(Also known as “the one where Yuuta and Rikka are in college and have both come to terms with the chuunibyou of their past, but still entertain the idea every now and then, because after all, it is still a big part of why they love one another”)

Chapter Text

“Rikka! I’m heading to the market. Are you coming with?”

“Yeah yeah, just give me a second!”

A minute passes.

“A minute isn’t a second! I will come up there if I need to!”

Quiet footsteps are heard at the top of the stairs, and down comes Rikka, wearing her eyepatch, a clear callback to their highschool days.

“Ah, one of those days, eh?”

“The Tyrant’s Eye has chosen to manifest itself today, for I believe the Agents of Light are plotting malevolent acts as we speak.”

Yuuta issues a heroic laugh. “Well then, fate would have it that the Tyrant Eye’s contract of lovers would awaken its other half! Behold, the Dark Flame Master!”

There is a moment of silence, before both of them begin laughing. An air of playful seriousness resumes.

“I welcome you to this ephemeral sphere, Dark Flame Master!”

“Come, Tyrant’s Eye! There are deathly works to be done!” Yuuta holds out his hand.

“Roger.” Rikka takes it. Even after all this time, the feeling is nothing short of wonderful. How blessed she is to have Yuuta.

By their powers combined, the nigh-impenetrable gate of the great flying castle is no match. The gate’s doors creak and hiss as they give way, cleft in two. Of course, all other people at the train station wonder why this clearly adult couple was pointing and yelling phrases at the train station as the train pulls up, only stopping once the door has opened.

Of course, Yuuta is fully aware, as is Rikka, but it isn’t of their concern. As they take their seats in the castle’s hall, Yuuta recalls the days where any mention of his imaginative past would send him into fits of embarrassment. What he had come to eventually realize after graduation, was that appearing weird to others produced a lot less potent judgment now that they were out of the socially-centric halls of their highschool. People were people. And, if it made Rikka happy, he would revert to his middle school behavior, even if only for fun.

He had been there for her when Rikka claimed to have begun losing her powers again. This time, he had found it in him to craft an explanation.

“The older you get, the more powerful you become, even so much that your mere mortal vessel cannot handle the constant energy of a full presence. That is why, it will go dormant of occasion, and to keep it from coming out too often, you will grow embarrassed of your power. That’s why I’ve behaved the way I have for so long. The Dark Flame Master became too powerful for his own good, so he hid deep inside me. With you around, I have learned better control of the power and now, it seems, it is your turn to begin growing, and I’ll be here to help you control it.”

Of course, this illusion carried Rikka through the final days of her fullblown chuunibyou in their junior year, when she found her balance and became not too unlike Yuuta. Of course, from there, chuunibyou evolved into a personal language between them, and embarrassment eventually faded away.

And now, they were here: attending the same college, screaming at trains, and still enjoying each other’s presence. After all, the one thing that hadn’t fallen into a schedule of dormancy was their contract of lovers.

The castle flew them to the Festival of Life, where the finest in herbs and potion-worthy fruits were purchased. And, on the way back, they even managed to banish an Agent of Light! After the epic battle, the Agent complimeted their methods of attack, after which Rikka waved goodbye, saying, “See you in Psych 101 tomorrow, Fujitaka, oh miserable vanished Agent!”

Yuuta can’t help but smile. Never in highschool would someone have played along like Fujitaka did. Surely he is a testament to the open-mindedness of the college campus, and perhaps he had lived through such a phase as well.

Of course, Rikka follows him back to his apartment. The ingredients are set down on the counter, and they find themselves together on the couch, where Rikka has begun the remove the eyepatch and contact, saying “My being aches from such a long exposure to the Tyrant Eye’s Power. It grows dormant once more, now that our mission has reached an end.”

Yuuta scooches in closer. “You have reminded me of my own fatigue, for which I am grateful. Dark Flame Master, rest within until your time comes again!”

They sit nestled together for a brief moment before Yuuta smiles and speaks up again. “Living with such power is tiring, isn’t it?”

“Exhausting.” Rikka replied, before giggling and resting her head on his shoulder.

Yuuta lets out a satisfied sigh and leans into her. They were still as magical as ever.