There was no fanfare, no bright light, no swirling vortex. Just… warmth. And the scent of something fresh and clean.
Satoshi opened his eyes to the sight of a pale wooden ceiling. The air was crisp and cool, the room simple and clean—a bed beneath him, a window next to it with half closed curtains and a low table at the far end. His limbs felt strange, too light, too fluid. He sat up slowly, watching the sleeves of a hoodie fall over unfamiliar, slender wrists.
It wasn't his body, not even close. But it didn't feel unfamiliar, not really. He immediately noticed this wasn't a dream. Or if it was, it was doing a damn good job of pretending otherwise.
Then he saw the tablet, neatly placed beside him, on the bed. Sleek. Modern and out of place.
A small blinking message read: Welcome, Contractor. Press here to begin.
"Oh no," he muttered, the memory creeping in like condensation on glass. "I did the stupid catalog thing, didn't I?"
Curiosity, that was all it had been. Just curiosity. He had filled out the Waifu Catalog interface as a joke—trying to make something wholesome in a setting infamous for being the exact opposite. Worm. God, of all the worlds. He hadn't expected anything to actually happen.
He didn't even remember dying before being isekaed. And that was what usually happened, right?
Shaking his head, he pressed the prompt. The screen flicked to life, and text flowed like a list of sins.
Isshiki Satoshi. Tier 2. Talent Stack: Soul, Body Tune-Up, Athleticism...
Satoshi blinked. "I… really picked Isshiki Satoshi? From Shokugeki no Soma? I mean, sure, he's nice, but—"
Perks: Calming Up, No Bindings, Intact Weaknesses, Entrances: Random…
"Oh my God, I really went full hopepunk," he whispered, scrolling.
Then he found the part that made him pause:
Companions: EMIYA (T7). Ralts - Female (Pet).
He snorted ind disbelief. "EMIYA and… Ralts?"
A voice replied before he could process the absurdity. "Yes. It's me."
Satoshi flinched so hard he almost dropped the tablet. He twisted around on the bed and standing behind him was a small green and white Pokémon—Ralts—smiling shily but still cheerful, like this was just another lovely morning.
Beside her stood a tall, red-clad man with white hair and a glare sharp enough to cleave stone.
"…Oh," Satoshi said weakly.
"You picked me," EMIYA said, his voice clipped, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. "You used that system to pull me out of that place and drag me here."
The full realization clicked into place. EMIYA wasn't some light version. This was the real Counter Guardian. The one shackled to Alaya. The one who knew what the Company was.
"Crap," Satoshi breathed and EMIYA's gaze sharpened. The atmosphere thickened.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Satoshi scrambled up on his knees, palms out in panicked defense. "Just—just listen for a second! You're not bound to me. There's no binding perk! No contracts. No obedience clauses. Nothing like that!"
The white-haired Counter Guardian narrowed his eyes but didn't move. Still. Watching.
"I—I chose you because of Alaya," Satoshi said quickly, words spilling from his lips like rice from a cracked pot. "Because I knew what being a Counter Guardian meant. Because if there was even a tiny chance I could get you away from that… I wanted to try."
The silence stretched.
"And—and also, I'm not that into men," he added in a rush. "I mean, I'm bi, sure, but I didn't choose you because of—like, attraction or anything. I just thought—I don't know! You seemed like someone I could help!"
Another pause. Still no movement.
"I didn't even think it would work!" Satoshi waved the tablet with one hand like it would absolve him. "It was just a curiosity thing. I filled it out, played around with the options—tried to build something wholesome in Worm, which I now realize was probably the dumbest idea I've ever had, but I didn't think I'd actually get isekai'd!"
He inhaled sharply, starting to panic again.
"I'm sorry. I really am. If I can find a way to get you back to your own world, I will. I promise. I didn't mean to take you away from—"
EMIYA raised a hand and Satoshi stopped mid-babble, the words dying on his tongue.
The Servant let out a long, exasperated sigh. "I didn't kill you the moment I saw you because I already knew some of that." He glanced at Ralts, who was still humming peacefully beside him, completely unbothered. "Your aura helps. And… you really don't feel like a threat."
Satoshi deflated in relief until EMIYA gave him a sideways glance. "If you're not into men, though, why didn't you pick a woman?"
Satoshi groaned into his hands. "Because I'm still a mortal and very much a normal man, okay? I didn't think I'd end up in The Company for real. But I also didn't trust myself not to fall head over heels if I picked someone beautiful and emotionally vulnerable. I mean—"
He gestured vaguely.
"Temptation is real. I've turned down weed even when it was offered to me because I was scared of getting addicted. Even though it was legal. Even though it was probably fine. I just… I didn't want to find out how weak I was."
He looked up, a little pink in the face.
"I figured choosing a guy—especially you—would keep me focused."
EMIYA stared at him. Then closed his eyes and muttered, "And this is my master."
"…Sorry."
Ralts patted Satoshi's back in sympathy and offered him an egg.
.
EMIYA finally broke the silence with a dry, "So… what's your plan?"
Satoshi blinked at him. "Plan?"
"You dragged me across dimensions," EMIYA said, arms folded again. "You must have had some kind of strategy."
"I mean—I didn't expect any of this to actually happen," Satoshi said, flustered again. "I thought it was just a fancy roleplay setup. Like a creative writing prompt, you know? 'What would you do with the Waifu Catalog?' That kind of thing."
EMIYA raised a brow.
"But…" Satoshi added quickly, looking down at the tablet in his lap, "I think I checked a couple of missions. Some that weren't—uh—too insane."
EMIYA leaned slightly forward, interest sharpening. "The Company gave me a basic download of the world we're in, but nothing more. If you've got information, I'd like to hear it."
Satoshi hesitated, then nodded. "Right. Okay. So, we're in Worm. You might've heard about it—gritty, hopeless, everyone's traumatized. Think magical realism meets Kafka, with capes. Canon starts around 2011, and right now it's… 2007? So, about four years before hell kicks off."
He scrolled down the tablet as he talked. "And the big deal is, I did pick a few missions. Stuff I thought might help make the world a little less awful."
EMIYA raised an eyebrow. "What kind of missions?"
Satoshi's head shot up. "Not the lewd ones!" he said, maybe too quickly. "Seriously, some of them—just reading the names made me want to bleach my brain. I went straight for the safest-looking ones."
EMIYA gave him a look that screamed 'Uh-huh.'
"No, I swear! I went full hopepunk. I just—I wanted to help. I thought maybe I could use the setup to make a difference. You know… something good."
He tapped a section on the screen. The mission list appeared with a soft chime.
Satoshi frowned in concentration. "Let's see… I remember picking 'Pull it all the way into hopepunk.' That was a must. And then something about reforming Bonesaw… and help Amy Dallon? By raising her, maybe?"
EMIYA, now genuinely intrigued, came closer and leaned slightly to glance at the screen.
Satoshi kept scrolling. "Oh yeah, and 'Eliminate the Big Three Gangs.' That one seemed manageable if we do it smart. And I remember one about helping Endbringer survivors."
"You really did pick the tamest ones," EMIYA muttered.
Satoshi flushed. "Hey, I wasn't trying to turn this into a dating sim. I just… wanted to help."
Ralts clapped her little hands cheerfully beside him. Her red horn flashing brightly for a second, like a vote of support.
EMIYA stared at the screen, then at Satoshi. "You might be naive, but at least you're honest."
Satoshi offered a sheepish smile. "So… truce?"
EMIYA exhaled slowly, the tension in his shoulders finally easing just a little. "For now. Also, The Company gave me a basic information packet. Downloaded straight into my head."
Satoshi tilted his head. "Like… a briefing?"
"More like a crash course. Enough to survive. Just enough, though." He turned back toward Satoshi. "I know what capes are. I know the PRT exists, along with Endbringers, the whole 'space whale and magic golden man' situation, and that this world is headed straight for collapse."
Satoshi winced. "Yeah. That tracks."
"But nothing specific," EMIYA said, frowning. "No names, no timelines, no cities. It's obvious they wanted me dependent on you. Or at least… tethered."
Satoshi grimaced. "That's shady, but not surprising for The Company."
"And I've got a tattoo, too," EMIYA added flatly.
Satoshi blinked. "A what?"
"Tattoo. Branding, really."
His stomach sank. "Like… like command seals?"
He asked it with such hopeful dread, like a man teetering between panic and prayer.
But EMIYA shook his head. "No. Nothing that gives you control over me. There's no magical binding. No orders. But it's still a mark. I don't feel any compulsion… but it's clear who they think I belong to."
Satoshi cringed. "I'm so sorry."
EMIYA shrugged, but there was a razor edge to his tone. "You didn't choose to brand me. But they did. Whether you meant to or not."
There was a pause.
"…Where is it?" Satoshi asked, unable to help himself.
EMIYA arched an eyebrow. "You want to see it?"
"I—nope! Nope!" Satoshi shook his head rapidly, holding up his hands. "Just… professionally curious!"
"It's on my stomach." EMIYA gestured vaguely toward his navel, beneath the red coat. "Lower abdomen. Centered. Very deliberate."
"Yeah, that sounds like something they'd do," Satoshi muttered, then added under his breath, "Weird corporate creeps."
Trying to shift away from the rising tension, he cleared his throat. "So, uh… where are we?"
EMIYA didn't miss a beat. "Check the map on your tablet."
"Oh. Right." Satoshi glanced down again. The tablet's interface slid easily under his fingers, and a small GPS icon blinked in the corner. He tapped it.
A map unfurled, pixel by pixel. Small town. Midwest. Trees. Snow. Mountains not too far off.
The screen labeled it simply:
Location: Northern Nebraska — 23 miles from [REDACTED S9 ACTIVITY ZONE]
Satoshi stared. Then slowly looked up. "…We're near the Nine, aren't we?"
After a raised eyebrow from EMIYA, Satoshi tells him about the Nine. Emiya after reading what's on the tablet, shrugs before saying, "So, what's next, 'Master'?"
Ralts cheerfully clapped again with a soft hum.
"Please don't call me that. Though should we scout or something?"
EMIYA nodded, tightened one of his gloves and moved toward the door. "I'll check the perimeter. Get a sense of the land. If this is our home base for now, I want to know its blind spots."
"Got it," Satoshi nodded. "I'll dig into the news, see what I can find."
With a nod, EMIYA slipped out silently, the door sliding closed behind him.
Satoshi tapped the tablet again, Ralts nestling on his lap with a soft chirp. Her head tilted curiously as she peered at the screen, like she was reading what was on it.
"All right, let's see what kind of messed up timeline we're in," he muttered, fingers moving quickly.
He started with a name search: Bonesaw.
Not much. At least not yet. The usual PHO speculations and paranoid rants. No confirmed atrocities—not like the ones that would come in the next few years. But she had been spotted. Small mentions here and there: "the Slaughterhouse Nine's new recruit", "young girl with a white mask," "rumors of a tinkering prodigy."
"She's already with them…" Satoshi murmured. Ralts drooped a little as she leaned against him in quiet sympathy.
He kept scrolling, switching tabs to the PRT's public database, then to PHO, until—
Breaking News (Pinged 1 hour ago): "Civilians are advised to avoid the area near Lorton, Nebraska. Slaughterhouse Nine activity confirmed. PRT strike teams en route from Lincoln and Omaha. Due to distance and travel conditions, response time may be delayed. Remain indoors. Reinforcements are expected. Please remain calm."
Satoshi stared, his stomach flipping as he compared the map he had been given by The Company with the address given by PHO. "They're here. Right now."
The door opened, and EMIYA stepped inside, brushing snow from his shoulders.
"We're the only house in miles," he said, eyes flicking to the tablet. "Two small towns nearby. One's lit up, looks intact. The other… total blackout."
Satoshi looked up, eyes already wide with dread. "Is the blackout town to the west?"
EMIYA paused. "…Yes."
Ralts straightened, cheeks puffed up with righteous energy.
Satoshi stood, the tablet clutched in one hand, fire blooming behind his eyes. "Then we have to go. The Nine are there—and they're probably killing people right now."
Ralts cheered beside him, tiny fists pumping, but EMIYA didn't move. He watched Satoshi with a steady, unreadable gaze.
"You're not a fighter," he said flatly.
"... I know."
"You don't have a plan."
"I'll make one."
"You're not ready."
"I'm never going to be ready," Satoshi said, stepping toward the door. "But I'm still going."
"Do you have any fighting experience?" EMIYA's voice was flat, demanding.
"I…" Satoshi glanced down at his hands. Slim. Steady. Callused not from swords, but knives. "I'm a chef."
EMIYA crossed his arms. "Then how are you planning to help?"
The question hit him harder than it should have. He could feel the sting in his eyes before he could even think of answering. He blinked quickly, jaw tightening.
"I don't know," Satoshi whispered. "But I have to help. At least try."
"Why?"
The word hit like a hammer.
"W-Why?!" he echoed, voice cracking. "Because it's wrong not to! Right, Ralts?"
Ralts gave an emphatic nod, walking forward with clumsy steps to place a warm, small paw on his knee.
"Will you help me, Ralts?"
She nodded again, her fringe moving slightly, showing the fire in her gentle eyes.
Satoshi smiled at her, grateful. Then looked back to EMIYA, his expression faltering.
"…Will you help me, Emiya?"
His voice asked for help, but his posture—determined, trembling, but upright—said he was going either way of his answer.
EMIYA sighed. Deep and tired. "You don't know what's happening over there. You're going in without a plan. You're not a combatant. Have you thought about what would happen to us—to me, to Ralts—if you died?"
That stopped him. Satoshi's eyes dropped to the tablet on the bed. He didn't answer right away.
"I don't know," he admitted. "Or remember. But I'll be careful. Don't worry."
Another sigh. Slower this time. Resigned. EMIYA moved to the window, cracked it open, and cold air spilled in. Without a word, he knelt and motioned to his back.
"Climb on," he said. "Let's go then, Master."
Satoshi hesitated. "…You do know I'm not your master, right?"
He reached for the window, pulling himself up onto EMIYA's back. "You can call me Satoshi, if you want."
EMIYA didn't reply.
And then they were gone.
The wind howled in his ears, whipping through his hair, rushing past his face in a blur. The world below was snow and shadow, but they soared over it anyway—three small lights racing toward something far darker.
.
.
In my defense, this is the last fic I'll post as the other ones I've got saved are too... complicated or weird for me to even begin to edit without feeling like tearing my hair out.
Anyway, I first stumbled upon the Waifu Catalog a few years ago during my "CYOA template exploration phase." I was curious and, at first, I found it fascinating—the scope, the creativity, the sheer absurdity of what it allowed.
And then I read more.
The deeper I went, the more uncomfortable I became. It was indulgent to the extreme, with often objectifying and morally questionable setups—power fantasies that blurred (or ignored) the lines of consent and more. That's when the idea hit me (the one that birthed this story): What if someone kind—someone thoughtful, awkward, and emotionally available—filled it out? What if they did it out of curiosity or boredom, and then it became real?
What if the story wasn't about control… but care?
So I decided to flip the premise.
To take the bones of a system designed for wish-fulfillment and build something hopeful on top of it. Something about healing, found family, and a reluctant protagonist accidentally becoming everyone's emotional support human. Yes, there will be harem elements, it's the waifu Catalog, after all. But it's built on connection, not conquest.
I don't remember why I stopped writing it (probably embarrassment, because at the time a lot of 'Waifu Catalog' stories were popping out and they were.. uh, traumatic for my sensibilities. So I shelved it until I found it alongside the other Isekai fics I wrote.