Helgi dusted off the sand on his shoes, entering a small store, located in a small town, in a small oasis right at the edge of the desert.

Resting on his back was Hikaru’s sword, wrapped tightly in bandages so as to sheathe it.

“Hey there, what i can help you with traveller?” The shop owner glanced up. “We got everything from groceries to small magically enhanced items for home use, what will it be, traveller, what will it be?”

“...A bit of everything i suppose.” Helgi began selectively picking through the items on display.

“Wonderful”

The shop owner, who was clad in several layers of clothing, so much so that one could not see his skin, jumped in delight.

“Is there a blacksmith or similar in this town?”

“Yes yes, just down the street! You can’t miss it!”

The shop owner pointed in a direction leading away from the shop.

Quickly paying for his things, Helgi headed down the street and entered a stone house filled with the clanking of metal on metal.

“Excuse me. I need something custom made”

He spoke up to catch the attention of whoever was there.

“Why yes of course. Come in come in, what can i help you with?”

A man wrapped in layers of clothes that perfectly hid his skin, showed up in front of him.

“...Didn’t i just see you over there”

“Who me? No no, i’m bob.”

The blacksmith denied.

“Then that shopkeeper..?”

“That’s just bob, the shopkeeper! I’m bob, the blacksmith.”

The strangely clad man answered as if it were obvious.

“Now what was it you wanted custom made?”

“..right” Helgi tried his best to ignore the strangeness of the situation and continued with his business.

“I need a weapon. A normal sword is too heavy to be practical. And too large to keep hidden. What i need..is something special.”

Helgi began explaining to the blacksmith Bob, who looked exactly like the shopkeeper Bob.

--

“Alright well we finally found a city.”

Yuri sighed.

She and Mako were securing their now landed airship. Binding it with rope and turning off the lantern.

“We can find a new map here and then be on our way, after we do a bit of shopping of course! Your clothes are so worn out now..”

Mako tilted her smile.

“We don’t have time for that, who cares what i wear, let’s get the map and go”

“Nope~ i’m the only one who knows how to get there so you have to listen to me or i won’t show you the way~”

Mako’s smile gleamed.

“...Fine, but be quick.”

“Oh you’re coming with me.”

They end up visiting a fairly expensive looking shop in the area. Despite this city being completely surrounded by lush green forests, causing the houses to be made from the cheap wood. The store they visited was built of white stone, which was uncommon in this sort of area.

It was a store only for the wealthiest.

Entering the store, Yuri noted it’s name sounded familiar.

“The red lace...branch store..hm..why does that sound like i’ve heard it before somewhere..”

“Come on Yuriii~ Look at all the clothes they have here!”

Dragged in by Mako, Yuri didn’t have a chance to finish her thoughts before she was thrust into a changing room with an ever increasing number of clothes she ‘just had to’ try on.

“...all of these look awfully feminine. I wonder..when i was still a guy i don’t think i cared that much about what women wore..”

Sitting down in the changing room, she picked up a skirt and casually looked at it.

“I wonder..would Hikaru like it if i wore something like this..”

You look really good in that, Yuri. I am unable to look away from you. Your sight alone entices me.

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She imagined Hikaru saying with a light blush on his cheeks.

Holding her palms against her cheeks, Yuri tried to calm herself.

While you look good in that. I imagine you would also look good while i take it off you.

Hikaru said in her imagination, getting awfully close to her with a slightly smug yet somehow adorable smile on his lips.

“N-nu! I have to c-calm myself! What are these thoughts..what am i thinking!? What’s wrong with me!?”

She stood up, stuttering and squishing her own cheeks together.

“Hey quiet in there girl!”

Someone from the changing room next to her called out.

“..i’ll..i’ll reserve these kind of thoughts for..um..later. After i meet Hikaru..and save him..”

Slowly massaging her red face, she managed to relax.

“....”

Glancing back at the skirt and matching top, and remembering her curiosity of whether Hikaru would like them, she felt a slight curiosity.

Yuri slowly pulled them close to her and put them on.

A very short flower patterned dark skirt, along with a yellow sleeveless shirt, that had a small heart on the front of it.

Her lips pushed against each other in an attempt to decide.

“...i’ve worn similar clothes before..but..this will be the first i choose to willingly…”

She remembered the Hikaru in her imagination.

“But d-demeaning myself a little in an attempt to l-look good isn’t too bad right? I-it’s not for myself..it’s for...um anyway. I’ll take these.”

She decided.

Preparing to leave the changing room, she overheard the lady who told her to quiet down from earlier.

She was speaking very loudly with someone nearby.

“I’m so glad they finally captured that monster. It was so terrifying knowing it was out there!”

“Monster..?” Yuri looked into the changing room next to her through a conveniently placed hole in the wall.

“Like i know right! Apparently that creature stole almost every single relic around the world! Probably planning to do something awful with them.”

“Right? Who knows what these fallen gods think. If it was ugly enough to be banished from being around the other gods, it probably looks worse than a pigs butt!”

“Haha! Probably! But still who knows.I’ve heard rumours...that it actually looks like a man, and that it had a girl with it. Probably tricked it into helping him.”

(They’re talking about me and Hikaru!)

“Thank goodness they caught that thing and will execute it soon. Wouldn’t want something like that loose. It probably would go straight for us, and try and do unspeakable things to us!”

One of the women said with worry.

“Right! It’s hard enough to be safe with all these men ogling you. But a monster like that might even eat you whole after tainting you with it’s evil, if you know what i mean!”

Yuri felt a nerve twitch on her forehead.

“I mean i wouldn’t blame the monster for wanting to. We are after all, like so hot. But still, it’s like so ew.”

Another nerve twitched on Yuri’s forehead.

Looking around her changing room. She found some clothes the previous person here tried on.

They looked like mountain climbing clothes. With protectors for the knees and elbows.

Putting on the joint protectors, which luckily didn’t mess with her new skirt and shirt.

She kneed the wall with her now protected knee.

The wall being made of cheap paper material, meant to divert eyes, not force. Meant it went down like there was nothing there.

Revealing the figure of the two women inside. Slightly overweight, yet overly fashionable women.

“Hikaru wouldn’t ever go for ugly hags like you!”

She didn’t have her dagger anymore. So she couldn’t use any fancy magic. She could however, still use the basic skills she had from the previous world.

Which she used to elbow both the women in the face, knocking them unconcious.

“...Only me.”

Blushing slightly. Yuri rubbed her cheek and walked out.

“Oh Yuri sweetie! You look wonderful! Just lose the joint protectors..and you’d be cuter than any young girl your age!”

Mako praised her, her eyes shining.

“Now we only need to fix your hair and add some makeup and you’ll be perfect!”

“Nope! We got clothes like you wanted. So let’s go. We need to save Hikaru.”

“Oh right before that.”

Yuri walked back and slapped the face of one of the women around a bit until she woke up.

“That ‘monster’ you spoke of. Where did you say they were going to execute it?”

“...ow...what the hell..what’s going on...ow..uh..in the next town over..you know..in the church of Frigga…”

“Much obliged~”

She let the woman fall back into unconsciousness.

“Let’s go Mako. No time to lose.”

“Hang on Yuri. I didn’t know we were this close to it already. Uh..that must mean..”

Mako hesitated, twiddling her fingers together.

“That  this city is also under the protection of the church of Frigga…”

Mako spoke in an ever lowering voice.

“And what i just did.”

Yuri glanced back at the two unconscious women.

“Will have caught the attention of the local guards.”

“...Who are guards of the church of Frigga. Who will now let them know that we’re here.”

Mako finished the sentence.

Yuri glanced around the gathering crowd of people. Two guards arriving in pursuit, trying to calm the crowd while advancing closer to them.

They ended up being recognised immediately.

“Hey wait a second..aren’t you one of those wanted people..the brainwashed followers of the caught fallen god!”

One of the guards exclaimed in astonishment.

The crowd gasped with visible and audible horror.

The other guard squinted his eyes.

“And you..aren’t you that archbishop who went there to catch the fallen god? The archbishop of Freiya..!”

This time the crowd was noticeable quiet, mostly in confusion over who that was.

“Aw come on! Does no one know me..! And i’m the most fashionable of the archbishops too..”

Mako sighed.

“...Crap..Mako play along.”

Yuri whispered.

“Oh no. You’ve caught me again, powerful archbishop, i curse you! When i had almost managed to escape too!”

Yuri spit on the ground with a hateful face, Surprising Mako who stepped back in shock.

“PLAY ALONG!!”

Yuri mouthed angrily.

Tilting her head, It took her a few seconds to realise what was going on.

“Oh!”

She hit her fist against her palm in realisation.

“Nya-ha-ha. I have caught you. The evil-doer. And will now take you away. So you can do good things. To repay the bad things. That you did. Yes!”

Declaring in monotone,with stiff movements. Mako placed her hand on Yuri’s shoulder making a show of catching her.

Both the guards and the crowd paused. Their eyes blinking blankly.

“...is that so..?”

One of the guards asked.

Shrugging, the other guard, gave Mako one of his ropes to bind Yuri’s arms.

“Of course. I need this. To bind. The evildoer.”

“Now just pretend to wrap it around my arms and..”Yuri whispered “OWOWOW!”

She cried out when Mako wrapped the rope around her arms with full strength tightening her arms.

“We can lead you to the church then, miss Archbishop?”

One of the guards suggested.

“Why yes. How helpful of you. Dear citizen.”

“Mako what are you doing..!”

Yuri whispered again.

Looking closely. She saw that Mako’s eyes were blank, and she had cold sweat all over her body.

(Ah. She’s so bad at acting that she snapped. I’m so screwed.)

“Follow me Miss, and we can have this criminal locked up in church just in time to witness the trial of the fallen god she follows.”

The guard said.

(While this situation might be bad..it does grant us immediate access to the church..luckyyy)