her, there was no part of Mash’s insides that she didn’t enjoy.

The same couldn’t be said about her venture into the Moon Cell Automaton.  “Eeeeeeeeh…?  Are you sure?  It’s a pretty boring story, and if you still respect Meddy, I wouldn’t recommend it.”  The redhead warned.  “He tried to trick me into destroying the Moon Cell once… though I suppose I wouldn’t have been able to summon Saber Venus, both Charlemagne and Karl der Große, and Sefar if I hadn’t gone.”

“Yes!  Please, Gudako-senpai?”  Her excitement not faltering, Mash was set on hearing the tale.  Half forming from a nearby wall, still lacking definition and features she was able to produce a torso with her head this time, but no part of her separated from the wall.  “Astolfo and Bradamante talk about King Charlemagne and his adventures so fondly, and I heard Altera once said she had a more dangerous form called ‘Sefar’.  Is that the same one?”

Moving over to sit with the misshapen protrusion of flesh, Gudako just smiled.  “Fine…  So, it all started when…”

Two Weeks Later

“Um, excuse me.  BB-san!”

Hearing someone call out to her as she was on her way to take a bath after a hard day’s work, BB looked over her shoulder to see Mash approaching her with a somewhat worried expression on her face.  Checking her shirt to make sure the sweat she had built up hadn’t turned it see-through, she spun around with a devilishly sweet smile.

“Oh my, if it isn’t Mash.  What can I do for Senpai’s second favorite kouhai?”  Playfully teasing the timid Shielder, she already knew why Mash was looking for her.  She has approached her for the past week after fulfilling her side of her deal with Ritsuka with some variation of the same question.

Though oddly enough, while Mash silently took the jab at her position in the kouhai/senpai hierarchy like she normally does, there was a slight twitch in her eyebrow that caught BB’s attention.  Other than that, she smiled politely like always.  “Well… Again, I don’t mean to pry since this is a sensitive topic for you, so I won’t ask for any details, but how much longer do you think you’ll need before resolving your issue?  If this is going to be like the incidents that happen around New Years, Valentine’s Day, summer, Halloween or Christmas, I should adjust Senpai’s Rayshiftng schedule.”

Just the kind of suggestion I’d expect for a student council president-type…  No, Mash would be more of a vice-president, secretary or team manager-type I suppose.  Either way, it won’t matter soon.  I just need a few more days.  Putting her hands on her hips, BB smiled back to the non-confrontational girl.  “Don’t worry Mash.  We just need a few more days, okay Mash?”  Waving dismissively, BB turned to walk away, leaving her rival like she always did.

“S-Senpai…  H-He’s starting to look drained and lifeless again!  Please, I don’t like seeing him like that.”  Appealing to the concern for his well being, Mash desperately pleaded with her.  “Just… just work with me, please?  He’s our Senpai, isn’t he?”

Stopping mid-step to glare over her shoulder at the Demi-Servant, BB’s eye shone a bright red.  “No.  Master is my Senpai, and there is nothing better than seeing him struggle to succeed like he’s doing now, Mash.  Don’t forget that if he doesn’t come out of his comfort zone and push himself, Proper Human History will be wiped out and so far I wouldn’t call the cattle we’ve seen in the other Lostbelts ‘human’.  The Yaga were the closest if you ask me, and we are well below the 3% threshold for my Hard Core mode to be enabled.  So give me this and when I’m finished, Senpai will be better off for it than your babying of him ever did.”  Huffing, her mood thoroughly spoiled by the uncharacteristic insistence of the lilac-haired girl, BB left.  Well, since it involves Senpai, I suppose it’s not entirely out of character for her…

The Next Day

While he had noticed since she woke him up that Mash seemed to be in a bad mood, Ritsuka didn’t have the courage to ask her about it all day.  It wasn’t entirely noticeable if you weren’t familiar with how she normally acted, but her responses to him were more curt and shorter than usual.  Or at least, he believed they were.

Could it just be my imagination?  Or it could have nothing to do with me entirely.  Looking at the time, it was soon time for BB to show up and he felt the weight of guilt increase as another day of deceiving Mash was about to begin.  M-Maybe I shouldn’t…

While nobody else in the Command Room said anything to Mash, they all knew what he was doing.  Da Vinci-chan told him multiple times that he was going to regret it and he knew she was right, but…

Right on time, the doors of the Command Room slid open and in bounced, making sure her chest did as well, BB with a bright smile.  “Hello~ again, everybody!  It’s time for-”

“Not today, BB-san.  Come on, Senpai.”  Cutting the Moon Cancer off, Mash grabbed the young Master and pulled him out of his Coffin, dragging him to the door.

“Huh?  Eh, w-wait a minute Mash!”  Caught as much off guard as everyone else in the room by Mash’s uncompromising statement, the rogue AI conjured a couple of her shapeshifter ribbons to grab her Master’s other hand.  “You can’t just-”

Manifesting her shield and cutting away the otherwise durable ribbons, Mash narrowed her eye at BB.  “I said ‘not today, BB-san’.”  Leaving before the manipulative girl could try to stop her again, Mash dragged Ritsuka through the halls of the facility back to his room and locked the door behind her.  “Now then, Senpai, I believe you owe me an explanation.”

Too dumbfounded and intimidated by her actions, the young Magus wasn’t able to say anything until she addressed him directly.  “Mash… wh-what are you talking about?  I need to get back to help BB.”  Trying to play dumb, he still didn’t try to physically leave, and not because she was standing between him and the door.

Softening her expression a bit, she stepped away from the door and went to sit on his bed, curling her legs up to hug her knees into her chest while staring at the floor.  “Senpai?  Why are you going behind my back again?  Do you like tricking me that much, or am I being a nuisance?  Why can’t you see I’m just trying to look out for your health?  You can do anything else for the rest of the day.  Train, study, play, or just lay around, I won’t stop you, it’s just Rayshifting.  It doesn’t just take a physical toll on you, but a psychological and spiritual one.”

“Mash, it’s not what you think.  BB and I are just…”  His words dying in his throat, even if he could think of an excuse to tell her, seeing how much his lies had already affected her, he couldn’t bring himself to.

“I’m not a fool, Senpai.  I looked at the logs yesterday, for the first time in two weeks.  You’re just using BB-san to keep farming for more resources.  Even if you choose places that drop the resources to improve BB-san’s skills, it doesn’t matter if all of her skills can only be improved with Crystalized Lores at this point!”  Revealing her hand, Mash wasn’t going to let him lie again, but appreciated him stopping himself before he did at least.  “No, you’d never use a Servant like that.  That’s not the type of Master you are, which can only mean that BB-san is allowing you to use her in exchange for something.”

“No, Mash…  I don’t…  I mean, it’s not…”  Seeing the crestfallen girl sitting on his bed, Ritsuka knew he messed up.  He had hurt Mash in a way that physical abuse couldn’t match and because of it he had once again betrayed her trust.  “I’m sorry, Mash.  You’re right…”  His guilt weighing on him, heavier than when she sat on his back in full armor with her shield, Ritsuka fell to his knees and just stared at the floor.  “BB is helping me farm more in exchange for a Command Seal per day.  I didn’t want to go behind your back to do so, but I just feel so helpless watching all of you fight on the front lines with your skills reduced like they are.  I can’t fight anything stronger than a basic human, and can’t formulate amazing strategies… I can’t even use my own Magecraft to support anyone, just Mystic Codes and Command Seals.  At least like this, when I see someone use one of their skills at full power, it feels like I tangibly helped out in battle.”

While he wasn’t crying, her Master looked so pitiful and weak, trying to justify his self-destructive actions through self-deprecation.  “Gudako-senpai…  Was this the case with you too?”

“Not exactly, but the sense of uselessness is the same for sure.”  She replied somberly.  “This is why I keep telling you to stop being so soft on him.  Unless you bring him under your thumb, subservient to you, others like this BB girl, or Meddy in my case, will take advantage of his kindness until he breaks.”

“It’s true that Senpai is at fault for accepting BB-san’s offer, but I don’t think his willingness to help others and work hard are bad things… in moderation.  I don’t want to take those from him.  Even if his personality is the root cause of these problems, and it would be faster and easier to deal with that than the people around him that take advantage of him, I think Senpai is fine as he is for now.”  At the very least she could see that her previous disciplinary actions had him second-guessing himself the entire time, so that was a sign of progress.  But, he does need to be punished a bit for lying to me for so long, but restricting his Rayshifting privileges anymore would be detrimental.  All he really needs is a bit more… ‘training’.  Considering her options, Mash smiled a bit to herself as she got an idea.  “Well, I appreciate your honesty, Senpai.  I tell you again and again that you are a wonderful Master.  I’d think being able to keep so many Servants from so many different time periods and so many different alignments without them trying to kill each other would be proof enough of that fact.  You are fine just as you are…”

I’m really not that great.  He thought.

“...though I wish you wouldn’t lie to me so much.”

There was a sharpness to her voice that made the young man tense up, and all the guilt he felt was instantly replaced with apprehension as he recalled her first raising her voice to him and when she found out he had been going behind her back the first time to Rayshift more.  Snapping his attention to her face, he half expected to see her eye glow an Alter amber, but instead was enchanted by the pure lavender orb that was narrowed in a bit of dark glee at him.  The smile and expression on the gentle Demi-Servant’s face reminded him of Stheno or Euryale when they thought of a new way to ‘entertain’ themselves.  “U-Um…  Mash?  I know you’re upset but-”

“I’m not upset, Master.”  She quickly said, cutting him off as she motioned to the floor next to her by the bed.  “Now, lay on your back here and put your legs up on the bed.”

There was no room for argument, he could only comply and moved so he was laying with his back on the floor and legs on his bed.  Before he could ask what she wanted him to do next though, Mash stood up and slipped off her shoes, stepping over him and sitting on his shins.  From the angle, he was given a glimpse of the white panties she normally wore until her skirt settled to block them.  And feeling her plump, round butt squish against, and around, something other than his back reminded him again of how well developed she was.  “M-Mash?!”  Trying to sit up, he was stopped as she rested a single foot on his chest and lightly applied pressure, holding him down.

“See, I’m not upset at all.  But…”  Increasing the pressure on his chest a little bit, she smiled down at him sweetly.  “...if I were, not that I’m saying I am, I may be inclined to forgive you if you can do one sit-up.  If you can’t, you’re not allowed to Rayshift without me present until you can.”

Freshly freed from the confines of her short-heeled boots, the residual heat from being trapped in the confined space spread from her sole into his chest and the scent of sweat lingered in the air.  Mash herself was either ignorant of the potent scent wafting up to his nostrils or was using it as a show of dominance over him and at this point it was closer to a 50/50 chance than he would have assumed previously.  She knows I can’t move an inch like this…  It’s not enough to hurt, but Mash isn’t even giving me a chance, not even an illusion of one.  He wanted to tell her to stop, to get off him and just ask for forgiveness.

‘If I catch you trying to sneak off before you make that up to me, or in the future, I’ll have to take more… drastic measures. Okay?’

However, recalling her previous warning weeks ago, he knew he all but asked for this.  Right…  Mash is doing this because I forced her to.  Trying more earnestly to sit up, he grabbed her ankle and attempted to lift her foot off him, but it didn’t budge.  She was stabilizing herself with her hands on his bed, so he couldn’t knock her off balance either.

“Uh ah ah, Senpai.”  Using her other foot to brush his hands aside, she playfully reprimanded him.  “Hands behind your head, no cheating.”  Giggling, her heart was fluttering and seeing him unquestioningly comply made a heat build in her body.  That’s it, Senpai.  You don’t have to… shouldn’t listen to anyone else.  Just me.  I’ll keep you safe.  Her beloved Senpai was completely at her mercy, and as much as she wanted to deny it, she felt herself getting a bit wet from it.  Extending her other foot, unable to curb the intense desire to, she pressed her toes against his forehead, pinning his head and hands to the floor as well.  “I’m not going to be so lenient on you anymore.”

“Good girl Mash!  I didn’t know you had it in you.”  Congratulating the Shielder girl for sticking to her conviction, Gudako celebrated her taking another step towards saving Ritsuka from himself like her Mash did for her.  Well, actually I did, but you’ve been dragging your feet for so long now.  She thought, snickering to herself.

Practically glowing red, Mash wasn’t even sure if the warmth on her face was more from embarrassment or arousal.  She had sat on Ritsuka’s legs for the better part of an hour, and by the end of it she had covered his face with both of her feet.  “Hush, Gudako-senpai!  Oh, I can’t believe I did that to Senpai.  I didn’t even consider how smelly my feet must have been!”

As soon as the thought occurred to her, she moved her feet, setting them on the floor as she just stared down at his equally embarrassed face.  He could have easily done a sit-up too, but he just laid there, staring at her, not sure what he should do.  But before he could say anything, she got up, put on her boots and quickly excused herself for the night.

As the sequences of events replayed in her mind, Mash froze for a second since, in her haste to leave before things got more awkward… she didn’t even stand to the side of him when she put her boots back on!  She stood over him, practically with a foot on either side of his head, and put her boots on!  AHHHH!  I flashed Senpai my panties!  Crouching down in full embarrassment, she held the back of her skirt to her butt.  They’re not even cute ones today…

“Hm?  Is something wrong, Mash?”

Disappointed in herself, Mash pouted for a moment before standing back up.  “N-No.  No, it’s nothing.”  She replied, not wanting to worry the redhead in her bowels.  Starting tomorrow, I will…  Mata Hari-san helped me get lots of different ones when I accompanied Senpai to Hawaii…  Resolving to do better, Mash reached into her pocket and took a deep breath.  There was one other thing she needed to do.

Her mood soured by the aggressive intervention of her fellow kouhai, BB sat in her room, scheming about how to bring her final plan to completion.  Most of her clothes shifted to spirit form, she sat in her panties and stockings as she held up her ‘certified Danger-Cup’ breasts with her white-gloved hands to admire the sakura petal-shaped Command Seals across them.  Seventeen, just a few more and then Senpai will be all mine.  A one day setback was annoying, but not enough to completely throw off her plans.  Mash’ll probably convince him to stop, so I should pay him a visit tonight to make sure he doesn’t listen to her.  Rubbing her breasts, her devilish expression softened to a more pure, innocent maiden’s, flush with embarrassment.  I-I-If I have t-t-to…  I can a-a-always seduce Senpai with my b-b-body.  Maybe smother him with my boobs a bit… and then… Senpai’s lust will take over and he’ll h-h-hold me down and-  As her fantasy began to run away on her, a knocking at her door brought the rogue AI back to reality.  Clearing her throat, she manifested her clothes and went to open the door with a singsong voice.  “Who is it?  Is that you, Senpai~?”  However, as she opened the door, she was disappointed to see Mash standing there.  “Oh.  Well, to what do I owe the pleasure, second place?”  She didn’t even try to hide her disappointment.

“Good evening, BB-san.  May I come in?”  Opposed to the Moon Cancer’s mood, Mash asked with a smile.  “Senpai told me everything, and I don’t think you’d want to discuss this out in the open.”

W-Was that a threat?  Almost impressed, BB sighed and motioned for the Shielder to enter, closing the door behind her.  “So Senpai spilled the beans, you say?  Well, it’s not like I’m not always working on something or another, so you’ll have to do better than that to get me to confess to anything.”

“I’m not here for a confession, BB-san.  I don’t even want to know what you plan to do with the Command Seals Senpai gave you or want you to return them.  I’m only here because your scheme this time seemed to deliberately target Senpai’s health, since using Command Seal is also very taxing on his body.  What I want to know is, why?  Why are you trying to drive Senpai to his breaking point?”

“Geez, cat’s out of the bag already?  Fine, if you want to know so badly, I’ll tell you, since you can’t stop me anymore.”  Shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head, BB smiled confidently at Mash.  “Humans only have value when they are struggling to survive, I’m pretty sure I’ve said that before.  I hate humanity, but I don’t dislike them.  Teasing them, tormenting them, challenging them, I love watching humans suffer because they can grow like that.  And I love seeing Senpai like that.  The weight of preventing the Incineration of Humanity… if only I could have gotten to see that, but it was nice seeing him struggle to clean up the aftermath of it while the Mage’s Association and UN tried to sanction him.  But these Lostbelt?  Genociding entire timelines to restore Proper Human History?  Senpai won’t last through it, I can see that and if you’re half the kouhai you claim to be you should see that too.”

Casting her gaze to the floor Mash could confidently say that she was as comfortable with denying Lostbelts as their Master was.  The necessity of their actions did little to ease their consciences for all the lives lost as a result of their battles.  “Y-Yes…  You’re right.  If Senpai continued as he had been, he would have broken.”  For a moment, she saw the image of Gudako crying and broken on the ground and felt her heart tighten.  “That’s why we need to work towards preventing that, not encouraging it!”

“Boo-boozt, wrong.”  Making an ‘X’ with her arms, BB playfully denied Mash’s opinion.  “It’s up to Senpai to deal with this himself and if he succeeds, that’s fine.  But if he fails, I’ll be sure to bring his soul back with me to the Moon Cell and take good care of him while the Crypters and that Foreign God do whatever they want with Earth.  Neither seem to have their sights set on the Moon Cell, so I can take my time to thoroughly train and torment Senpai when we’re all alone.”  Giggling deviously, there was a touch of crimson to her cheeks as she imagined her plans working out.  “And since I’m not doing anything wrong, there is nothing you can do to stop me.  Everyone else seems to play along with you restricting Senpai’s Rayshifting time, but it's not an actual policy, obviously.”

She was right, and she knew that Mash knew it.  Director Goredolf, Da Vinci-chan, Shion, the rest of the staff and Servants, they were only playing along with her for Ritsuka’s sake.  At the end of the day, it’s up to the young Magus to decide how often he should Rayshift during these dire times, and only if he became physically incapable of performing his duties would they then intervene, but it would be too late by then.  There was no peaceful way to stop BB’s plan.

But still…

“No…  I won’t let you.”  Mash said quietly, reaching into her pocket.  “For Senpai’s sake, I’ll stop you, BB-san.”

“Stop me?  You?”  Looking at the trembling Shielder, BB stood silent for a moment and then burst out into laughter.  “Oh, th-that’s a good one, Mash.  What, are you going to fight me here?”  Her eyes glowing a bright red, the manipulative Moon Cancer knew that her fellow kouhai couldn’t do something like that.  “Gonna pull out that busted Noble Phantasm and defend me to death?”

“True Name… clarion summon.”  Quietly, barely above a whisper, Mash recited her incantation as she pulled a card from her pocket.

Not hearing what she actually said under the sound of her laughter, BB did notice the object that Mash held up.  Most of the Servants would instantly recognize the Craft Essence that depicted an older, bearded gentleman in a robe against a background of black and white.  Kaleidoscope!?  Is she seriously going to fight me?

Before her target could ready herself for combat, escape or activate one of her Command Seals to resist, Mash used her initiative to invoke her new Noble Phantasm for the first time.  “May purity cleanse the wicked and this temple shelter the wounded… Come to me…”

“Huh?  A… A new Noble Phantasm?!”  Not recognizing the chant the Shielder was saying, BB tried to jump back to create a bit more distance between her and Mash, but as she did she felt something like a tether attach itself to her body and pull her forwards.  The air began to rush towards the lilac-haired girl as more invisible tethers continued to attach themselves to BB’s body, but it wasn’t something as flimsy as to wrap around her limbs to hold it.  She could tell each of the countless ties bonded to her cells individually, and penetrated her body to attach to her Spirit Origin as well.  There was no resisting the force pulling her in after that.  Her inability to resist this force latching onto the very core of her being sealed her fate.  “M-Mash… What are you do-?”

There was still time, and seeing the panicked expression on BB’s face, Mash hesitated for only an instance.  If she stopped now, she’d at least have the leverage she needed to keep the girl in check.  And if it was anybody other than her beloved Senpai and Master that the corrupted AI was threatening, that would have been enough.  “Form Camelot!”

Whisked away with the flow of the air and the pull of the invisible force, BB could only watch helplessly as she was quickly drawn towards Mash, or more specifically her open mouth!  In the timespan of an instant stretched out to eternity, she could only watch as Mash’s body and her surroundings grew bigger and bigger.  She flew through the open portal of the Shielder girl’s slender lips and into complete darkness as the gigantic pearly white teeth behind her slammed shut with a  thunderous thud, leaving the last image in her head that of the expansive, slimy, pink oral muscle below her and the pulsating orifice leading deeper into the abyss ahead.

*GULP*

Even though she had seen herself, or rather a version of herself, using the ability to dispatch enemies from the memories of her other self, Mash was surprised at how quickly BB went from standing in front of her to now being inside of her body.  Had she blinked, she might have even missed the terrified confusion on the bratty AI’s face as she was compacted down and brought into her mouth almost effortlessly.  “I…  I actually did it?”

“Did you EVER!  Way to go Mash!  I knew it was only a matter of time before you nommed somebody!”  Cheering from inside the Shielder’s gorgeous body, Gudako couldn’t contain her excitement.  “Keeping her trapped in you for a couple days should teach her not to cross you again.  So, where did you send her?  Should I clean up the place a bit?”

Licking her lips as she fully came to terms with what she had just done, Mash couldn’t help but smile both in relief and satisfaction.  Rubbing her belly, the first thought that came to her mind was, BB-san tasted delicious.  Letting out a soft burp, she put the expended Craft Essence back in her pocket and quickly left BB’s room.  It would be a bit before it could be used again, but really she’d have to return it soon before anyone noticed it was missing.

Camelot’s Detainment

Mash’s Stomach

After an uncomfortably tight ride down a tunnel of undulating muscles, BB was dropped into a sac filled with acidic fumes and slick, rippling flesh.  It was annoying to breathe, but not difficult, though she could tell the environment was hostile to anything unfortunate enough to end up here.

“Of course it would be.  I’m in Mash’s stomach after all.”  Surprisingly calm about what happened to her, she looked around a bit before kicking and thrashing about like a child throwing a tantrum.  “Mash!  MASH!  Only one person’s allowed to eat me and it’s definitely not like this!  Get me out of here this instant or I swear when I get out I’ll-”

“Calm down, BB-san.  There’s no use trying to force your way out.  Since I’m not distracted by anything, not even a Demon God Pillar would be able to get out of my belly.”  Giggling in her captive’s head, Mash teased.  “Now settle down and think about what you’ve done, or I might just have to digest you for trying to hurt Senpai.”

Unable to shift into her Spirit Form, BB had to accept that escape wouldn’t be possible.  Whether the validity that a Demon God Pillar wouldn’t be able to get out of the digestive organ was true or not, BB wasn’t about to let Mash talk down to her like she was the inferior kouhai.  “Hmmm?  ‘Digest me’ you say?  Really, Mash?  You’re going to kill me?  I doubt you have it in you to do that.”  She wasn’t doubting the stomach’s ability to dissolve her, her clothes were already starting to fall apart as the walls began to secrete fluids that made her skin itch.  “I can just use the Command Seals Senpai gave me to heal up and eventually you’ll feel bad for torturing me like this.  And even if you do digest me, I’ll just come back and make you regret this.  So, just let me out now and save yourself the trouble.”

Chaldea Novum Halls

As she headed for the Craft Essence archive, Mash was surprised by how easily she was able to keep BB in her belly.  More than the honestly unimpressive and futile physical resistance that registered as more of a massage, the pressure of her Magic Resistance was far more pronounced.

I can see why, if I were in combat, it might be a bit difficult to focus.  Too bad for BB-san I’m not in combat right now.  But her getting out of my belly one way or the other is a bit concerning…  Trying to think of a way to get BB to take her seriously, Mash was at a loss for what to do.

“Well, I’m not going to question whether she deserves to be in your belly if that’s what you decided, but be careful Mash.  I told you before, that Form Camelot transforms 100% of an ‘enemy’ into pure Mana, right?”  Speaking up, Gudako wasn’t so much worried about the mischievous Servant stewing in Mash’s digestive organ as she was Mash not understanding how powerful her Noble Phantasm truly was.  “That means no coming back, even for Servants contracted by Chaldea’s FATE system since nothing returns from you.  Meddy was a bit more hostile towards me than this ‘BB’ seems to be, so he went too far one day and Mash fully digested him as punishment… and he disappeared entirely after that.  Honestly, there was the possibility that he nullified his contract or something too, but when Da Vinci-chan looked into it she said that Mash fully digesting him was more likely.  That was how Mash kept all the troublemakers in my Chaldea in line.”

“Wait, really!?”  Not aware of the danger Form Camelot posed to Servants before, thinking about it a bit it did make sense.  And yet, rather than panic, she rubbed her belly a bit more and continued about her business.  “Thanks Senpai.  I hadn’t realized that before.”

“No problem!  Go ahead and churn her up if you think it’s for the best, Servants are a potent source of high quality Mana after all.  Mash got pretty… intense after gurgling Meddy.”  Giggling at the pleasant memory, the redhead had no attachment to BB so found the situation hilarious.

Focusing back on the magical signature in her belly, Mash could feel BB’s Saint Graph Core was on the verge of collapsing already.  If she didn’t have Command Seals to spare…  As mad as she was at the manipulative Servant for tempting her Senpai into going behind her back and defying her like that, Mash understood that, from BB’s perspective, she did it out of affection for him.  So she merely wanted to teach her fellow kouhai a lesson.  “BB-san, since you don’t seem to have noticed yet, I thought I’d give you a warning.  My new Noble Phantasm, Form Camelot, doesn’t just damage and kill enemies.  Like I said before, I’m going to digest you, break you down and absorb all of your Mana into me.  You won’t be coming back after that.  You’ll be a part of me.”

“Huh!?  What kind of cheat ability is that!  No fair.  I’m calling foul!”  While there was incentive for Mash to be lying to her, BB was able to tell that her Mana was getting absorbed into the flesh around her.  Even using her Self-Modification Skill wasn’t enough to resist the damage she was constantly taking from the burning acids.  As her body was about to give out, the doubt in her mind became too much and just before she was beyond saving, BB used a Command Seal to fully repair her Spirit Origin.  Geez, okay…  Just a small set back.  It’ll take a lot of Mana to drag Senpai back to the Moon Cell when I return, so I was hoping to save these…  I could probably make do if I could convince one of my daughters to help me if I really need to, so I could use a few more.  Mash is a bleeding heart, so the longer I’m in here and ‘reflecting’ on what I did ‘wrong’ the more likely she is to let me out.

“Oh, that was tasty!  Feel free to do that again, BB-san.”  It wasn’t like Mash to tease someone like this though, so not only was it infuriating to the AI, but it was concerning.  “Should I skip dinner tonight?  To a certain degree I can operate on Mana alone.”

“Alright Mash, you’ve made your point.  I’ll stop trying to break Senpai, so just let me out, okay?”  With her calculation abilities, BB could tell that, because she was unprepared for such an ambush, that she couldn’t get out of her predicament.  Both Domina Coronam and Aurea Pocula were instantly broken down and absorbed in Mash’s stomach and climbing out seemed as likely to work as her turning over a new leaf.  “Come on Mash.  You’re not really going to digest me.”

But as time went on, Mash stopped replying to her entirely, leaving her to use Command Seal after Command Seal to keep her Spirit Origin intact.  Continuous use of her third skill was required just to slow the process, but the churning organ was overwhelmingly powerful.  She could hear muffled conversations between her captor and others, though the sounds of the active stomach around her were drowning them out.

She’s just going on like I’m not in here?  Mash, you cheeky little-  It pissed her off that a powerful AI like her could be treated like this, like some forgettable meal.

None of her attempts to get Mash to release her were responded to at all, and she wasn’t sure if she was being ignored or if Mash needed to actively concentrate on her to hear her.  And just as her rage and frustration was about to boil over, a mass of mush came down and landed directly on her!  Digging herself out of the organic mass that caused the digestive organ to become even more active, before she could completely free herself from it another fell on her.

This is… apples and yogurt?  She’s eating!?  Ewww, it’s in my hair and everything!  Before she could move again, more and more of the chewed up food piled on top of her as Mash ate without reservation.  And with a substantial meal to fill it, Mash’s stomach showed just how easy it had been going on her.

The powerful muscles compacted in around her with greater force and frequency, mixing up the slurry that the meal Mash consumed turned into as the potency of the acids seemed to increase.  While Mash was eating, BB tried to call out to her to stop, but had to focus on staying afloat in the turbulent sea of nutrient soup and using her Command Seals to restore her Spirit Origin.

Even after Mash finished eating and went to take a bath, BB had to do everything she could to stay out of the Shielder’s small intestines, not wanting to risk increasing the speed at which her Mana reserves got absorbed.  Thankfully, by the time Mash was finished soaking in the bath, which only increased the already unbearable heat for the digesting Moon Cancer, Mash’s stomach had emptied and the rate at which she needed to use Command Seals decreased as well.

Laying naked and exhausted, this had already gone on far longer than she thought it would have, as she was down to her last Command.  “Mash?  Mash, please just… just answer me.  I get it, I… I won’t mess with Senpai anymore.  Please.”  Too tired to even properly convey her panic and desperation, even as her body was restored the lingering pain from having been digested to her limit sixteen times now had thoroughly crushed her rebellious spirit.  The only thing making her prolong this torture was her affection for Ritsuka.  Even if another version of her came to Chaldea after she was digested, they wouldn’t be ‘her’, and in that sense the finality promised by this death was terrifying.  “Please, Mash…  I’m sorry.”  Using the last Command Seal she had left, BB was about to give up any hope of getting out of this.  Whatever change happened in Mash to cause the manifestation of this new Noble Phantasm, it was a profound one that altered something fundamental in the kind and warm, all-too sweet and naive girl.

But then, as she got ready to endure a final acid bath, she heard a voice echo in her head.  “Hmm?  BB-san?  Oh, sorry, I almost forgot about you.”

After returning the Kaleidoscope that she borrowed from the archives, Mash had kept an eye on how BB was doing in her stomach, even as she talked to the other Servants and staff, ate a light dinner since she was feeling quite full from the magical energy she was getting form BB, and bathed.  At present, she could easily use Form Camelot three more times from all the Mana she had absorbed from the Moon Cancer, but as she was getting ready for bed, she felt the final large reserve of magical energy inside of her prisoner’s body get used up.

Was that her last Command Seal?  Then that means if I don’t let BB-san out soon…  Thinking back on the day, it had been rather eventful since pulling Ritsuka out of the Command Room, and it felt really good having BB inside of her belly.  The gradual flow of rich concentrations of Mana entering her body felt amazing, but there was still the massive, sudden influx of magical energy that would come from fully digesting an enemy that Mash was now curious about.  Sure, she had the memories of her other self to reference, but actually experiencing the slow digestion of another was already far better then what those memories implied.  “Senpai?  Are you sure BB-san will be gone forever if I digest her?”

“Aww, what’s the matter Mash?  Wanna gurgle up your meal that badly, huh?”  Teasing the kind-hearted girl a bit for the reluctance in her voice when she asked, Gudako’s playful giggling faded as she became deadly serious.  “Yes, she’ll be gone, forever.  You might be able to use the Mana for attacks or possibly get a proficient Caster like Medea or Circe to store it in some sort of vessel for you, but you won’t be able to restore BB with it…  In fact…”  Taking a deep breath, she didn’t want Mash to make a decision without knowing all the facts as she knew them.  “You know how Chaldea tracks all the registered Saint Graphs you’ve encountered and measures when the connection with them between the Throne and us strengthens?”

“Yes.”  It was an odd phenomenon that they quickly noticed once the Grand Order started.  These periods of more synchronized wavelengths with the Throne of Heroes were dubbed ‘Summoning Campaigns’ by the bigger, Caster Da Vinci-chan back then.

“Well, if you digest a Servant, that version of their Saint Graph is removed from the Throne entirely.  You’re not taking them out of history, but they can never be summoned again.”

“Okay.  Thank you, Senpai.”  Despite the shocking news, Mash didn’t panic as she realized what that meant.  Aside from a few noteworthy enemies like Koyanskaya and Rasputin, her other self rarely used Form Camelot on other enemy Servants fully.  “Hmm?  BB-san?  Oh, sorry, I almost forgot about you.”

“M-Mash!?  Mash!  Please, let me out!”  Not even bothering with acting tough, BB desperately asked her to release her.

“So, have you learned your lesson?  I’m about to go to sleep, so if you keep being stubborn I’ll-”

“YES!  Yes, please… I… I can feel it.  My Spirit Origin is being stripped away…  Please, I won’t try to break Senpai anymore, I’ll be a good kouhai.  J-Just don’t digest me…”

She could tell BB was serious, her voice was full of remorse and she was terrified of what would happen if she got fully digested.  There were no lies, it was a genuine apology and a desperate cry for help…

And yet it wasn’t enough.

I don’t want to just hear it from her.  She tried to hurt Senpai.  To break him.  To take him from me!  Sitting on her bed, Mash closed her eyes and began concentrating to form an avatar of herself in her stomach.  I don’t want to hear it…  I need to see it.  The remorse and regret on her face.

As if sliding a missing gear into place, Mash felt something click in her mind and then, as easy as she took a breath, she was standing in a dark, pulsating chamber of flesh, slick with digestive enzymes and at her feet was a heavily wounded, half-digested BB, staring up at her in fear and awe.

And that look said it all, fulfilling Mash in a way that she had never felt before.  It was the tired, apologetic look of someone thoroughly defeated and begging for mercy, despite not even having the energy to vocalize it.  She was sorrier than words could convey and absolutely horrified of the fate that awaited her if Mash chose to just leave her to be the meal she had been treated as.

Kneeling down, Mash grabbed BB by her softening shoulders and lifted her up to stare her straight in the eye.  “I can forgive your usual pranks, but try to hurt Senpai again and I’ll just watch next time.”

Though it sounded like the kind-hearted Demi-Servant was trying to convince herself of the threat more than her, BB knew that there was something in Mash that would carrying it out by the way the lavender orb staring at her shifted to Alter amber for a few seconds, glowing with a cold, unforgiving menace.

Returning her consciousness back to her mind, Mash quickly changed her designation of the almost digested Servant in her belly from enemy to ally and transported her to her mouth so she could spit her out onto her bed.  BB appeared on Mash’s bed, naked and dry as the regenerative buffs applied to allies exiting Form Camelot slowly healed her wounds.  She just laid there, weak and sore, trying to catch her breath as Mash laid down next to her.

“I’m sorry I had to be so rough, BB-chan, but I can’t afford to let Senpai push himself too hard anymore.”  Mash said, hugging the terrified Servant to try and calm her a bit.

Not wanting to do anything that might upset Mash right now, BB allowed herself to be embraced.  Despite how terrified she was, the power and ruthlessness of the Shielder Demi-Servant with his new Noble Phantasm also had her in awe.  “M-Mash…  What happened to you?”

“Hmm…  I don’t think you’re ready for that yet.”  Holding her tightly, Mash could smell BB’s light scent fill her nose.  Mmm…  BB-chan smells so good.  I could just eat her up again.  “If you can prove yourself a trustworthy junior kouhai, I might tell you.  For now, I think I’m going to have you sleep with me.  I don’t want you out of my sight if I’m not watching Senpai.  Understood.”

“Y-Yes.” Replying instantly, despite how out of character it normally would be for her, BB couldn’t find it in her to disobey either.  Being kept under Mash’s thumb was preferred over being a meal.  “But… D-Do you have to use ‘-chan’?”

“Yes.”  Giggling sweetly, Mash tightened her grip on BB playfully.  “I’ve always wanted a junior kouhai.”

Well… if it keeps me out of that beast of a belly, I’ll play along for now.  Staying on Mash’s good side could prove to be entertaining if I can get her to start using that interesting Noble Phantasm in the right ways.  Trusting the promise of not being eaten so long as she behaved, BB picked up that such a punishment was only used in defense of Ritsuka.  Which meant other mischief was fair play.