Not long after the completion of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica', Kamiyā Yuu personally paid a visit in accordance with the verbal agreement he had made with Uehara Etsuki not long ago.
His mood was somewhat uneasy.
It felt as though he had done something shameful and been discovered by an elder. Uehara Etsuki was probably one of the women who understood him best, so how would she view this farcical turn of events?
"This way, please."
Dressed in casual clothes, Busujima Murasaki led Kamiyā Yuu into a spacious yet simply furnished Japanese-style room.
Seated formally on a cushion in the center of the room was Uehara Etsuki, dressed in a solemn black kimono.
What immediately drew Kamiyā Yuu's attention were the two objects placed before her.
One was a metal basin mounted on a wooden stand and filled with clear water.
The other was an exquisitely crafted Japanese dagger resting on a tray and covered with a white cloth. The dagger was entirely white, and its sheath was tied with a dark purple ribbon.
Placed together, the two items gave the impression that some sort of ritual was about to be performed.
A golden basin for washing one's hands?
Ritual suicide?
Those two ideas immediately surfaced in Kamiyā Yuu's mind before he quickly discarded them. No matter how he looked at it, things could not possibly develop in either direction.
"Please sit down, Kamiyā-kun."
Uehara Etsuki sat gracefully and nodded to him, her expression as calm and composed as ever.
"Thank you."
Kamiyā Yuu responded and sat on the cushion directly opposite her.
Busujima Murasaki, who had followed him in, sat formally on the opposite side of the room and quietly waited for their conversation.
The solemn atmosphere in the room made Kamiyā Yuu reluctant to break the awkward silence.
After pondering for a long time, Uehara Etsuki looked at him with eyes that carried a sharpness and seriousness entirely unlike her usual demeanor.
"Kamiyā-kun, regarding Murasaki's matter, I would like to ask once more. Have you truly decided to accept Busujima Murasaki's request?"
The solemn question made Kamiyā Yuu's heart skip a beat.
"Uh... yes."
His answer came out somewhat stiffly.
"That's good."
Uehara Etsuki seemed to relax slightly and nodded toward the equally solemn Busujima Murasaki beside her.
Only then did she gently explain to the confused Kamiyā Yuu:
"Please don't worry. I have no authority to interfere in matters between you and Murasaki, nor could I possibly oppose them. The reason I invited you here today is simply to complete a traditional ceremony shared by the Uehara and Busujima families, serving as proof that Murasaki, my personal bodyguard, has been transferred to your service."
Beside her, Busujima Murasaki's expression remained calm and unchanged, as though she had long anticipated this outcome.
"I see. Although I don't know what kind of ceremony it is, if there's anything I need to do, please just tell me directly, Teacher."
Hearing Uehara Etsuki's explanation, Kamiyā Yuu felt greatly relieved.
He nodded seriously and watched her curiously, waiting for her next action.
Uehara Etsuki picked up the exquisite dagger from the tray with both hands.
After drawing it, the blade emitted a chilling gleam.
Looking at the dagger, she said nostalgically:
"Every officially recognized member of the Busujima family receives a dagger like this. These daggers represent the loyalty of that family member. If the master served by a Busujima family member wishes to transfer their attendant to another person, this dagger symbolizing loyalty is transferred along with them."
"This tradition has continued since Japan's age of warfare. Although I personally don't care for it, ceremonies like this help prevent various complications that might arise in the future."
As she spoke, she lightly drew the blade across the index finger of her right hand.
A bead of blood emerged.
She smeared the blood onto the blade before immersing it in the water, washing the blood away.
After completing this step, Uehara Etsuki held the dagger out toward Kamiyā Yuu with both hands and smiled.
"Now it's your turn, Kamiyā-kun. Using your little finger will be sufficient. As an animation director, you must take proper care of your hands."
"You used your index finger, Teacher, so it should be fine if I do the same."
Kamiyā Yuu smiled.
Taking the dagger, he hesitated briefly before drawing it across his own index finger.
After an initial sensation of coldness came the sharp sting of a blade cutting skin.
It wasn't especially painful.
Still, the act of deliberately cutting oneself with a knife was something most people would instinctively resist.
"Is that all?"
Kamiyā Yuu handed the blood-marked dagger back to Uehara Etsuki and asked.
Uehara Etsuki nodded.
Receiving the dagger with both hands, she walked over to Busujima Murasaki and smiled gently.
With a complicated expression, Busujima Murasaki accepted the dagger and completed the final step of the ceremony.
She pressed her lips lightly against the blade and removed the blood that belonged to Kamiyā Yuu.
Afterward, Uehara Etsuki once again washed the blade with clean water, wiped away the droplets with a white cloth, and returned the dagger to its sheath.
"From this day onward, this dagger belongs to Kamiyā-kun."
Holding the tray with both hands, Uehara Etsuki formally presented the dagger to him.
...
After the seemingly solemn ceremony ended, nothing unusual happened.
Uehara Etsuki first helped bandage the cut on Kamiyā Yuu's finger with an adhesive bandage.
Meanwhile, Busujima Murasaki gathered up the metal basin and other items before leaving the room.
The atmosphere inside fell into awkward silence.
At this moment, Kamiyā Yuu's thoughts were in complete disarray, and he did not know what to say.
After some consideration, he finally gritted his teeth and decided to test Uehara Etsuki's true thoughts regarding the matter.
Sitting opposite her, he asked uneasily in a quiet voice:
"Teacher... aren't you angry?"
"Why would I be angry?"
Uehara Etsuki shook her head lightly.
"Both you and Murasaki agreed to this willingly. Besides, Murasaki's future beside you will likely be much better than if she remained by my side forever."
Her calm demeanor revealed nothing of her true feelings.
Indeed, if Busujima Murasaki remained beside her, she would spend her entire life serving her.
Serving Kamiyā Yuu instead would at least make her life much richer.
And this was the only request Busujima Murasaki had ever made.
Kamiyā Yuu was momentarily speechless.
"Your reaction is even calmer than I expected. I thought, at the very least, you'd scold me severely."
Resting her hands upon her folded legs, Uehara Etsuki smiled.
"If you fail to treat Murasaki well, then perhaps something like that may happen in the future."
Kamiyā Yuu looked embarrassed.
He truly could not guarantee that he would "treat Murasaki well."
By ordinary standards, his current behavior would already be considered a failure as a romantic partner.
"Speaking of which, there is one matter regarding Murasaki that I need to confirm."
Uehara Etsuki frowned slightly.
"Kamiyā-kun, what does Sora think about this?"
What she least wanted to see was a change in the relationship between Kamiyā Yuu and Kamiyā Sora because of Murasaki's situation.
Kamiyā Yuu shook his head.
"She said she doesn't want to interfere in matters between Murasaki and me."
"I see."
Uehara Etsuki fell silent for a moment and did not press further.
That single sentence from Kamiyā Yuu had already explained a great deal.