When Yuri and Eleanor returned to the purgatory district, the duel city was already dyed in the shades of sunset. They could see duelists presumably returning from the dungeons around, bragging about the day’s harvests and telling tall tales of fighting off all manner of beasts.
“Really! Really, thank you, thank you!” Once again, Eleanor lowered her head. “Thanks to Yuri and Haring, Tenebre not have to angry!”
Before parting, Eleanor hugged him and ruffled up his hair. “Was fun, so fun want to go to dungeon again, the three of us! Next time, can take my comrades too!!” She smiled wide and left to return to her team.
Yuri saw her off before racing down the duel city streets that already felt so nostalgic to him. He reached the apartment where the other two were waiting and threw open the door.
“I’m back!”
He heard frantic footsteps from the depths of the room.
“Y-Yuri! You’re back early!”
“Yes, there was a slight change of plans... Wait, Fram, what are you doing?”
Though she was usually composed and subdued, Fram was in a rare fidgety panic.
“Big trouble! Because of you, Athena’s in a huge—”
“C-Calm down! What’s wrong with Athena?”
“She’s kinda about to drop dead, seriously!”
“Seriously, what happened!?”
Yuri raced after Fram into the living room—and there, he came upon a silver ball of fluff. A perfectly round hairball was enshrined smack dab in the middle of the room.
“...Umm, this is Athena, right?”
“Right... I thought it was a little strange yesterday when she started muttering, ‘Yuri isn’t here today... Yuri hasn’t come back...’ with empty eyes, but when I got back from work, she was in this state!”
“You probably should have been concerned yesterday!”
Stepping past a shook-up Fram, Yuri approached the silver furball. “Err... Athena?”
The shaggy sphere shook. “Yuri... Why do I hear Yuri’s voice...”
“That’s, well, because I’m speaking?”
“Waaah... I’m finally starting to hallucinate...!!”
“I’m not a delusion! Hey, how about you move your tail and see!?”
When he brushed aside her scraggly tail, he was met by Athena’s lifeless face. She slowly turned towards him, and the moment he was fully in her sight, the light returned to her eyes.
“Yaaaaaay! It’s Yuri, it’s Yuri!!”
“Whoah!? Wait, I haven’t unloaded my things yet!”
Fram let out a sigh loaded with ample fatigue. “...Is it just me, or is she gradually going from fox to dog...?”
Athena had already cast aside her deep rut, and she readily jumped at Yuri like her life depended on it.
“But why is Yuri here?”
“It’s a long story, but quite a few things happened, and I had to come back early...”
“Well, s’long as you’re back, who cares!”
“You recovered incredibly fast!”
“I can ask why you’re back later! There’s something more important now!”
Making a bit of distance from Yuri, Athena stuck out her finger. “Yuri, you smell funny...” she declared.
“Fram, I think I’m going to cry.”
Fram approached his neck, and took a good sniff. “If you need a chest to cry on, feel free to use mine. But...you definitely do smell a bit. And you’re pretty dirty.”
But this was as to be expected; Yuri had devoted all his time save for sleeping and eating to advancing in the dungeon. There were rivers along the way, but he only used them to replenish his water supply and never to wash.
“Athena, prepare the bath.”
“Roger!”
“Eh? But I need to deliver the herbs to Mr. Elias—”
“He’s running an eating establishment there. I’m sure you’ll make him angry if you go as you are now. Don’t forget, you returned before the assigned day, so there’s no problem if you take your time.”
With Fram pushing him on the back, he was ultimately shoved into the bathroom.
Once the bath was prepared...
“Aight, your Big Sis is going to make you squeaky clean!”
“Yes. Just leave it to her.”
“...Umm, why are the two of you still here?”
Seeing the two girls stick around as if this was where they were supposed to be, Yuri didn’t quite know what to say.
“You just got back from the dungeon, I need to look over your injuries. You seem like the type who would just ignore minor wounds, and I get the feeling you’d keep them hidden.”
“I just want to wash Yuri!”
“I kinda understand the reason, but...” Still in his undergarments, Yuri awkwardly curled up.
They had both changed into clothes they were fine with getting wet: Athena in the tank top and shorts she used as pajamas, and Fram in a light camisole.
Given how they essentially lived together, he had plenty of opportunities to see them like this, but when put up close, he was troubled as to where to rest his eyes.
“I-I really do think I should wash myself!”
“If you reject her here, Athena will become the furball freak again.”
“Is that supposed to be a threat...!?”
“Of course it is... Athena was feeling lonely, not being able to see you. Just let her do what she wants today,” Fram whispered, pointing at the girl behind them who was humming a merry tune as she readied a sponge with soap. Athena’s tail was wagging with such overwhelming fervor it looked as if it would snap in two.
“Are you so heartless, you’d make a fluffball of her after seeing her like that?”
“......Fine, I’ll let her wash me.”
“Good boy. I’m glad you’re so kind.”
He felt like he was being cheated as Fram patted him on the head.
Soon, Athena returned to rub a sudsy sponge against his back. “There we go... Are you okay, Yuri? Does it hurt?”
“Oh, no, you’re putting in just the right amount of force. It feels nice.”
“...You’ve gotten yourself quite injured again. Your right hand is in tatters.”
“Err... Yes, I’m sorry.”
As Athena stuck fast to him, washing his back, Fram crouched down beside him, prodding her small fingers at his wounds. How very unsettling.
“C-Come to think of it, all sorts of things happened in the dungeon!”
Yuri began telling a story to distract himself. About how he met a somewhat bizarre elf girl named Eleanor. About how Haring was surprisingly knowledgeable. How he learned about Dragonification, and thought up a possible new application for his Tribal Armament. How the three of them stood against the Orichalcum Rank Wallis together.
It had only been a few days, but once he started talking, he felt he could go on forever.
“Hey, Yuri...when you were in the dungeon...did you have fun?” Athena abruptly asked as he was delightedly talking away. She seemed somewhat different from normal, taking him momentarily by surprise, but—
“Yes! It was really fun!”
So much had happened the past few days, and it had all been a blast. Not only did he get to know Haring better, he made a new friend in Eleanor and learned the fun of fighting alongside other people. Sure, there was danger, and a somewhat unpleasant conclusion...but he had spent more than enough fulfilling time to compensate.
“I see. So he...did keep his promise.” Athena offered a soft smile.
“...Athena?”
“Mnnn, it’s nothing. Big Sis was just relieved,” she said, embracing Yuri’s head. After which...she violently rubbed his hair all around. “But. You. Know! I was really really lonely, you hear!”
“Wah, wai—!? Soap!? There’s soap in my eyes!”
“Ah, what are you doing, Athena... You got me covered in suds too.”
Thanks to Athena’s forceful scrubbing, Fram was caught in the aftermath and covered in a thick layer of soapy foam.
“If I get out to change, I’ll end up staining the room.”
“Righty-ho, then let’s just get in the bath like this!”
Right before Athena could slip off her tank top, Yuri frantically held her back. “Please wait! I’m still here, you know!”
“Huh? I don’t really mind,” said Athena.
“Then I’ll pretend not to care too,” Fram concurred.
“Why are you playing along with her crazy antics?”
“Because it’s fun to see how you react.”
Yuri reflexively closed his eyes as the two of them stripped off what little clothes they had on. And in the end, the three of them ended up in the bath together.
“Hwah... Nice and warm.”
“Yuri, how long are you going to keep your eyes shut?”
“Probably until the two of you are out...”
“Say what!? You hate being with Big Sis that much!?”
“Athena, you definitely can’t hug me right now!”