August 2025

  ***

  Seika woke up, her arms wrapped around one of the women she loves. Ayame was lying between Seika and Miori, with both their hair still glowing. The two comforted Ayame and held her all night after her frightening experience with Maria and were on the lookout for the woman’s return, to keep their lover safe.

  Yesterday’s events kept playing in Seika’s mind over and over: Maria was so mad with anger that she caused a city-wide incident, trapping residents in self-propagating dream bubbles. If she had continued without interference, the city and its inhabitants would have been doomed, as the affected areas would have been bombed to oblivion. Seika’s stomach turned and she shook her head to stop herself from imagining the worst-case scenario. Lucky for her, she could soon get her mind off these things as Ayame stirred and blinked into the morning light, then turned her head and looked at Seika.

  “Hey,” she mumbled, groggily with a light smile. Seika took in her appearance: her drowsy expression, her messy bedhead; those were things she never got to see in the time the two were friends, but in the past eight months, it became a treasured sight that made her heart beat a little faster, even more so when Miori woke up next to her, too.

  “You’re beautiful,” Seika blurted out and Ayame let out a little giggle.

  “Such a charmer…” she mumbled, closing her eyes with a smile. “…and my hero.”

  “No, you’re the hero here. You held back Maria until we arrived,” Seika said, running her fingers through Ayame’s hair with a wide smile. She wanted to lean in, to kiss Ayame, until she remembered the issue of morning breath; instead, she placed her kisses on Ayame’s chest.

  “And you helped us in other ways. By making the people here remember us and believe in us…” the next kiss was placed a little deeper.

  “Mh… that’s good. Wouldn’t mind being woken up like that every day…” Ayame yawned, and Seika continued her kisses downward after feeling one of Ayame’s hands on her head.

  ***

  Seika prepared breakfast and opted for the traditional breakfast her mother always prepared for her: a simple miso soup with fish, vegetables and rice. She served three portions, for Ayame, Miori and herself, who joined her soon after she was done cooking. Ayame’s bedhead didn’t look any better than it did before; in fact, her recent writhing may have made it a little worse. She looked terribly groggy, but happy. Seika turned on the TV as they sat down and ate.

  According to the news report, the damage to the city was minimal; some people crashed their cars into each other after being caught by the dream shades, but interestingly enough they were kept safe by the bubbles and didn’t come to harm that way. The biggest damage in the city was done to Atelier Antoinette, since the Dream Empress attacked it directly. Triple Eye were already combing the place, taking samples while reimbursing the owner.

  “So, you actually tried to become a Kuma Group Magical Girl?” Seika asked, and Ayame blushed a little.

  “I thought I could… well… it didn’t work out in the end, did it?” She stared at her plate, biting her lower lip.

  “Nonsense. You kept her away from Mana and kept her safe,” Miori reassured her, gently touching her shoulder. Ayame nodded and let out a long sigh, closing her eyes.

  “Yesterday feels like one long, drawn-out nightmare, now. At least I had sweet dreams right after. Like… being married to you two.”

  “That part was not a dream,” Seika commented with a smirk and watched Ayame’s groggy face suddenly snapping to an alert state. She stood up, slamming her hands on the table as she remembered.

  “Ah! You… you asked me if I wanted to marry you! And I…”

  “You accepted,” Miori said, hiding her wide grin behind the bowl she brought to her lips.

  Various emotions flashed over Ayame’s face, and she fell down on her chair, looking around between her two lovers.

  “I… but we can’t…!” she commented quietly before Miori put her bowl down and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  “Not here. But we can do it in Jove’s world,” she whispered and squeezed Ayame’s hand, who looked at her with some doubt.

  “It won’t count here, of course. It wouldn’t even count if we got married somewhere else in our world, but… it would mean something to us, and that’s what’s important,” Seika reassured her, looking Ayame in the eyes.

  “Minerva brought the idea up some time ago, and now I really want to go through with it.”

  Ayame thought about it a little longer, then she let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of her head with an awkward smile.

  “I… well, I accepted yesterday, and I’m not going to back out now. I haven’t slept with any cuties from the lesbian bars since I started dating you two, anyway, so I’m basically already married to you, right?”

  Miori broke out laughing and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

  “Oh? Is that so? You were faithful and that’s ‘basically married’?”

  Ayame wriggled a little uncomfortably in place, before the storm of her emotions made way for a warm smile. She looked from Miori to Seika and back to Miori again, then she cleared her throat.

  “I’ve also… come to terms with something, which allowed me to transform into a Kuma Group Magical Girl in the first place: I love you. Both of you.”

  A wedding needed guests as well, and Seika wouldn’t be satisfied with only Minerva and Bellona’s families attending. She stood in front of her childhood home, ringing the doorbell.

  “Are you sure you wish to invite them? It’s not guaranteed that others won’t try to come for you,” Minerva spoke to her mind, and Seika shook her head.

  They appear to be scared by our new forms. So, for now, we should have some peace and quiet.

  “As they should be! You were a sight to behold!” Pallas chimed in. It was a little off, to now have two voices in her head.

  Seika let out a little sigh, then the door opened, and she was immediately embraced with a tight, almost suffocating hug by her mother.

  “Seika! Ayame told us what happened and… you’re alright, aren’t you?”

  Her mother quickly separated from her again to look her over, gently caressing her cheek as she made sure that nothing was off about her daughter who should have died last month. Tears of relief were welling up in her eyes, and her mouth formed a weak little smile as she saw that everything was alright.

  “I’m fine, mom. My partner saved my life, and then her family treated me properly.”

  Her mother let out a little sigh and squeezed Seika once more before she let go.

  “Come in, your father wants to see you, too!”

  Seika nodded and was promptly pulled along by her mother, into the living room where her father sat, watching the news about the recent incident. Seika saw herself on the screen, in her ascended Magical Girl form, destroying vast swathes of dream shades before heading straight for the alley in which Ayame was.

  “Darling! Seika came to visit us!”

  He blinked and looked up, then he turned off the TV and walked up to Seika, embracing her just like her mother did before. It would take a while longer for Seika to get to speak about her plans.

  ***

  “How were you faring during that recent attack?” Seika asked quietly, and her mother shuddered as she recalled her own experiences.

  “Terrible. I was working at the library when it happened. We kept quiet and inside the building, like the broadcast told us to. There were a few customers, and we were hiding away from the windows, and thankfully it never spread that far north towards Kawaguchi, but it was terrifying. Like a wave of people getting trapped for whatever purpose that could engulf the entire country. And then they were talking about the Americans bombing the affected areas, and I couldn’t take it…”

  Seika reached out and put her hand on her mother’s shoulder, who sighed and gave her a smile in return.

  “Well, you and Miori came back as our heroes in shining armor.”

  Her father nodded, leaning back in his chair.

  “I was actually in the middle of it. You know that my company’s headquarters are in Tokyo. Big office building with multiple companies, so when a ghost got into the lower offices, it spread rapidly. Luckily, the Celestial Sisters were near our location and got us out of the bubbles and got rid of the ghosts around us. We were hiding for the rest of the entire thing.”

  Seika smiled as she heard about Miyu and Momo’s actions. She made a mental note to thank them properly later, when the time came to invite them.

  “Though… one thing was strange,” her father mused.

  “Hm? What was?”

  “Before saving me, Luna stared at the ghosts I created. Not just looked at them before destroying them, but… she stared. Like she was seeing something of interest to her.”

  Seika blinked, looking straight at her father.

  “What were your ghosts?”

  He looked a little embarrassed and cleared his throat before he continued.

  “Well, they were showing you getting married to your girlfriends. I guess the dream ghosts picked my wishes for your happiness,” he admitted.

  “…this Luna then patted my back and gave me a thumbs-up before flying off. Strange girl.”

  I forgot to tell them.

  “You had all kinds of stuff on your mind, Seika. Don’t worry about that,” Minerva chimed in.

  “They can get acquainted at the wedding!” Pallas added.

  Seika nodded at the words of her partners, then she addressed her parents again.

  “Well, regarding your dreams, and the Celestial Sisters… you can meet them. Because I want to invite you, and them both. To my wedding.”

  Moon of the Forgotten King, 1068 AR

  ***

  “Thank you again for your help, Nicola,” Miori said as she sat down in one of the armchairs around the fireplace. The puppeteer looked a little exhausted, but she responded with a little nod and smile, regardless.

  “That attack threatened many people, among them Hifumi. I couldn’t simply sit idle, even if I had to improvise a little.”

  She threw her arms wide, getting out of her chair while piercing Miori with her crimson eyes.

  “So now I am the jealous villain! No one may invade and plunder Earth but me! I even abducted a fair maiden to have my way with her!”

  “…what was that last part?” Miori raised an eyebrow, and she could feel the temperature in the room rise from Hifumi’s reddening face alone.

  “Nicola! That last part was just for us!”

  Miori looked back at the villainess, who smirked, visible only to Miori, while Hifumi squirmed in one of the armchairs behind her.

  She’s having fun with making her lover squirm.

  “Like someone we both know, hm?”

  Miori’s face heated up after that comment from her companion, and she cleared her throat.

  “Anyway! I’m here to invite you both to the wedding.”

  Nicola blinked and looked at Miori, rubbing her chin in contemplation.

  “A wedding? Hifumi told me that you couldn’t get married as two women in Japan when the topic came up…”

  “We’re going to get married in Capitolium. Seika, Ayame and me.”

  This brought a shadow to Nicola’s face, and she visibly withdrew into deep contemplation.

  “A wedding?! You three? Of course I’ll come!” Hifumi shouted, jumping to her feet and rushing to Miori, grabbing her hands and squeezing them.

  “It’ll be a strange wedding, right? Like, completely different to what we know here? I can’t wait to see it! And they allow multiple partners? And women marrying each other?”

  Miori sunk into her armchair, answering Hifumi’s excitement with an awkward smile. “That’s right. It will be very different from what we are used to in our world.”

  “I have to go, then!” Hifumi shouted and turned around to face Nicola. She kind of resembled a puppy wagging its tail while staring at its master that way.

  “You are free to go, Hifumi. I am not stopping you,” Nicola said quietly.

  “But I want you to come with me!” Hifumi pleaded, and the villainess turned her head away.

  “I have a… complicated history with Deogemma. The forgotten King who killed your… past self was one of them. A halfling, but still. For killing him, the Furies came for me.”

  “And Seika got rid of them for you,” Miori nodded, recounting the tale Seika shared some time in the past year. She opened her handbag and rummaged through it before she fished out a medallion with a lightning bolt on it, which she handed to Nicola.

  “That’s taken care of. Wear this to the wedding, and it will mark you as being under Jove’s protection. No one will attack you.”

  Nicola took the medallion, turning it in her hand with a skeptical look, then she let out a quiet laugh.

  “Look at me. Being offered protection by the very people I banished from my own city and held in contempt for a millennium. Not like any but the Furies ever showed up.”

  “So? What will it be?” Miori asked, leaning back again, while Nicola sighed, looking from the medallion in her hand to the young author who still made puppy eyes at her.

  “…I don’t really have a choice, do I? I will come. To accompany my beloved Hifumi, if nothing else.”

  August 2025

  ***

  Mana sighed as she left school, dodging the attempts of her classmates to touch her cat ears and tail, as well as their attempts at striking up a conversation with her. Even though some people were earnest, she was aware that most just wanted to ask about all her strange and striking features. And if she talked to people too long, she was afraid that they might sense something off with her or recognize her from the recent news broadcast. Luckily, when she reviewed the footage, she saw that her witch hat covered her face, but her blue hair poked out here and there from time to time. She hid her tail under her robes, already anticipating that there would be news footage recording everything about the city-wide attack. Still, some people went to the only blue-haired girl they knew and started grilling her.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Didn’t I see you in the news?”

  “You must have imagined it.”

  “Where were you during that attack?”

  “I was trapped in a bubble, like everyone else.”

  “Do you know the Celestial Sisters?!”

  “Of course! I have all their albums, and their manga.”

  She dodged any question, just like that, and slipped quietly out of school once the bell rang, but she could still feel eyes on her. Some girls went the same way, and she could hear them whisper. Her cat ears were twitching as she caught wind of the conversations they held, from greater distance than her human ears would ever be able to.

  “Is that going to happen to me, too?” one girl whispered, and Mana could surmise that it was another girl with strangely-colored hair, talking about her cat features.

  “Am I going to turn into an animal? She had trouble getting headphones before, didn’t she? I don’t want that…”

  Mana gritted her teeth and rummaged through her pocket to grab her new headphones, putting them on and closing her eyes as she turned on music, to drown out all of that noise of the outside world.

  She was distracted enough that she almost bumped into someone who appeared right in front of her. She blinked, and as she looked up, she was faced with Momo, who grinned and waved at the young witch.

  “Ya-hoo, Manyan!”

  “Ah, uh… Miss Momo…” Mana stammered as she pulled off her headphones, looking around nervously. A glance behind told her that her classmates started to whisper, and her ears turned to tell her exactly what they were talking about.

  “What’s with the gyaru?”

  “Did Kanno fall in with a bad crowd?”

  “She’s at the top of the class, though…”

  Mana clenched her jaw and looked back at Momo, lowering her voice.

  “Please, my classmates are getting weird ideas already-”

  Mana’s ears flattened against her head as Momo nonchalantly gave her a head pat.

  “Haha, no worries, Manyan, I’m just here to, like, invite ya to a wedding on behalf of our mutual friends.”

  “Please, if people keep seeing us together, then… wait, what did you say?”

  Mana looked at Momo with an incredulous look, and she responded with a grin, slipping Mana a little envelope. The gossiping whispers turned into quiet gasps, and even a little squeal while Mana looked at the envelope.

  “When? Where…?” she asked quietly, and Momo chuckled, patting her between her cat ears yet again.

  “This weekend. We’re invited to their home, if you catch my drift.”

  Miori let out a little sigh and rang her own home’s doorbell again. She could already imagine what would await her; after all, her mother only barely approved of her relationship with Seika and Ayame, believing that Miori could handle herself. And here she was, after receiving a thorough beating from Maria Hattori, which almost cost her everything.

  She looked at the door with rising anxiety. What would her mother’s reaction be like? Would she scold Miori? Would she maybe even shout at her? Would she give her a lecture? She deserved half of those, that much she already knew.

  Instead, as the door swung open, Miori found herself in a suffocatingly close embrace. Her mother didn’t say anything, she just held Miori tight like that for a long time, and it felt the smallest bit embarrassing after a while.

  “Mom…”

  “I thought I would collapse when Ayame brought us the news that you were injured…! Please… let me have this.”

  Miori remained still, just like her mother wanted, and after a short while, she put her own hands on her back, leaning against her shoulder.

  I guess I was a little bit too selfish with my worries.

  ***

  After her mother had her fill, the two entered the living room and the older woman prepared tea.

  “So… what happened to you, Miori? I was sure that you could take care of yourself, but only a few months later, and you get injured.”

  “I was actually fine, Mom,” Miori answered with a little sigh and looked into her lap.

  “It was Seika who got severely injured. And she still came to my rescue, half-dead as she was.”

  Her mother came back, putting down the cups of tea while she sat down, looking Miori in the eyes.

  “That’s how much she loves you, isn’t it? Is she alright now?”

  Miori nodded, and her mother couldn’t help but smile.

  “There you go. I had my doubts and got angry, too… but you were right. She is the right woman for you. Ayame, too. She immediately came and told me everything, despite us never having met before.”

  Her mother looked into her cup with a bitter smile.

  “And then this whole mess happened with the dream bubbles in the city… you both saved all of us, and the Celestial Sisters did the best they could beforehand. I did blame the damage that happens whenever Magical Girls clash with monsters on them, but I was blind. They aren’t at fault for what they are defending us against, even if some of them are a little… overeager.”

  Miori smiled and grabbed her cup of tea, taking a long sip from it, mustering the courage to say what she came here to say.

  “Mom…”

  “Yes, my dear?”

  “I’m getting married. To Seika and Ayame. Not here, since it’s not legal, but in the world where our Magical Girl partners are from. I would like you to join as a guest and lead me to the altar.”

  Age of Bronze, Year 322

  ***

  The wedding took place on one of the many floating islands surrounding Capitolium. Janus departed an hour earlier to fetch all of the trio’s guests, while Seika could observe how a large banquet table was brought in and set with all sorts of delicacies. There was a whole roast pig, doves, ducks, all sorts of herbal sauces, eggs of various birds, fish, and, of course, plenty of garum to season it.

  “Garum! Please have a good, long taste, Seika. It’s been too long.”

  Seika let out a little chuckle and put a hand on her heart, looking down at her still embedded companion.

  “Whatever you want. Anything you want, Minerva.”

  The past month was a reminder that she shouldn’t take her partner for granted. While her mind was occupied with her duties and the people who were after her life, she felt the absence of her dear friend painfully.

  “This is how you two shared a body until recently, isn’t it? This is all so new and weird to me,” Pallas commented, and Seika gently cupped the earring she had her fashioned into by Vulcan.

  “I do hope you get used to it quickly. Maybe Ayame can lend you her body some time?”

  “Oh, that would be… strange. You’re all lovers, aren’t you? Wouldn’t I feel… uhm…”

  Seika blinked and cleared her throat, rubbing the back of her neck.

  “I guess you would. Sorry in advance. I could… take you off and put you somewhere in the living room at night?”

  “Oh, don’t bother with that. If you don’t mind, I’ll just go and hibernate. Or just enjoy the show.”

  Seika raised a brow at that last comment and shook her head, before her attention went over the arriving guests. Mana was first, and she immediately shrunk several sizes as she was face-to-face with the Deogemma who owned this island. Apparently, it was Moneta, or Mnemosyne, the primordial name she liked to use to talk about herself.

  She had the appearance of a marble statue with golden veins. Said veins, her eyes and hair were shining in a bright golden light, making her appear entirely inhuman. She only had a short look at Mana before she scoffed and moved away from her, towards nine women who shared her marble-like skin but had wildly different glowing hair colors. The nine women stood on a stage and prepared instruments, mostly flutes and percussion, and Seika even recognized a lyre, before exchanging some words with Mnemosyne which Seika couldn’t hear.

  “Father probably told her that the young witch is off-limits, otherwise she’d get some ‘revenge’ right now,” Minerva commented, accompanied by a sigh from Pallas.

  “Uncle is a bit too soft-hearted with her. She’s cruel and a danger to those around her, but admittedly their children, the Muses, are a great gift to our city.”

  Seika nodded, then she watched another batch of guests arrive. This time it was her and Miori’s parents; they would be the only normal human guests; Ayame’s parents died when she was still very young, and she was raised by her grandmother, who passed away shortly after Ayame entered University.

  I’m sure they’d all be happy for Ayame.

  Seika looked at the sky and thought about what she knew about the ‘afterlife’ of their shared worlds. Souls of the departed separated from their bodies and were reborn either in the same world, or somewhere entirely different, just like Romy became Hifumi after a thousand years.

  And wherever they went, I hope they’re living a happy life.

  Seika let out a sigh and decided to go for a little walk through the garden. Many beautiful flowers sprouted here, spreading their relaxing scent in the air. Seika wistfully looked out towards the foggy mountain range and the large, temple-like structure housing the capital.

  I can’t believe it. After all the fear and pain, I’m finally getting married to them.

  Her contemplation only lasted for a short moment. Something hit her in the head; soft enough to not cause injury, but hard enough to smart quite a bit. She instinctively caught the projectile and looked around in annoyance, seeing a familiar figure standing behind the nearby bushes.

  Discordia, still showing the cracks all over her body from her recent beating, stared at Seika, visibly clenching her teeth.

  “A wedding gift,” she hissed, and Seika looked down. She held a golden apple and tried to toss it away immediately as she read the inscription ‘To the most beautiful.’

  Her body locked up. Or rather, someone took control of the arm holding the apple. Seika grimaced and her muscles strained as she could now feel the malignant magic radiating from the thing, and she knew that it did something to Minerva’s head, who still kept controlling Seika’s arm.

  “I want it!”

  The obsessive tone of Minerva’s voice sent shivers down Seika’s spine, and she frantically looked around. The banquet looked like it was about to start, and Jove sent both Juno and Venus away to do something; to look for her, she realized, as they walked closer while engaged in conversation.

  “Damn it! Come back to your senses, Minerva!”

  “It belongs to me! I won’t ever give it back!”

  Seika cursed quietly and forced herself to walk towards the edge of the island; to throw herself off if necessary. She knew what awaited otherwise: the Apple of Discord would spark an ugly feud between Minerva, Juno and Venus with devastating consequences for the mortals they ruled over. It wasn’t supposed to hold any strange powers, but just like Medusa’s and Arachne’s stories, this could have become warped over the course of centuries and through Fama’s rumormongering.

  Oddly enough, Discordia just stood there, leaning against a tree and watching, with beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

  “I close my eyes for a second and you’re about to throw yourself off an island! What’s going on here?!” Pallas spoke up, and Seika immediately seized the opportunity.

  Pallas! Don’t look at what I’m holding! This golden apple has a strange effect on Minerva, and I need to get rid of it, but she won’t let me! I need it gone before Juno and Venus see it, or all hell will break loose!

  She could feel Pallas’ palpable confusion, but her friend came through, nonetheless. In a flash, the color of Seika’s hair and eyes changed to an ocean blue color, and she got control back over her arm as Pallas merged with her in Minerva’s place, then Seika followed up by crushing the strange apple in her hand. It emitted a drawn-out hiss, almost like a scream as its magic flew away into the air and the pieces disintegrated. Discordia looked on with a pained look as Seika turned back into her crimson-haired fusion with Minerva.

  “Ah… ah?! What was I doing? I’m so sorry!”

  Seika took a deep breath and stood tall, looking Discordia in the eyes.

  “It’s too early for you to try that trick.”

  Discordia’s expression was strange. She showed a grimace, and her arms fell to her sides, and as she turned around to walk to the edge of the island and sit down, it appeared like she lost all her strength. Seika could even see her form crumbling.

  What’s happening to her?

  “She likely poured all of her remaining energy into it, given how powerful of a spell it was… and now she can’t sustain her physical form for much longer.” Pallas answered Seika’s question, who let out a little sigh.

  “A final gamble… she almost had me and would have caused chaos if that thing would have a similar effect on other Deogemma. But she failed, and now she is spent,” Minerva added.

  “There you are, Seika. Did something happen?” Juno spoke as she walked up to Seika’s side. She spotted Discordia and narrowed her eyes, but as she motioned to summon her spear to her side, Seika put a hand in front of her to stop her.

  “I’ll be with you all in a moment. Can I have a few minutes?”

  ***

  Seika sat down next to Discordia, who stared out at the cloud-covered mountain range below them. Her cracked skin looked like it was flaking off, revealing more of the green crystal underneath.

  “Why are you joining me, your enemy? Do you pity me?” she asked quietly, with her hand clutching the gemstone she carried with her closer to her breast.

  “I wanted to apologize,” Seika said, looking at the crumbling Deogemma next to her.

  “For what? You’re the victor. You are in the right,” was Discordia’s dispirited response.

  “For aiming at your daughter. That was dirty of me. Not very… heroic, or noble.”

  Discordia let out a little snort, but she nodded after.

  “You identified that I love her and would choose to fail my mission if it meant protecting her. You acted just the way you should in order to save yourself and your family.”

  “You seem oddly at peace with how things turned out,” Seika remarked, and Discordia nodded again.

  “I was never a true believer in Scotus’ grand plan, but… family always comes first, so I still gave my all to his machinations. And even so, he will continue his work, even without me.”

  Seika shook her head. “No. It was personal. She reminded me of Lethe and… I succumbed to my rage.”

  Discordia tilted her head, looking at Seika from the side.

  “Ah. I used the curse that haunted you to breathe life into my future child. Naturally you would hate her. But believe me when I say that she will be nothing like that cursed creature.”

  She let a few moments of silence pass before she closed her eyes.

  “Either way, I will sleep now. For a century, at least. For what it’s worth after everything: my congratulations on your wedding. And I hope you’ll have a happy family, as everyone deserves one.”

  Seika couldn’t answer, or even ask about this ‘grand plan’ Discordia mentioned, as the Deogemma simply crumbled into dust, leaving only a faintly glowing green gemstone behind, and a brilliant one right next to it. Mother and daughter.

  Seika scooped them up and walked back to Juno, carefully handing the crystals over to her. The goddess looked at the two gemstones with some pity and stowed them away.

  “These two won’t get in your way anymore. For as long as you live. You have my word,” she reassured Seika. “But, speaking of more joyous things instead: the preparations are done, and all your guests have arrived. Are you ready?”

  “I am ready,” she confirmed with a little smile. “I can’t wait to get married.”

  The wedding ceremony was familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Moneta’s nine daughters played music while servants served the guests portions of the prepared food. Seika, Ayame and Miori sat at the head of the table, with their friends and families split evenly on opposite sides. Everyone was engaged in lively discussion, and she could spot her mother sniffling quietly, dabbing away at her eyes with a tissue as the situation got her sentimental.

  The feast, as Seika was informed, was held at the very start of the wedding, before the vows, as those marked the beginning of the end of the wedding. Right after the vows, there was another ritual which Seika and Miori had to go through, since they were the carriers of Minerva and Bellona. She wasn’t informed of the details yet, though as Minerva mentioned it, she let out an ominous cackle in Seika’s mind.

  “You’ll see…”

  “Oh yes, you’ll see!” Pallas joined in, and Seika furrowed her brow at the somewhat sadistic glee in their voices.

  You’re having too much fun with this… you’re getting me all suspicious.

  After said ritual, Seika was informed that the wedding partners were to retreat to their bedroom, which sealed the marriage. There wasn’t traditionally a requirement to ‘do the deed’ afterwards, but so far no one has ever encountered young people in love who didn’t take advantage of it right away.

  She could see Sayaka at the far end of the table, reaching for the jug of wine to pour what appeared to be her third cup already while she chatted with Haruka and Fuuka. Miyu and Momo sat on either side of Mana, gently harassing the young girl’s cat ears, while said girl let those things happen to her with the occasional, half-hearted verbal protest. Seika’s parents were engaged in eager conversation with Miori’s parents, with Miori’s father having been fetched from his business trip in the States. He was a thin, balding man in his fifties, and for the occasion he wore one of his business suits. Just like Miori’s mother, one would be hard-pressed to see the resemblance, as both his eyes and remaining hair were a dark color. He still looked like the entire situation shocked him to his core, looking around with an expression like he couldn’t believe his eyes.

  Seika introduced herself to him earlier, as did Ayame, and he looked like he barely registered what was going on; the floating island, the giant temple-city on a mountain, and the literal Roman gods all around him were already overwhelming enough. Seika resolved to get properly acquainted with him at a later date, in a more familiar environment.

  The feast continued for the next few hours, and Sayaka was completely drunk by the end of it. Seika could hear her argue loudly with Fuuka.

  “I keep… tellin’ you… if you… hadn’t rushed ahead like that, I could’ve… hic… I could’ve defushed the shituashion… and YOU!” Sayaka pointed at Ayame.

  “You’re shuch a… recklesh fool… chargin’ the Empresh with an almosht empty hand mirror…”

  Seika gave Sayaka an awkward smile as she kept on rambling drunkenly, while she kept listening to other conversations.

  “I’d like to apologize on behalf of my people for the grief you were caused by one of our own. I hear he was my uncle, of sorts?” Jove had taken a seat next to Madame Bille, who looked a little uncomfortable before she steeled herself and acted like a proper diplomat.

  “As far as I know. A child of the sky, they called him. Most of his history is shrouded in mystery, but it was clear that his mother was a simple, beautiful peasant girl who caught the fancy of your ‘Caelus’, who then wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

  Jove nodded. “You cast such a powerful curse that no one remembers him but the Titans. Quite impressive. And I’d like to reiterate: I hold no grudge for that. In fact, had he survived to the day of my reign, he would now be imprisoned like the rest of his kin.”

  Madame Bille gave him a tired look, but then a little smile managed to creep up on it.

  “Everything worked out in the end,” she said, emphasizing her meaning by wrapping an arm around Hifumi’s shoulders. The girl herself wasn’t paying attention, so she just looked at her lover with a confused expression, while her mouth was filled with roasted duck.

  “It was not me who spoke this curse, but a powerful entity. But that’s not a topic for here.”

  “If you’d like, I can one day visit your domain and we can have a chat over a glass of wine.”

  Madame Bille hesitated for a moment, but then she nodded, and the feast continued for a while longer.

  As everyone was done eating, as far as she could tell, Jove rose out of his seat and grabbed his goblet of wine, clearing his throat.

  “Dear brides and guests! The time has come, and I bid you all to join me by the monopteron! Juno will then officiate the wedding and give the brides her blessing. This will conclude the public part of the wedding. You all may remain, to eat and drink and celebrate while the brides are off to go through the private rituals.”

  One by one everyone got out of their seats and followed Jove, with Seika, Miori and Ayame leading the little procession. They held hands as they did so, with all three of them being visibly nervous. This past month Seika felt like she had been floating through a dream, but today everything became palpably real to her. The ‘monopteron’ he led them to came into view. To Seika’s understanding it was a ‘gazebo’, though one made from stone pillars and a roof instead of the wooden ones she knew from her world. Juno awaited in the middle, standing in front of a brazier. Whether through magic or chemistry, the flame in front of her was a bright pink.

  The procession stopped in front of the monopteron, and the human guests looked on in awe as Juno gestured for Miori, Seika and Ayame to step inside.

  The soon-to-be newlyweds entered and Juno gave every one of them a little smile before she pointed her palm towards the flame and made it burn higher.

  “Today we have gathered to witness the union of these five souls in love. I, Juno Capitolina, queen of the Deogemma, guardian of marriage and childbirth, will officiate this wedding.”

  A little murmur went through a small part of the crowd – until they remembered that Seika and Miori were merged with two more people – thus, five souls.

  “Step forward, Seika Hitoishi,” Juno spoke, and Seika did. She took a step forward until she was right in front of Juno, who placed a hand on her forehead.

  “Will you swear that you’ll always strive for the happiness of your wives, your extended family, and, in the future, your children?”

  The part about children hit Seika by surprise. She sought eye contact with Juno, who only gave her an enigmatic smile.

  “…I swear!” she brought out.

  “And now I bid you to emerge, Minerva.”

  Seika nodded and closed her eyes, handing the reins over to Minerva. Her hair grew out, and her face shifted its shape until the goddess stood in front of her aunt.

  “Will you too swear that you will always strive for the happiness of your wives, your extended family, and, in the future, your children?”

  Minerva’s mouth bent upwards in a wide smile.

  “I swear. Now and always!”

  After that, the vows were repeated with the others as well.

  “I swear!” Miori declared with determination and exchanged a warm smile with Juno.

  “You have my word, mother. I swear,” Bellona announced.

  “I’ve never been so certain of anything like this before. I swear,” Ayame finished, and Juno nodded. She gestured for the flames of the brazier, and they rose all the way to the ceiling of the monopteron.

  “Then may your love burn as brightly as this flame! And may it never go out!”

  The guests applauded, and with that, the ceremony was done. Or was it?

  “And now for the ‘groom’ to go through her trial!” Juno announced. Seika blinked, looking at the goddess who made very uncomfortable eye contact.

  Eh?

  “That’s you, if you’re wondering.”

  A door appeared between two pillars of the monopteron, and Janus stepped through. He simply lifted Ayame off the ground into his arms and walked back through the door without saying a word. At the same time, Pegasus swooped down from the skies and Juno simply lifted Miori up to put her on his back.

  “The groom will infiltrate the homes of her brides and abduct them, so that the Lares don’t think they were willingly abandoned by their charges.”

  Pegasus flew off, and the sound of Miori’s surprised shout grew distant, all while Seika stood there in front of Juno, looking at her with an incredulous expression.

  Eh?!