My youth story, a crossover anime, turns out, is FGO!

While Eriri's family was enjoying a happy time, Kasumigaoka Utaha and her brother looked at each other somewhat awkwardly.

"Come in, Mom and Dad are away on a business trip."

Kasumigaoka Utaha opened the door to her house and spoke to her other self.

"I'm back." Kasumigaoka Utaha said this habitually, but no one responded.

The empty house was deserted, dark and devoid of any human presence.

“Welcome back,” Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly interjected.

"...What are you saying? This is my home." Kasumigaoka Utaha had mixed feelings. Actually, she was used to living alone at home without her parents. It was precisely because she was always the one who was left behind that the girl in the novel went to such lengths to hope that someone would choose her.

"It's nothing, just something that came to mind." Kasumigaoka Utaha naturally took out slippers from the shoe cabinet, slipped her slender feet in, and took a few steps inside.

After all, it's her own home, so "Kasumigaoka Utaha" is quite familiar with it.

Kasumigaoka Utaha took a few steps inside, then turned back: "After all, I'm much luckier than you, so naturally I won't mind having a little more sympathy for you, my other self."

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked displeased: "I don't need anyone's sympathy. Do you think I'm that idiot Sawamura?"

"And she even said she's much luckier than me... It's not a peaceful place over there, having extraordinary beings isn't necessarily a good thing." Kasumigaoka Utaha was always a bit more thoughtful; seeing the brilliance of extraordinary beings, she naturally guessed the dangers that lay beneath.

"This is pretty good."

Kasumigaoka Utaha sat on the sofa, her legs crossed, as naturally as if she were the owner of the house: "But, there is always someone at home waiting for me, saying 'Welcome back' to me, and that is lucky enough."

Kasumigaoka Utaha paused, then walked over and sat down opposite her other self: "Indeed, it's a lucky thing."

"Are you so sure you can find happiness?" Kasumigaoka Utaha gazed at her other self. If you looked closely, you could still find some differences in this face that belonged to the same person.

Kasumigaoka Utaha is a bit more aloof, while her counterpart in another world has smile lines around her lips and eyes, and seems to be laughing heartily all the time.

"The other party is the legendary Charlemagne. Even though he has appeared in the world as a legendary paladin, his essence as a king still exists."

"Just like Sawamura, who is envied, there must be many people interested in Charlemagne, whether it's love or desire. Can you keep winning?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't help but say a little more. She and Eriri were completely different beings. Eriri only had a temper and no scheming. Or rather, if she had even a little bit of frankness, she wouldn't have suffered such a crushing defeat.

Kasumigaoka Utaha, on the other hand, is more accustomed to doing things indirectly. Whether it's setting traps or devising schemes, in some ways she isn't very frank. Even when she confesses her feelings, she expresses them in a very tactful way.

However, unlike Eriri's tsundere, Kasumigaoka Utaha's tsundere is partly due to her personality and partly due to her lack of self-confidence.

Therefore, there may be temptations and invitations, but one cannot directly rush out to express one's feelings.

She always hoped to confess when the odds were high enough... but that time never came.

It's hard to imagine that Kasumigaoka Utaha, the school beauty of Toyonosaki Academy, the talented girl who has been ranked first in the academy for many years, and the author who has published best-selling novels, is actually a little insecure.

However, Kasumigaoka Utaha can understand, after all, that is another version of herself, and she has experienced all of her troubles and sadness.

"Why would you ask that?" Kasumigaoka Utaha stretched out her arms and draped them over the back of the sofa chair. She tilted her head slightly, revealing her long neck and the full curve of her breasts below.

She was indeed a beauty, though not as slender and fair as Eriri, but possessing a different kind of sensual and alluring beauty.

"As a daughter, you have always been a very reassuring child. You were first in your grade, never caused trouble, and never rebelled against your parents."

"As a woman, you are the top student in your grade, a beautiful girl who could be named the school beauty, and an author who can write best-selling novels."

Why do you feel you can't win?

It's as if she's asking another Kasumigaoka Utaha, or perhaps asking herself, but "Kasumigaoka Utaha" can truly feel the gap between the two.

At least I would never ask such a question.

"I..." The black-haired, crimson-eyed girl trembled slightly, then a nameless anger flared up within her. "I'm the one asking you! Besides, perhaps I am excellent enough, but there are many excellent people in the world. Aren't you worried?"

"Don't you know what kind of people we are at our core?"

Just like Sayuka, who is clearly the female lead but has to go to great lengths to win the male lead's love, in the end, that novel is Kasumigaoka Utaha's own fictional love story.

She was able to completely immerse herself in the character of Sayuka in order to write words that deceived the readers.

That's why she was so moved when she was with Aki Tomoya. Because Aki Tomoya liked the story and Sayuka, she had the illusion that Aki Tomoya must like her.

Aki Tomoya should have been involved in this story.

However, it turned out that she was just putting on a one-woman show.

"I know."

The black-haired girl in front of her, with a face exactly like hers, answered in this way.

"Of course I know what kind of person I am. I have a dark personality, I am clingy and annoying. I have always been this kind of lonely character."

Kasumigaoka Utaha felt a lump in her throat and her vision blurred.

“But none of that matters.” Kasumigaoka Utaha laughed, a laugh that was one of unparalleled confidence and arrogance, unlike any other laugh that belonged to Kasumigaoka Utaha.

"I told you, I'm very lucky."

Kasumigaoka Utaha raised her right hand, where three bright red Command Seals intertwined to form a beautiful pattern.

"Perhaps there are people who are gentler, cuter, or more likable than me, but so what?"

"When I was lucky enough to summon Charlemagne, I had already obtained everything."

"I will win."

Another version of herself, similar to her, answered her with utmost sincerity and confidence.

"I will definitely win."

A lingering atmosphere hung in the air, and after a long while, Kasumigaoka Utaha finally heard her own puzzled voice.

"Why?"

She was confused.

Kasumigaoka Utaha chuckled, lowering her eyes. Her thick, long eyelashes fluttered like a small fan, revealing her alluring charm.

“You don’t understand Charlemagne. He was a true knight, a true hero. Perhaps he was also a king, but the essence of a king is pride.”

Kasumigaoka Utaha cupped her face in her hands, her eyes sparkling: "He is different from people in modern times."

He promised me—

"We will only be separated by death, and he will protect me until the very last moment."

"Love may fade, affection may grow weaker, but for heroes, promises are eternal."

Charlemagne was not Karl the Great. Rather than a historical figure, he was closer to the legendary hero. Therefore, like those heroes, he would have fulfilled his promise with his life.

It would be so uncool to break a promise. I imagine he would answer with a smile like that.

There are indeed girls in this world who are more beautiful, smarter, and cuter than Kasumigaoka Utaha, but so what?

Charlemagne, as a king, as a hero, as a paladin, must have encountered truly stunning beauties, but none of them were Kasumigaoka Utaha, none of them were his Master, none of them were the ones who summoned him and made promises to him.

That's why Kasumigaoka Utaha is so confident.

It's like, as a game, there's only one path, and it's already locked. If you can still lose like that... you're not even as good as Eriri!

“Charlemagne will always be by my side and won’t choose anyone else. If even that can’t make him fall in love with me… don’t you even have that much confidence?”

Kasumigaoka Utaha smiled, her bright red eyes gazing at another version of herself.

Kasumigaoka Utaha lost all expression. She stared blankly at herself opposite her, wondering what the surging emotions in her chest were.

"You really are... very lucky."

"Dong dong!"

Just then, a knock came from the entrance, followed by Machida Sonoko's voice: "Shizuka, are you there?"

Why did Machida Sonoko come here?

The two Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at each other, momentarily flustered.

Kasumigaoka Utaha gave a wink and went straight into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was left to wipe her eyes, tidy herself up, and go to open the door.

"Didn't I say I had something to do today?"

After all, given the incident involving her own counterpart, Kasumigaoka Utaha had already told Machida Sonoko a day in advance that she had something to do and shouldn't come to her with work-related matters today.

Furthermore, Kasumigaoka Utaha's first novel, "Love Metronome," has been published and promoted for a long time, and her second work is Aki Tomoya's game. During this period, she has basically had no work to speak of.

The black-haired girl's cold expression was indeed somewhat intimidating. However, Machida Sonoko, as her editor, already knew Kasumigaoka Utaha's personality well. She looked like a cold beauty, but she was actually a tsundere.

So Machida Sonoko walked in quite naturally, saying as she left the shoe cabinet, "I was a little worried because I contacted you earlier but you didn't reply. I just happened to be passing by and saw the lights were on, so I came to check."

She placed the late-night snack she was carrying in one hand on top of the shoe cabinet: "I just bought some late-night snacks, so we can eat them together."

"Contact me?" Kasumigaoka Utaha glanced at her phone and realized she had accidentally put it on silent. In her emotional state, she hadn't paid attention to any messages. "Oh, I put it on silent."

"Huh? We have guests?" Machida Sonoko looked at the empty space in the shoe cabinet with some surprise, since she usually used those slippers.

"Ah, no!" Kasumigaoka Utaha retorted reflexively, then saw the shoe cabinet and realized something was wrong. She was momentarily annoyed. "Why did you come in so casually? I didn't invite you!"

An ordinary person would have been scared away by Kasumigaoka Utaha's sharp words, but Machida Sonoko looked at Kasumigaoka Utaha with a wicked smile: "What, is there a guest you don't want me to see?"

"Could it be Taki-kun?"

Machida Sonoko guessed, after all, she knew very well about the relationship between Kasumigaoka Utaha and Aki Tomoya. At this moment, her eyes gleamed with admiration: "They've already come to visit? Utaha, you're quick on your feet."

"No way!" Kasumigaoka Utaha retorted angrily. "I have nothing to do with him, why would I drag him into this!"

This is probably what they call taking one's anger out on someone else.

Thinking of her peaceful and happy counterpart, and then thinking of Aki Tomoya, that stubborn rock who wouldn't listen to reason, Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't help but get angry. For a moment, even her feelings for Aki Tomoya faded.

Can Aki Tomo really reach Charlemagne's level? To uphold his promises forever? Ha!

Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri are the same type, both loners with no friends. Machida Sonoko is the person who understands her best, so she can naturally sense that Kasumigaoka Utaha is telling the truth.

"If it's not Taki-kun, then who is it?" Machida Sonoko noticed a blind spot. "If he's wearing women's slippers, he must be a girl. Is he a friend? Or a member of the company?"

Facing Machida Sonoko, who had been taking care of her, Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't just throw a tantrum. She said ambiguously, "I guess so. What are you still doing here?"

By this time, Machida Sonoko had already changed into other slippers and complained, "I brought you a midnight snack, is it really necessary to be so heartless?"

"Who on earth is trying to keep this from me?" Machida Sonoko wondered, a little worried. "Shizuka, don't let the outsiders fool you."

If someone were a decent person, they wouldn't need to avoid her, the editor.

After all, Kasumigaoka Utaha's only close friend is Machida Sonoko.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was a little frantic. How could she be fooled? The key point was that her other self was still in the bedroom. Although it wasn't that she didn't trust Machida Sonoko, Machida Sonoko was indeed a layer away from Eriri's parents, who were her closest relatives.

“Shinobu,” Machida Sonoko suddenly grabbed Kasumigaoka Utaha’s hand, her face full of worry, “You have to talk to me about anything. If you have any difficulties, I will definitely help you. Please don’t try to carry everything on your own.”

Kasumigaoka Utaha was taken aback. Looking into Machida Sonoko's sincere eyes, she suddenly found herself unable to refuse her concern.

After all, Machida Sonoko was like an older sister and a friend to her, and she took good care of her; their relationship was definitely not limited to work.

"Actually..." Kasumigaoka Utaha was about to tell him everything.

"Bang-"

The bedroom door was suddenly opened, and Kasumigaoka Utaha rushed out, her face showing a mixture of surprise and anxiety.

“Shi, she, she…” Machida Sonoko stared in disbelief, her beautiful eyes constantly shifting between the two Kasumigaoka Utaha.

"Why did you come out?" Kasumigaoka Utaha hadn't told Machida Sonoko yet.

Kasumigaoka Utaha had no time to worry about keeping secrets. She covered the back of her right hand, her face beaming with undisguised surprise.

"Charlemagne has come to see me!"

The contract is moving!