On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Three Hundred And Twenty / Side One Hundred And Twelve – Oshiro Sapphire Aiko

“Well, that’s quite a story.” Hayato-san said, hands under his chin, giving Shiro and I an ominous look. Beside him, Hina-chan looked down, seemingly content to pick at her dessert, though I knew she was listening intently. Aimi-chan still looked upset, casting glances at Shiro’s face and arm, but Shugo-san and Yasu-san were both contemplative, though Yasu-san had a sloppy grin on his face. “I even understand why you didn’t tell us anything.” At that Shiro looked relieved, but I knew it was too early to relax, and moments later I was proved right.

“But…” Hayato-san continued. “I think I speak for all of us, when I say considering that you’ve involved other people…” he glanced over at the group of girls. “… the fact you didn’t come to us in such a situation hurts. I get that you were doing it with the best of intentions, but… even so, we’re your friends. Do you really think we’d abandon you, even in such an impossible situation?”

“No, I didn’t think that. Of course not.” Shiro sighed. “But this isn’t fun and games. Look at me. Sure, it’s my own fault for trusting unwisely and then having bad luck. But imagine it was Aimi or Hina who paid the price for a mistake of mine. And don’t say it couldn’t happen. We know it can, all too suddenly, right Aki?”

I nodded, remembering Mine-san dying in my arms, and the dead shrine maidens and apprentice priests. Even Yamato-san. “Yes, originally I wasn’t going to tell anyone.”

“Not-not even his dear sister, or Eri.” Shaeula agreed. She was pretty drunk, having emptied several bottles of wine, though I knew she could sober up instantly if she wished with her stats and Ether Healing. She let out a wicked laugh. “It is not-not in Akio’s nature to pass off a burden he can carry to someone else. Though he is slowly learning. We put much-much effort in, do we not-not?” she eyed my other girls around the table.

“Well, I’m not an idiot.” I protested. “I can learn. Even so, there’s such a thing as being too willing to accommodate others. That’s dangerous too.” I glanced over at Eri, who was talking to my sis and Kana. “I let Eri talk me into letting her help, and she ended up in a wheelchair. She should be dead.” I saw the looks of annoyance on the faces of my fiancées and raised a hand to forestall them. “Look, I get it. I do. I’m reflecting, but I’m not letting it stop me from doing what I must. But see, Hayato-san, I never wanted people to get hurt, or die. And if it was one of you guys…”

“This is a war, a battle for the future of the world.” Shiro said softly. “I don’t think we have the luxury of asking for that, Aki. But I get it. That Raven and his spider fled, and Arisu killed Daizen. I mean yeah, Daizen wasn’t a nice guy, though I wouldn’t exactly call him evil. Ruthless and pragmatic, sure, but… well… uh.” She clutched at her head, expression pained. “Arisu isn’t bad either. She’s just… well…”

“I think the strangest thing here is that Shiro managed to make other friends.” Yasu-san laughed. “Well, they sure must be a bunch of oddballs if that’s the case. But is this Arisu pretty?”

“Trust you to ask such a stupid question. You know, I’m almost grateful.” Shiro laughed. “That’s such a Yasu thing to say. To answer you, she’s gorgeous. Not as good as me at my best…” Shiro couldn’t resist getting a boast in. “… but enough I’m a little worried about having Aki meet her. Well, and not just because of that either. Suzu is an airhead, I mean, she’s cute, but…” she looked at me and I nodded.

“True, when I met her in Kyoto, I had to admit she was very cute. Those blonde ringlets, and her Western looks… but there was definitely something a bit off about her when we talked.”

“Luckily, Suzu isn’t into guys right now, she wants to be an idol. No, she thinks she already is.” Shiro replied. “But Arisu… well, she’s very distrustful of both men and women, after… well. Things happened.”

“And you can trust her?” Aimi-chan said, worried. “She won’t turn on you?”

Shiro shook her head. “No way. Arisu hates disloyalty. She… well, she also hates cheating, so I’m pretty worried about her first meeting with Aki. Ugh, it makes me sick thinking about it, but we’ll need her onside.”

“But Akio is not cheating.” Motoko said, having mostly just listened quietly to our long conversation, her noble poise shining through, impressing both the girls and the guys here. “Our marriages were all agreed with consent. Surely she could have no complaints.”

“You see, that isn’t how it works for us commoners, Motoko-san.” Hina-chan spoke up, using her first name, which surprised me. That’s not like Hina-chan, it takes her a fair while to warm up to people. I guess maybe it’s because she’s braver now she’s with Hayato-san, or maybe because these girls are my fiancées? Both perhaps…

“I was surprised to find out that there’s really nobility in Japan still. I thought that all ended after the war.” She continued. “And to think they practise multiple marriages and concubines. I’m shocked.”

“Well, there is usually only the lead, legal wife, of the highest standing.” Motoko clarified helpfully. “Ordinarily, that would have been myself, though…” she flushed a little, and that drew the eyes of Shugo-san and Yasu-san, admiring her charms. “… I was prepared to accept being a concubine, if it was to secure my happiness. I was selfish.” Natsumi nodded beside her.

“You were? Well, I was first.” Hinata sighed. “But it all worked out in the end. Akio even browbeat the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition Parties in the Diet to change the law for us. It makes me happy he went that far. I know you all feel the same way.”

Shiro nodded, looking at her ring. “Well, at first I thought Aki was crazy, but then, the world is crazy now. So I just went with it. And despite everything, I’m happy enough that I did.”

“So, Shiro…” Shugo-san asked. “This Arisu woman, from what you said, it sounds like she’s famous, and has trust issues. Do we know her? I wouldn’t be surprised at anything now.”

Shiro sighed. “Well, I’m not spilling any of her secrets. You just need to know she’s innocent. But if you remember the big scandal last year, when a famous actress was accused of cheating on her fiancée, as well as sabotaging her kouhai’s efforts in the industry, embezzlement and more…”

“No way? It’s that Arisu?” Shugo-san said, shocked, and everyone else was likewise stunned. Hell, even I’ve heard of that scandal. It was a big deal at the time. The poor girls that went on TV crying about the abuse they’d suffered at her hands. I mean, I hardly paid much attention, but they looked genuine…

“Yeah, it’s all bullshit though.” Shiro snarled, incensed, and I reached out to pat her arm gently, as she got angry for her friend’s sake. She smiled gratefully at my reassurance, before continuing. “It was her fiancé who was the cheat, and her agency did the embezzlement, and then they tried to blackmail her into… ugh, just imagine the plot of one of your doujins, guys. But Arisu isn’t an idiot, she told them to piss off. And in retaliation they ruined her. So yeah, she has a lot of anger issues. So try not to trigger her, Aki? I don’t want to have to fight her, she’s scary.”

“That’s interesting.” Hina-chan observed. “I feel terrible. I remember thinking at the time she must have been a bad person. I’m sorry.” Hina-chan said contritely and Shiro waved it away.

“What’s more interesting…” Aimi-chan said, speaking up about normal matters for the first time in a while. “Is that Akio-kun looks very natural with you there, Shiro.” She looked at my hand, resting on Shiro’s. “Very smooth. I’m shocked.” She managed a smile then, again the first since she had seen Shiro and her wounds. “I wasn’t as surprised when you kissed…”

“Aki has a long way to go, right girls?” she looked around, and they laughed. “Even so, when I‘m with him now, I feel my heart racing, and it feels good, exciting. Though I get enough excitement from the prospect of what we are up against.”

“Yes, I wondered when we would get back to the main point.” Hayato-san said mildly, but I could tell he was still angry. “What are we going to do about this situation? I get why you worry about us getting hurt, and I’m actually happy about that. After all, none of us want our friends wrapped up in something dangerous.” As I nodded, his gaze sharpened. “That doesn’t mean I agree with you. Just knowing, helping, doesn’t necessarily put us in danger, does it? It sounds like there’s a lot we could do to help. You’re pretty short-staffed, it sounds like.”

Hinata fielded that one. “Yes. Watanabe Karen-chan is undoubtedly loyal, as are the two she recruited, and Haru-san is not a concern. These mercenaries, I know Shaeula has used her winds, but I still worry a little. We can pull staff from Nichibotsu, or Fujiwara and Tsumura houses, but can we be certain they’ll be wholly committed to our interests? I have my concerns…”

“She’s a smart cookie, this one.” Yasu-san laughed. “Cute too. A bit young though, I think your sister is older even, right?”

“Well, as long as I’m old enough for marriage, I don’t see a problem.” She replied impishly. “And I believe I’m cute enough that Akio won’t have any issues.”

“You sure are that.” Yasu-san agreed. “Though if he’s going after our Shiro too, he has quite the wide strike-zone.”

“The thing is, what can we do?” Hina-chan said quietly. As everyone looked at her, she looked down for a moment, before gathering her strength and continuing. “I want to help too. Shiro, Akio-san, you were friends with me all these years. I know I’m a bit shy and gloomy, but you always made the effort to get me to open up. It’s thanks to you all I finally matured and found love.” She looked at Hayato-san, who copied my earlier moves and reassured her with his hand on hers. “But we are programmers, artists, game designers. We don’t have much to offer.”

“Yeah, I’m worried about that too.” Shugo-san agreed. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to come out and say ‘I’ll be a hero, power me up!’ because from your stories and Shiro’s injuries, it’s all too clear this isn’t some light novel. I don’t want to die, I’m not that brave…”

“No kidding man.” Yasu-san agreed, and Aimi-chan nodded too. Even Hayato-san agreed.

“When I think of my darling Hina in trouble, fighting, it makes me sick. So I get it.” He sighed. “But even so…if we bury our heads in the sand, trouble will come our way sooner or later. I’d rather be ready, and help out our precious friends in the process.”

“Yes, but what about your new job? Things were just coming together for you, right? You should probably focus on…”

“Well, you were going to pay us, right?” Hayato-san smirked, for a moment back to the old, confident Hayato-san. “We aren’t greedy, enough to get by is fine. As for how we can help… there must be something we can do. I refuse to believe we can’t help out our friends in this situation.”

“I… I want to look after Shiro. At least until she’s better.” Aimi-chan said suddenly. “As for anything else… well, I can probably be a secretary. I know how to use computers. I’ll even make the tea if I must!”

“Oh Aimi…” Shiro sighed. “Will your boyfriend be happy if you abandon your career for this? I’m flattered, and happy, but you have your own life now…”

“He’ll be fine. He’s a pretty understanding guy. Besides…” she managed a smile, though it was a bit wan. “… which guy is going to give up on these?” she squeezed her arms under her chest.

“True.” Shiro laughed, though the joke was poor.

“Don’t worry about money. Akio has the capacity to earn as much as he wants.” Hinata chimed in. “Besides, I’m rather wealthy myself.”

“Dude, my life is boring as hell. I’d be up for this!” Yasu-san broke in. “Uh… well, again, not sure what I can do, but…”

“Why not-not think of it a different way?” Shaeula said, grinning. “We have willing helpers. We need all-all the assistance we can gather. Simply bring them on board, and see what-what needs doing.”

“I think that could work.” Hayato-san agreed. “I’m confident that together we can achieve great things, just like we did back in our club at Uni.”

As we made a decision, I did wonder if I was doing the right thing, but Hayato-san was right. They don’t have to face danger, no more than Karen-chan does. And they would be safer in the know, and with proper Chirurgery…

“Now that’s settled, I have a question. So you two… you’re faeries, right?” Shugo-san asked Shaeula, who nodded.

“Indeed. I am Shaeula Tu Shae Dannan, proud-proud weaselkin princess of the Seelie, Duchess of the Spring of Clear Reflections. Hyacinth here is a brownie, or well-well, close enough.”

“Ooonce more, I am Hyacinth, servant to Akio and the ooother mistresses. I have the great honour of being loved myself, though Hyacinth is unwooorthy.”

“That’s just crazy.” Shugo-san shook his head. “But I guess it’s true enough, with golden statues appearing out of thin air and Shiro bursting into flame, I don’t see why you’d lie. Those verbal tics are cute too.”

“Tics?” Shaeula and Hyacinth both looked identically puzzled, and I laughed, having heard that for the first time in a while. I do feel lighter, now I’ve told my friends the truth. Now I don’t need to keep secrets from my friends and family anymore. Even my sis has told her friends too…

“Well, in that case, I have a question!” Yasu-san called out. “So, you’re a weaselkin, you said? Does that mean like… weasel ears and tail, or… full furry?”

As Aimi-chan and Hina-chan took him to task, Shaeula answered the question naturally. “I am a weaselkin, of course I resemble a weasel. Akio tells me I look quite-quite adorable.”

“I see. So, uh… has he ever… well, in your weasel form… ouch, why the hell did you hit me? Why does everyone do that?” he protested, Aimi-chan having socked him a good one across the arm. As laughter passed around the table, I found myself grinning, reaching for one of the half-empty bottles of wine…

********

“They sure are having a lot of fun over there.” I remarked, looking over at the table where my bro and most of his girls were, along with his old Uni friends. “I guess I don’t begrudge him that. Keeping secrets is a pain. Bro sucks at it, anyway.”

“He sure does.” Rika-chan agreed, and Yae-chan nodded along with her.

“Yeah, we totally had pegged something was up. I never thought it was this though.”

Rika-chan and Yae-chan had totally fit in with the girls they didn’t know, which didn’t surprise me. After all, the most popular, outgoing girls in class were easy to get along with. They’d even managed to win Eri over, which was no mean feat. As if to prove my point, Eri spoke up.

“He’s doing it for what he thinks is a good reason though.” Eri defended him, before sighing. “Even if it’s foolish. Shaeula was right. We deserved to know, no, we needed to know. Akio is taking too much on his shoulders to do without our emotional support.”

“That’s not the only support you are giving him, is it Eri-chan?” Kana-chan snorted. I didn’t know quite what to make of this girl. She was pretty similar to Eri in personality, oddly enough, though it manifested quite differently, Kana-chan being outgoing yet ultimately concerned mainly for herself and her image, while Eri was shy, but could be brutal when she had to defend what she wanted, and didn’t care at all about other people unless she was actually close to them.

Before Eri could answer, Shaeula and the others, barring Shiro, had come over and joined us at our table. The silent Chinese girl and Kazumi-san were brought over as well, and after a brief bit of rearranging, we were all sitting together, enjoying excellent deserts. And I’ve sneaked some wine. It’s not bad. I doubt I’ll get hungover now I’m stronger, and even if I do, my bro or Shaeula will fix me. I really need to learn how to do it myself sooner or later…

“I feel we should leave Akio and his friends to their reunion.” Motoko said, taking the lead, which was unusual. Sister-in-law Motoko is usually quiet and reserved, a perfect Yamato Nadeshiko, the ideal Japanese wife. My bro is such a lucky dog…

“Yes, they have much to discuss, and our role is done-done.” Shaeula agreed. “So, you were saying we offer Akio love as well, correct?” Shaeula grinned.

“I’m not ashamed to say so.” Eri agreed. “I said it at school, didn’t I? We’re in love, so we have sex. Is that so wrong? I’m happy I can give Akio comfort.”

“That’s not all, is it?” I pressed, as she flushed. Teasing Eri was fun, and I was honestly happy she’d grown up. Thinking about her dying, seeing her torn apart, I hated it. I wished it was me instead. But she’s alive. She says it was an impossible miracle, but I know it’s due to her efforts, and my bro’s. It’s why I’m so glad to have these powers now. I might still be weak, but if I put in the effort, I can stop my bro and Eri suffering again. The others too. I’ll do whatever it takes… “You enjoy it too, don’t you?”

“Of course.” She pouted. “It’s wonderful. But only because it’s Akio!” she shuddered. “I don’t want any other man touching me, that would be disgusting. But Akio’s so caring, and sexy, and your head goes blank, and you feel like you’re shooting into the sky…” she trailed off, realising everyone was grinning at her. Annoyed, she shot back at Kana-chan, who had asked the initial question. “What, jealous?”

“That’s a low blow, Eri-chan. You know I’m jealous.” Kana-chan lowered her voice, possibly so my bro couldn’t hear her, but that was a lost cause. I knew he had sharp ears, and from the way my senses had grown sharper over the last week, I could tell he’d be able to hear us all even over loud music from this distance, if he wanted.

“Really? I knew it.” One of Kana-chan’s friends, Mio-chan, said excitedly.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s totally clear to us, Kana-chan.” The other, Asami-chan, giggled. “No fooling us, how long have we been friends?”

“I mean, you loved that hairclip he bought you, then you started calling him big bro when you weren’t thinking. Besides…” the two of them exchanged glances. I barely knew them, but they were definitely the sort of girls it was easy to get on with, rather similar to Rika-chan and Yae-chan, who were looking on in rapt fascination.

“Yeah, you always used to be so pissed off with guys hitting on you, but you never seemed to mind spending time talking about Akio-san.”

“Ugh, stop making me sound so shallow. But I admit it! I am shallow. All I wanted was to be rich and pampered, treated right. Let’s be honest, I’m gorgeous. I’m not exactly a top student, but I’m not an idiot either. I think I’m a real catch.”

“Well, I did worry you’d bully Kikuchi-san.” The shy girl who turned out to know one of my bro’s friends said. She had returned to our table quite quickly, not being comfortable with so many adults. “You have a reputation of being unapproachable and arrogant.”

“Harsh.” Kana-chan sniffed. “I’ve never bullied anyone. I defend myself if people try to bully me, but… I don’t care enough about others to look down on them. We have that in common, right Eri-chan?”

Eri merely snorted, but didn’t disagree. Bingo. Eri’s happy to ignore the rest of the world. Before, it was just my bro, me and our families she let in, but now she can be friends with Rika-chan and Yae-chan, as well as Shaeula and the girls… I’m proud of her.

“What I do not-not understand is, why you held back?” Shaeula cocked her head, puzzled, looking adorable doing that. Yeah, my bro is a dog so lucky they should build him a shrine and worship him as the god of dating…

“After all…” Shaeula continued. “You like-like Akio, you freely admit it, and Akio likes you too.”

“He does?” Yae-chan asked, curious. “Ugh, now I feel ultra-lame. He promised he’d cheat with me first, and he never did…”

“Is that what you want?” Kana-chan asked, and Yae-chan shrugged.

“Well, honestly… probably not. I just got carried away. Aki is a bit of a hot topic back home right now, and that’s before people even know about all… this.” She gestured. “A guy who left town and moved to Tokyo, making a life in the big city. Our place is so shitty that’s majorly cool.”

“I can sympathise.” Kana-chan sighed. “I hated my shrine. We have a ton of land that’s worth a lot, but we can’t sell or use it due to upholding Shirohebizumi. So I was resigned to being poor as dirt. Akio’s changed all that. If nothing else, I owe him for that. But that’s not all…”

“… yeah, I get you!” Yae-chan was heating up, Rika-chan watching on, a wry expression on her face. “He was always good looking. His mom’s a real cutie, and since she’s a Westerner, you notice her about the town. Ai-chan too.” I preened at her compliment. I knew I was gorgeous. Before, I compared myself to Eri unfavourably, but we were done lying to ourselves.

“Sure, his dad’s a bit of a frightening man, but he’s also pretty handsome. But Aki came back… radiant, you know. And every time I see him, he’s got hotter.”

“Well, he has been training.” Shaeula agreed. “And his Charm is most-most dazzling. Even many of the Fae can not-not compete.”

“Well, I don’t know about that. But… he was so damn cool, the way he put Kenji-kun in his place. And he won a date with me, and… well, he was the perfect date, except he wouldn’t kiss me. I guess I’m no match for you, Eri.” Yae-chan said sadly. “Even so, compared to the dates I’d been on before with horny, immature boys our age… it was great.” she sighed. “Worldly-wise adults with money and power are sexy as hell.”

“Of course you’re no match. I’m his childhood friend, I’ve loved him for ever.” Eri crowed.

“Yeah, but you have many rivals.” Rika-chan chuckled.

“So, back to what you think!” Mio-chan poked Kana-chan, who scowled at her, but she looked pretty even doing that. “Yae-chan here’s bared her soul. I want the gossip!”

“In fact, why not have everyone say what they think of him?” Asami-chan giggled wickedly. “I think that might be fun. No lying though! Only truth!”

“Uh, well, we could go to our room then? Maybe have some privacy?” I offered, but the girls shot me down, saying they wanted to continue eating and drinking here. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

“Fine. Well, I don’t care!” Kana-chan threw up her hands. “Sure, I like Akio. A lot. At first when I saw him with you…” she smiled at Shaeula. “… I thought he was just a pervert messing with young girls.” She grinned then. “I’m not entirely wrong. He is a pervert who does date schoolgirls. But as far as I can see, he does it from a place of love, right? Although it pisses me off he can be such a coward.” She swore, shocking everyone.

“That’s right.” Hinata-san agreed. “Really, I am more ashamed of my actions than anything else. When I first saw Akio, my heart was racing. I didn’t realise it, but it was love at first sight. Obviously, I knew nothing of love. I only cared about standing equal to the nobility, and whatever marriage that would achieve that would be in service of that. We both accept and fear our marriages.” She exchanged knowing looks with Motoko and Natsumi. “But I knew he could go far. And I knew I wanted him, though I wasn’t sure why. So I entrapped him, with help of my family. You feel you were underhanded, Motoko, Natsumi, but I was worse.” She sighed.

“Oh, I want to hear about that…” one of the girls said. I noticed Shaeula was translating into Chinese, by the sounds of it. The Chinese girl looked largely uninterested, but she was listening. Hinata explained how she proposed to Akio, and correctly identified he would be hard-pressed to say no to a girl who needed him for her happiness. I felt a bit annoyed about the way she basically extorted my bro, and she could tell from my face.

“I’m sorry, Aiko. I know as his sister you might hate me for the way I was acting, but I assure you, I love him, I’ll support him as his wife, and I’ll never have him regret that day.”

“I know. You’re a hard girl to dislike, Hinata. Besides, a rich sister-in-law is a wonderful thing.” I diffused the tension. There’s no way I can hate her. She’s so sickeningly into my bro. But I guess Hinata and Kana-chan is right. My bro is a coward at heart. He can’t say no, but he also won’t make a move unless the girl in question is a needy damsel in distress.

“Obviously, since I liked him at first sight, his looks appeal to me. But more than that, his kindness, his strength, his willingness to see me the same way he sees Shaeula, or Eri, or Motoko. Noble, princess, non-human, childhood friend… he loves us all the same. And he isn’t just going through the motions. It’s like out of an old story. He would literally give his life for us. Not that I’d ever want that.”

“Indeed.” Motoko agreed. “He is a true warrior. I always wanted my husband to be one, though I never thought my dream would come true.”

“Speaking of… you were so gung-ho about my bro in Nishimorioka, Motoko, Natsumi. What happened? Hinata beat you to the punch.” I said, smirking.

“They got cold feet.” Hinata laughed. “I get it. Tsumura house is massive, and the weight of honour they hold a shackle. And we know nothing of men. Like I said, we fear our marriages.”

“I have no complaints regarding Akio, none at all.” Motoko said stoutly. “And yes, I confess Natsumi and I did have our sudden doubts. When we returned, I was eager to speak to grandfather, and move forwards the engagement. But when I remembered how sheltered and foolish you thought us all in your home…” she looked downcast, and I suddenly felt guilty.

“Uh, no, it was actually a little cute how lacking in knowledge you… uh, I phrased that badly.” I apologised.

“Well, we are raised that way on purpose.” Natsumi said sadly. “Girls have to remain chaste until marriage. Dalliances with a man would bring shame on our house and ancestors. So our knowledge is restricted.”

“That’s so unfair.” Eri protested, surprising me. “I admit, at the time I was jealous. I thought I had nothing to offer Akio than my love, and compared to your wealth and lineage… even so, I hardened my heart and said to Akio he could have you if he needed you. But thinking about it, you are rather pitiful…”

“That hurts, Eri.” Hinata giggled. “I thought myself worldly-wise compared to the other noble daughters, laughing at them. It turns out I knew little more than they did and my pride was misplaced. But… we’re learning, right?” at that she blushed, as did Motoko and Natsumi.

“There is a story here, I know it!” Yae-chan grinned.

“Well, we have been studying. Nothing crude.” Motoko declared, still a little ashamed. “But when I asked grandfather, he permitted us certain knowledge.” She sighed. “I confess to envying those of you who get to lie with Akio as a wife.” Natsumi nodded as well.

“All we know is that we have to obey our husbands and satisfy them. It pissed me off.” Hinata declared. “But then, Eri, Shaeula, Hyacinth, you told us what joy it was, that Akio wants to make us happy, find pleasure, make love. So I realised. I don’t want to marry Akio just to climb to true nobility. In fact, I’d accept not even being nobility if I could be with him. But… Akio hates sacrifices. So he’ll see that my dream comes true. Which is why I want to support his dream. Besides, I really like it when he smiles at me, praises me and pats my head, telling me I’ve done a good job.” She was crimson now, and adorable.

“Yes, Akio gives the best head pats.” Eri agreed. “Uh, may I ask a serious question, Motoko, Natsumi?”

“Of course. Go ahead.”

“Well, I always wondered… did you two… well, do you like boys? You kind of feel like you are into … each other?”

“I do not understand?” Motoko asked, but Natsumi smiled gently, realising what Eri was asking.

“I see. Yes, there are lots like that, many bodyguards who love their masters, and I do love Motoko. Though I’ve never considered more. As long as I can be by her side, that’s enough for me.”

“I feel the same, Natsumi. Akio is strong and brave, a true warrior, and yet he does not seek to chain us to him as trophies or servants. Yes, he worries and protects, but he wishes us to grow. I can comfortably see myself at his side. But without you there, life would be so much more grey.”

“I get that too. I thought I’d be dismissed from my duties when Motoko married, and be sent for marriage myself to continue the Hori lineage. But Akio, he saw our pain, our longing, and made them vanish. I do worry he only agreed to take me for Motoko’s sake, and he doesn’t truly want me, humble as I am, but…”

“Bullshit.” I said, heading off that train of thought. “I know my bro better than anyone except maybe Eri, and I can tell you, pushover or not, cowardly and unwilling to face his own feelings honestly that he is, however it started, my bro is head over heels for the two of you. Both of you. Hinata as well. But if you don’t believe me…” I grinned wickedly. “… just go to my bro, and tell him your worries. But be prepared for the consequences. He’d go big to reassure you. I hope you learned enough about men and women’s relations.” I rolled my finger into a circle, and inserted another through it crudely, drawing some shocked laughter.

“Well, so you’ve never wanted to kiss or hug Natsumi?” Eri asked again, and they exchanged looks.

“We have hugged many times. Kissing? That is for husband and wife to do.” Motoko said.

“Eri, do you want Akio’s girls to make out? That’s cheating isn’t it? I mean, some guys might be into it, but Akio’s rather tender-hearted, I think it’d upset him.” Kana-chan said, and I had to agree. I guess she has been watching my bro pretty closely. Silly girl. She’s too proud, and my bro’s too indecisive.

“No, but… well, if you did want to…” Eri then said something shocking. “… so, when the two of you make love with him together, that’s the time. if Akio joins in, he might find it fun.”

“Wow.” I asked, stunned. “Have you and Shaeula done that sort of thing? I’m shocked.”

“Not… exactly…” Eri whispered, casting a glance towards the table. Shiro was looking back at us, a wry expression on her face, her scars pale against the pink of her skin. Yep, I knew it. She and my bro can totally hear us. Great.

“We’ve uh… double… uh, well, used our mouths together. And we’ve swapped his… uh, well, his fluids. Touched each other a little as well.”

“Yeah, now I always knew you were a perverted one.” Kana-chan smirked. “But seriously, you all just spoke over me. Don’t get me wrong…” she sighed. “I was interested in what you thought of Akio and each other, but I was working up my confidence to be honest and you derailed me. But we might as well finish. Does that interest the two of you?” she asked.

Natsumi sighed. “I love Akio. I do. I don’t even know entirely why myself. At first it was just gain, and he was kind. But the more time I spend with him, the more I notice little things. The way he notices when I’m worried. His smile. How he listens to me when I have something to say. He’s always thinking of us. And yes… I do want my first time to be together with Motoko. Not… every time…” she said. “I think it would be nice being held in Akio’s arms, just the two of us. But Akio offered Motoko and I the chance of true happiness without sacrifice, and in my heart, it wouldn’t feel right unless we did it together.”

“I shall ask Akio, on the happy day we become one. A day I hope is not too far away.” Motoko said proudly. “If he wishes us to be intimate, I… I shall not hate it. But Natsumi is my dearest friend, not a lover, I would only ever do such in the presence of and with permission of Akio, my husband and love. For like Natsumi, he represents hope of a happy future. It started in selfishness from us and weakness from him, but as with Natsumi, the more time we spend together, I recognise more and more to love. His splendid form with sword and spear, his bravery, his respect for noble traditions, even if he does not understand them or agree with them all. His willingness to dare to change them, while keeping what should be kept…”

“I get that…” Hinata agreed. “It’s why I know I’ll reach my dreams.”

“Ugh…” Kana-chan groaned. “See? I can’t compete with that. All of you are so disgustingly in love with him. I get it, I do. He’s saved my life. Admittedly, maybe I was only in the situation because of him, but it was a stunning feeling. He’s made me proud to be myself, you know. My eyes, my gift, they matter to him. He doesn’t like me because I’m pretty, and he doesn’t hate me because I’m selfish and bitchy. He never talks down to me just because I’m younger. He treats everyone, even our little cutie Marika-chan here, as an equal. That’s rare.” She sighed. “If only he had the guts to snatch me up. I mean, I practically offered myself to him. All he had to do was reach out, say he wanted me…”

“Akio-sama is steadfast and kind.” Marika-chan agreed. “And… he saved my friend.” She looked at Keomi-chan, who was half-asleep, having absolutely stuffed herself with puddings. As she gave a snort of tired agreement, Marika-chan continued. “He has the favour of the kami, and is not a bad person. He even forgave my mother, who has been most angry with him.”

“Shit, my bro will be getting a serious big head about now…” I muttered.

“So, what’s the problem?” Mio-chan asked Kana-chan. “If you like him, is it that you don’t want to share? It sounds like he’d accept you if you just pushed harder.”

“I get it.” Asami-chan agreed. “I mean, I’m not into him, so don’t try and kill me. I’d never have the confidence to go up against you girls anyway…”

“No kidding.” Rika-chan agreed. “I thought he was kind of cool when he came back to Nishimorioka, totally unlike the nerdy older brother type he was before, where he couldn’t do sports and wasn’t popular with girls, but I’m not up for a fight against other girls. I’ll just cheer you all on.”

“So, yeah, you said you wanted him to chase you, Kana-chan. But you know it’s not how Akio works. He doesn’t chase.” Eri said. “As you’ve said, he can be surprisingly cowardly. I know why though.” Eri looked downcast at that. Oh Eri. It… well, maybe it was our fault. But that’s done now. Time to forgive ourselves.

“That’s not true. Hyacinth there…” Kana-chan pointed at the maid, who I did find a bit scary at times, but again, she was so into my bro that I knew she could be trusted. “… and also Shiro. And what about the Lady Diviner? He does chase. I guess I’m just not good enough.” She sighed. “I do have my pride. At first, I thought I wanted no part of sharing, but then I realised you all seemed happy enough with it.”

“Actually, it is quite-quite delightful. Perhaps I see things differently, as I will live a long-long time. But so too will any of Akio’s females. Many friends, many sisters, sharing the endless nights together under the moon. Even in the times when we must by-by necessity be apart, so long as we have sisters, we are never-never alone.”

“See? I… I say it’s my pride, and it is. I believe I deserve to be wanted, chased. But… I also don’t have confidence. Shocking, I criticise Akio for being a coward, but I’m sure one too. I worry if I do confess and he accepts me, how can I compete? I don’t want to be the afterthought, the forgotten one.” Kana-chan said bitterly. “I find myself dreaming of him at night, and I’m happy, but then I wake up, and…” she snorted self-deprecatingly. “If it was just you, Eri, I’d fight. But Shaeula, Motoko, Natsumi, Shiro… I can’t win.”

She looked sad enough to cry, and surprisingly enough, the girl I thought didn’t like her, Takagi-chan, spoke up in her defence. “You can’t win? I never thought I’d see the queen of our school admit defeat like that. I thought you were much scarier. Look, I never knew he was a friend of my cousin. That surprised me. But I do know Oshiro-san is a good man. He’s even nice to me, and says to be confident in my looks…”

“Maybe he’s just flirtatious…” Mio-chan laughed, but I shook my head.

“Nope. I mean, come on, Takagi-chan, you might be a little plain… uh, sorry, that came out wrong… ordinary, might be better. But in that dress you look a hundred percent cuter. A change in hairstyle, a bit of makeup, and you could scrub up nice. My bro sees that. And here’s the thing. You’re one of bro’s priorities now. Once he starts to see you as someone to protect, he’ll look out for you no matter what.” Just like he did for Eri and I, for years.

“He saved my father.” Kikuchi-chan agreed. “And even though we can’t give much back, he paid off our debts and supports us. without asking for much in return.” She gave a troubled look to Kana-chan. “You know how things work. Normally, when receiving such grace, my father, he’d be pressed to offer me…”

“No way!” Kana-chan declared, angered. “Akio would never do that. When he thought I’d be hurt or abused, his anger was so intense I could physically feel it. Don’t insult him…”

“She wasn’t, calm down.” Eri said, shaking her head. “She’s just saying that the help Akio offers normally comes at a cost. But Akio would never exploit his position to indulge. All of us… we chose willingly to love him. You… you did too, Kana-chan. I… ugh, I was serious when I said I’d accept it. At first I couldn’t, as you seemed too selfish, but… well, you are reminding me of the Festival. If I hadn’t confessed that night, I would be regretting, like you.”

“Akio hates males who abuse and prey on females. Kondou Kazuo did face-face his wrath, and was destroyed. Any of you here, you should know this. If you seek him earnestly, he will reciprocate. But if you do not-not desire it, he will never force you. I am jealous of Shiro. She was truly the one-one he sought out. Eri and I had to force him greatly to accept me. It is not-not just you who laments his lack of boldness in that area, Kana.”

At that Shiro waved at them, and Shaeula made a charmingly rude gesture back, causing Shiro to giggle happily. I then had an idea. Putting an arm around the surprised Kana-chan, I spoke. “Seriously, I get it. The one that confesses first loses, right? But can’t you at least meet my bro halfway?”

“What do you mean?”

“Look, you’re like me. You want to learn Chirurgery and Ether Healing to a high skill level, right?”

Kana-chan nodded.

“Well then…” I continued. “Simple. Go to my bro, push him for help. Learn, and when you can do it… well, that’s when you hit him with it.”

“Hit him with what?” she asked. I leaned in and whispered to her, and her eyes went wide. I patted her on the shoulder reassuringly as I pulled away, grinning.

“So, it’s as easy as that. Your pride is satisfied, and everyone wins. Except for Takagi-san’s cousin, I think.” I laughed, and Takagi-san managed a weak smile.

“So, those were some heavy words. Anyone else want to speak up?” I asked, and Shaeula laughed.

“I shall go next. Let me regale you with a tale-tale…” we listened as Shaeula told us all her first meetings with my bro. Eri and I had heard it a few times, but it was always amusing.

“… so yes, my bond with Akio has changed me. I am no-no longer the selfish fool I was. But I do believe I have changed-changed him as well. He has grown confident, resolute. I can not-not love a male who is timid or fearful. Yet I do not-not wish him to be arrogant, as I once was. it is a fine-fine line to walk. At first he was… rather frail, unsure. I am pleased he has grown.”

“Indeed. Akiooo is so very kind.” Hyacinth was next to speak. “When all I wanted was tooo die, to end my sorrows, Akio refused to accept it. It was selfish…” she pouted, but her violet eyes were sparkling. “But… it was ooout of love. Even then, Akio felt kindness for poor Hyacinth, monster nooobody cared for.”

“That’s rubbish.” Eri wheeled closer, and I was once again surprised by how close the two of them were. She pulled Hyacinth into a hug. “We care for you. After all, wasn’t I there when you loved Akio the first time?”

“Whoa, too much information.” Rika-chan giggled. “Sorry, Marika-chan, you shouldn’t hear these things at your age.”

“It is fine. I understand the idea. We studied it briefly in biology class. And Akio-sama does love you all, so I see no issue with it.”

“If only Keomi-chan was as grown up as you.” Kana-chan muttered. “I bet if she was to answer what she liked about Akio, it would be…”

“He buys me delicious cake and sweets all the time.” Keomi-chan actually said, still half asleep.

“See…?” Kana-chan began, but Keomi-chan wasn’t done.

“… and he saved my life. I was… so scared. So hurt. But he came charging. Stopped the pain… got the nice lady to shine that light, make me forget the nightmares.”

“Wow.” I managed, as some of the girls went to console her. “That’s kind of heavy stuff.”

Hyacinth bounded upright, past the girls, pulling Keomi-chan into her chest. She flailed, but Hyacinth soothed her. “Hush. Hyacinth knooows. We are alike. Akio saved us from pain. Then, nooow and always. So be not afraid. I am here. Rest now.” she looked at us all. “I looove master. Not as a servant, a brownie. Nooot as a boggart. Simply as Hyacinth. The name he gave me. I am Hyacinth, ooonly because he loves me. But I looove the mistresses too. And finally…” a single tear rolled from her eye and fell onto Keomi-chan below, who looked up at her, eyes wide. “… I can finally looove myself. That is what it is toooooo belong to Akio. No, to belong tooo each other. We bring out the best in each other. As mistress Hinata, Mistress Moootoko and mistress Natsumi say… nooo sacrifices.” Her expression changed. “It is why I hate that Akiooo hurts so, over the dead. It must never happen again. Never!”

“Damn right!” I agreed. “That’s why we have to get stronger. And why… if any girl loves my bro, I’ll never stand in her way. Sorry Eri. I continue being the worst best friend you can imagine.”

“No, I get it.” Eri shook her head. “I’m resigned to it. But I’ll never stop fighting for my share. And I wont take just anyone. I don’t want girls added for the sake of it, and I’ll never allow bad ones who will hurt Akio or those of us he has already. As first wife, I get final say!”

“Well said.” There was clapping, and we looked up to see Shiro had joined us. “I couldn’t help but hear all this interesting talk.” She sat down. “Aki is writhing in embarrassment, it’s hilarious. And if Yasu and Shugo could hear the outpouring of love for Aki, they’d die on the inside. Damn, I needed that after all the heavy talk.”

“He could hear us?” Yae-san said, blushing scarlet. Kana-chan looked pretty bad as well.

“He’ll pretend he didn’t. Aki does have tact, oddly enough. Who cares? It was all cute anyway. Well, let me say my piece. Aki was always… oddly reliable. He seemed flaky, but he could always turn a bad situation into a better one, sometimes by making a quip at his own expense, or by saying the right thing. I think he hates conflict, poor bastard. Going to be hell saving the world, when he hates to fight.”

“Akio is a warrior.” Motoko defended him, Natsumi agreeing, and Shiro sighed.

“Yeah, so was Kenshin Himura.” Shiro shook her head. “But that didn’t mean he didn’t step up when he had to fight, as much as he hated conflict, thought it wasteful.”

“I do not know that warrior. What house did he fight for?” Motoko asked, and I laughed to see Shiro flustered. Despite the hideous scars, her beauty was still incredibly oppressive, so seeing her lighter side made me like her more, made her more relatable.

“He was fictional, never mind.” She waved it away. “But those that don’t enjoy battle make the kindest warriors, right? He’s not doing it for the glory, but for those he loves. And he gets strength from that. I’m happy to be his strength. After all…” she grinned at Eri. “I’m the one he came after himself.”

After that, Shiro regaled us with some tales of my bro in his Uni days, and then about how he had cried over Shiro as she was dying, and even forced a devilish god to bargain for her life. “So yeah. I’d always really liked Aki as a friend, but I was too stupid to realise it went deeper, just like he was. We’re a perfect match. I’m like Eri in that I don’t overly like the idea of more competition, I want to spend time with Aki, play games together, go on dates, but as a latecomer, I’ll accept it. And I’ll make Aki want to spend time with me, rather than any new girl.” She looked at Kana-chan. “I heard the plan Ai here whispered to you. Well, so did Aki, but our eyes met, and I know he’d cave in. So its up to you. I get it. But I was chased, so I didn’t have that struggle. Though Tan did try and make me reject him by pointing out I wasn’t his first love, or his only one. In the end I accepted that.”

“Fine. Shut up!” Kana-chan went red and curled up into a ball. “It’s what I want anyway. As for Akio, I’ll decide later…”

“Great. Well, only two people haven’t spoken up.” Shiro looked at Kazumi-san and the Chinese Girl, Daiyu-san. Uh, I think bro called her Daiyu’er. Is that the right honorific?

“Well, I did worry when we first met. He seemed dangerous, and low-born.” Kazumi-san said, and Hinata snorted. “I wasn’t wrong.” She continued. “He’s definitely dangerous. Just look at all you girls gushing over him.” She winked, at odds with her stern image. “I respect him though, honestly. He’s good for Hinata-sama, and he too told me I could stay as her guard as long as I wanted, even after the marriage.” She nodded at Natsumi, who was smiling at that. “It’s not all good though. He’s bad with money, indiscreet, and too easily pushed around by women. Hinata-sama, Eri-sama… you’ll need to watch him so no bad gold-diggers or enemies get their claws in him. For a man who can be powerfully confident, arrogant and brash, forcing powerful men like Fujiwara-sama to yield, he can… well, cave in to pressure remarkably fast.”

“Yes, he is too kind and easily pushed around. He is working on it, with our help.” Hinata agreed.

“Yeah, my bro… too eager to compromise. I get it, a win-win is great, but I wish he’d be greedier.” I complained. “Although… ugh, he’s had an inferiority complex for years.” I exchanged a sad glance with Eri, guilt surging within me despite my best efforts to suppress it. Ever since the dog. Eri and I, our needs always pressured him, until he fled from us, not that he knew that was what he’s doing. But he’s back now, and we’ve changed. That’s the past.

“Well, if he was too greedy, that’d be bad too.” Shiro laughed. “Every girl here would be in his harem, you included, Ai-chan!”

“No way! Ugh, creepy!” I denied that, to more laughter. It was then Daiyu’er said something, and Shiro translated.

“She said that Akio has made her promises, and she hopes he keeps it, but from seeing you all, she realises while he is inconstant and unfaithful, which she despises, from our smiles and laughter he is not cruel or overly lustful.”

“Well, he can be quite-quite the lustful beast on the bed.” Shaeula disagreed. “But he is never-never cruel. Even his enemies get the mercy they deserve. Though that is sometimes none. But yes, none of us claim him to be perfect. But… his faults, they are for us to help-help him with. We shall be his strength, as he is ours.” Shaeula looked around. “Eri, as first-first wife, please sum it up.”

“Really? Why?” she said, before sighing. “All right. So yes, Akio… everyone here, whether you love him or not, whether you want to be with him or not… he’ll defend us all, until his last breath and beyond. He’s kind but sometimes too weak, loving but has many loves, generous, sometimes too much so, weak to pressure but never when it counts, and for any of us, he would wade into the jaws of death… but for others too. Deep down he often felt inferior, not good enough, not able to protect. That was my fault really. As a child… I was so pathetic, I just took from him, drained his vitality, his strength. But not anymore. Now we give him strength, and he needs it.” she sighed, grumbling. “If he was living a life just with me in Nishimorioka, working a modest job, raising a family, he’d do fine. But that’s not what life had in store for him or us. Maybe, just maybe, despite his fears, and naivety and cowardice…” she smiled at Kana-chan then. “… he’ll be the one to save the world. He already saved me. No, us. For me, Akio’s the only one, and his good qualities are precious, and his flaws, while annoying, are what make him who he is. The man I love.”

“Well said. There’s no point wishing for what can’t be. I tried that for years, and never got any better.” Shiro sighed. “The life Aki was destined for has dragged us all into it. And I don’t think we’ll regret it. I certainly don’t. Anyone who wants to be with Aki has to accept it. Accept him, flaws and all.”

“I’m glad we aren’t throwing our hats in the ring.” Mio-chan whispered to Asami-chan.

“No kidding. I wouldn’t feel confident going up against Kana-chan in love. Against all these…? Maybe I’ll make a move on your cousin, Takagi-san. Is he rich and cool?”

“No way! He’s lame and barely getting by!”

At that there was laughter, and I leaned back, satisfied, casting a glance at my brother. He met my gaze, looking embarrassed, and I stuck my tongue out at him. Serves you right, bro. A bit of embarrassment is the least you deserve…

********

Turning away from my sister, who stuck her tongue out at me, I held in a sigh. Yeah, sure, it’s flattering to hear praise, but it’s also really painful as well. As for Kana… well, that’s for another day. I do rather like her, but… I understood her wish to be chased, for her pride. Being honest, I felt that if I asked Kana to be my girlfriend, that would be crossing the final line, and I’d have no excuse to reject any other girl I liked. Shiro was the exception, as I had known her before all this. Again though, I could put that aside for now. Ironically their criticisms hurt less than the praise. Maybe I am a coward…

“There’s a real garden of flowers over there.” Yasu-san observed, not for the first time tonight. “But… Akio-kun, seriously, is there anything going on between you and Hisano-chan? It’d be… a bit weird, you and my cousin, and considering what I’ve seen tonight, I’d feel a bit bad for her, but…” he sighed. “Man, I trust you. You’d not let her get hurt. We’re friends, I can trust you with that, right?”

Yasu-san, I’m touched. “No, I promise you, I’m merely sort of like a guardian to Takagi-san. Shaeula got her mixed up in this, but she’s a diligent girl, always does her training. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Okay. I trust you, man.” He agreed. “But… seriously, if something does happen, tell me. This surprise was bad for my heart. I don’t know what I’d tell uncle and auntie. I mean, maybe they’d be happy, uh… damn…”

“Poor Yasu-kun.” Aimi-chan laughed a little. Her mood had improved a bit as we talked, and while she was still pale and far more solemn than her normal, boisterous self, she was at least mostly back to normal. “Not only did you get knocked down by the fact Akio-kun and Shiro are in love, your precious younger cousin, the only hope of a lonely otaku like you, is going to be snatched away…”

“No way, Hisano-chan and I aren’t like that. Creepy!” he shuddered.

“Hey, how very normal of you…” Aimi-chan continued her teasing, while Hina-chan spoke to me then.

“So, I’m glad to see Shiro getting along with other people. I’m still worried though. I know you said you can heal her, and I don’t think you are lying, but… how long will it take?” she then smiled sweetly, and I looked at Hayato-san, who was looking at her happily, before winking. Yeah, you’re a lucky guy. Hina-chan is a real sweetie.

“It shouldn’t be a problem. We have a great healer. It’s only been a few days, and the scars have shrunk a little, and she has an eye under the patch now, even if it’s still blind. We are looking at weeks, not months, I believe.”

“Weeks, huh? Well… considering how sickly she’s always been, a few weeks is no hardship, I suppose.” She sighed. “The scale of this is a bit frightening.”

“It definitely is.” Shugo-san agreed. “I know I’m like Hayato-kun, pissed I didn’t know about this, but now I do, and we’ve calmed down… it might be the booze talking, but I’m starting to get scared. There’s an apocalypse coming, right? A lot of people are going to die. The world might end…”

“Shut up, idiot!” Aimi-chan complained. “You’re scaring Hina-chan!”

“I’m scaring myself!” he protested. “It doesn’t do us any good ignoring it, that’s what we got angry at Akio-kun for, right?”

Aimi-chan bit her lip at that, and I smiled reassuringly at her, only for Shiro to call over jovially.

“I told you, Aimi’s off limits. She’s got a boyfriend. If you start stealing from others, it’ll never end!”

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” I laughed in monotone. “Very funny. But I appreciate the comic relief. The table got a bit heated.” As Shiro waved in amusement, I spoke to them all. “I didn’t want to worry you. But yeah, we know that we have less than five years. Probably less than four. What’s coming, we don’t know… but we’ll be as prepared as we can be.”

“I see.” Hayato-san mused. “All the more reason to gather help. This Chirurgery, you’ll give it to us, right?”

I nodded. “Shaeula will do Aimi-chan and Hina-chan though. I’ll do you guys.”

“It hurts, right?” Hina-chan said softly, and I nodded.

“Afraid so, but even girls like the young Marika-san over there endured. Shaeula will be gentle.”

“Right, so, what’s the plan then? The night is young, maybe we should hit Akihabara for old times’ sake. We’d even have Shiro with us this late for once.” Yasu-san said. “We can hash out our plans for the future, like salaries, right?”

“Trust you to be greedy.” Aimi-chan complained.

“Well, a guy’s got to live, right?” he said, and I actually agreed with him.

“Yeah, I pay pretty well, I like to think. Karen-chan has no complaints. Well, few complaints, anyway. Hey Shiro…” I called over. “You want to hit Akihabara? Then maybe onto Shinjuku or Shibuya?”

“What about us, bro? Ditching us? Lame.” My sis complained.

“Sorry, but none of you are old enough to get in the bars, well, I guess Shaeula can.”

“No, I shall stay here. I would not-not like to intrude in your touching reunion. But I shall drink plenty of expensive alcohol, so be warned!”

“Sure.” I grinned. “Keep the… oh, hang on a second. My phone is ringing.” Which is odd, nearly everyone is… huh, it’s Tsumura-san, Motoko’s grandfather. Is it for her, or…

The moment I answered the phone, his urgent voice greeted me. “Oshiro-san, there is an emergency. A helicopter is on route, there is no time for delay. There has been an attack on a coastguard vessel off the northern coast, but we think it is surely a feint. We believe Chinese insurgents are already on Japanese soil. And their destination…”

“Kyoto?” I said, Foresight suddenly blaring.

“Kyoto.” He agreed. “We’re scrambling JSDF forces, but...”

“But against Chosen and potentially Sects, they might not be enough, or even able to combat them, if they take the Boundary.” I finished for him. A few more exchanges, and I had hung up. Turning to my concerned friends and the girls, I put on a brave face. Well, the girls might call me reluctant to fight, or cowardly, and maybe it’s true. No, who am I kidding? It is true. I don’t relish battle, especially against other humans, hypocritical though that is, knowing Shaeula, Hyacinth, Ulfuric and others. But to protect those I promised to protect… the girls had that right too.

“Sorry everyone. Looks like no Akihabara tonight. Instead… I have to do my job. The job only I can do…”